And this is love . . .

 

At the end of the day all that really maters is love.

We come and go. We dine and cheer. We give and receive.

Did we love? This is what carries over . . . love.

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The Dissonant Key

At times we can feel dissonant like a single, out-of-tune piano key.  We struggle to resonate in brilliance and to bring a presence of value back into our lives.

Maybe we’ve been played too hard or have been abused by a hand that once moved gently but has since turned harsh.  Or maybe the maestro has passed, leaving only the coldness of ivory as we long for his passionate touch to dance over us again.

Regardless, even being slightly out-of-focus or mildly out-of-tune is enough to make us mute our melody,  because we hear the false perfection of the other piano keys dancing and bouncing rhythmically.  We judge ourselves in the light of their song.

While our song sounds sad . . . always.

What if we embraced our dissonant sound?  What if we turned up the volume of what we perceive as imperfect?

Our song is valuable and the dissonant key resonates regardless of judgment.  Be differently beautiful . . . be your own song.

This is a photo I took of an old piano that was bound by a chain in a park in Washington State.  You can view more of my photography on Flickr.

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Let Love Reign

You “think” you’re doing the right thing. But the heart is deceiving. You think that you’re supporting a cause and that you’ve chosen a side . . . but you were chosen before the beginning of time. Love is confused because it’s undefined by the counter punch of the lie. Death is a phantom – a movie – because love has been overshadowed.

 

There is an answer. Humility. Let love reign.

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Brutal Truth

truth noun ˈtrüth

Something which would probably upset a great many of people if it were known and made public . . . Truth.

Urban Dictionary ~

How would you define truth?  Brutal honesty:  You look fat in those jeans!

I’ve been processing the value of brutal honesty for awhile.  As a songwriter I always craved brutal honesty and I never found myself feeling offended by someone’s opinion.  I’d rather receive critical feedback over sympathetic lies. But that’s me.

People will ask my opinion about their looks or ideas, songs, blogs, photos or poems . . . and my typical reply is, “Do you want me to answer or answer honestly?”  Most respond with, “Just answer.”

My question is this:

Would more harm or good come from brutal honesty?

Would marriages last longer?  Would parents respect their children more?  Would prospective employers be more apt to hire you?  Would your grandmother disown you? (Thanks for the pink Snuggies, gammy!)

We don’t need to be cruel with our response, but we can practice respectful honesty.

I was approached last year by a team who wanted to collaborate on a song I wrote. I agreed, and when they submitted the production to me I shared my thoughts.  I felt they completely missed the essence of the song.  It was a very professional recording with brilliant musicianship . . . but there were aspects of the composition that did not sit nicely with the intention of the song.

The musicians seemed so upset at my remarks that they never continued corresponding. I even shared my encouragement to continue the collaborative journey.  They abandoned the project.

Do you value brutal honesty in your relationships? What would your knee-jerk reaction be and how would you process the answer?

I seek truth most of the time but sometimes the truth hurts me. The closer I draw to the light of truth in my life, the more I realize my lies, pains and spiritual distance. I need to force myself to take personal inventory and remove the negative aspects from my life. Truth removes the negative when you accept the pains of the lie.

Do the right thing and enjoy truth in Life’s Moments ~

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