Peace, Love, and Understanding
Greetings my friends. Well……here I go again……another “jolt” of inspiration has struck me this morning…..and the thoughts, ideas, and their respective connections all started bouncing around in my brain. Typically, what happens to me is those thoughts turn into words….and those words (and associated message) start getting typed…..and ultimately “cry out” to be shared. Today, the inspiration has come from an old high school friend who posted a video on her Facebook site. I have neither seen nor spoken to this person in over 25 years, but today her message was the “grease” I needed to get me wheels in motion. How cool is that?? She posted an old video of the Elvis Costello’s song, “Peace, Love, and Understanding”. This is one of my favorite songs of all-time, but this version is particularly special in light of the fact that Elvis is joined by Nick Lowe…..who actually wrote the song. The song has an incredible message….especially today…..when our economy is struggling so badly….and so many of us are feeling the effects in our personal lives.
As I perused through my updated e-mail distribution list in preparation to send this today, I was both amazed and thankful to have so many people in my circle. I continue to add new friends to my list, and I hope that my correspondence is welcomed. I am hopeful that each and every one of you fine folks can draw some sort of inspiration and/or relevance from my messages, and that you are able to make a correlation to what is actually going on in your respective lives. If you do not wish to be included on my distribution going forward, please let me know. I will not take it personally….some people just don’t like reading long blogs. My messages are intense, lengthy, detailed, and I realize that time schedules are very tight. OK, enough about that….let’s get back to our song.
As I watched the video this morning, I was aided by the fact the video has the words to the song posted on the screen while they are performing. I found it very interesting (and thought you might as well) that the subtitles we also in Chinese. For me, that added a strong international flavor.....and for some reason....made the message resonate even more soundly with me today. After I listened to and watched the video, I immediately went to the internet, downloaded the lyrics, and started dissecting the message. The messages regarding darkness, hatred, pain, misery, lost hope, and troubled times have such an intense connection to what is going on our worlds today. I have personally felt all of these emotions throughout the last year or so, as I am sure many of you have. I have had conversations about these exact messages with lots of you, and the fact that we get to share them with each other means allot to me. The conversation usually ends with encouraging words from both sides. This positive interaction helps us cope with our own situations, and helps us continue to build relationships with each other. I will tell you, that this both very important and rewarding for me, and has become part of my daily life. The great French author, Francois Mauriac said it best;
"No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever"
The most interesting and poignant thing about Elvis and Nick's song is that the message is not really about lost hope or darkness……it’s actually about Peace, Love, and Understanding. I have been told by many people over the years that I am too intense. I have been told that I dig into things too deeply. I have been accused of “soap-boxing” more times than I care to remember. However, I am perfectly comfortable responding to those confrontations. For those of you who have spent time with me, you can attest to the fact that I am usually not left without something to say in response. :)This is who I am, and as I tread through this difficult time in my life……I realize more and more……that this is “exactly” who I am. The difference for me now is that my responses come from a much more warm, safe, and authentic place. At least this is how I see it. Therefore, the question; “What’s so funny about Peace, Love, and Understanding??......has a deep and soulful meaning for me.
If we all just slowed down a little, and took time to actively pursue these things in our lives……we would be enriched in many ways. Let’s unpack each of these together:
Peace – Clearly, it’s hard to have peace in your life when things seem upside down. One of the ways I have tried to capture this in my life is through faith. I have recently reconnected with my faith, and it has provided with both the strength and the peace I need to help me get through some very tough days. Another trick I have used is to think about being grateful for the things I do have, as opposed to worrying about the things I don’t have. This is a big change for me, but one that I needed to make for quite sometime now. The fact is that god has blessed me with 5 phenomenal children, a "gaggle" of great friends throughout the world (I have some good pals in India now), and a skill set that gives me an opportunity to communicate and share with others. All of these give me peace. What is it for you?
Love – I have started reading the Bible more than ever before. What I have found is that god’s unconditional “love” for all of us is unbelievably intense and unwavering. Love is not just something that is shared between close family members or people in close relationships. Love is something to be offered and shared by ALL PEOPLE. This may sound a bit “corny” to you, but just try it for a few days. Try “loving” everyone and everything around you. A difficult task……yes……but one that can set your heart free and certainly help you in times of struggle. Can you love more?
Understanding – For me, understanding doesn’t mean to get to know something or to figure something out. It’s means caring. Caring for things you haven’t paid attention to before. Caring for the poor, caring for the homeless, caring for our soldiers ( who put their lives in harms way so we can have security), caring for the environment, caring for the millions of people (many of us included) who are facing enormous financial struggles. What’s so funny about that??
The bottom line here folks is a message of hope. In the words of our 44th President “YES……WE CAN”. We can rebuild our lives. We can get through these difficulties. We can open our eyes to more things that don’t directly affect our small worlds. We can have more PEACE in our lives. We can increase our heart capacity and LOVE more. We can develop a greater sense of responsibility and caring for others in need. Regardless of what we are personally going through, there are many others in the world far worse off that we are….for sure.
At the end of the day, each one of us is part of a grand universe, we all have a part to play, and we are all connected in some way, shape, or form. God has a special and individual plan for each one of us, and if we continue to work hard to find our true “authenticity”…… we will achieve the peace and happiness we all strive for. I conclude my correspondence to you on this beautiful North Carolina Blue Sky Day with the lyrics to this fantastic song, as well as the link to this soulful video with Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe. Take the 4 minutes to watch and listen to this song……your day will be better…..I can guarantee it!!!
Peach, Love, and Understand to all of you.......Tony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWdh7ERLb3E
As I walk through
This wicked world
Searchin for light in the darkness of insanity.
I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?
And each time I feel like this inside,
Theres one thing I wanna know:
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding?
And as I walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
cause each time I feel it slippin away, just makes me wanna cry.
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding?
So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
cause each time I feel it slippin away, just makes me wanna cry.
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding?
As I perused through my updated e-mail distribution list in preparation to send this today, I was both amazed and thankful to have so many people in my circle. I continue to add new friends to my list, and I hope that my correspondence is welcomed. I am hopeful that each and every one of you fine folks can draw some sort of inspiration and/or relevance from my messages, and that you are able to make a correlation to what is actually going on in your respective lives. If you do not wish to be included on my distribution going forward, please let me know. I will not take it personally….some people just don’t like reading long blogs. My messages are intense, lengthy, detailed, and I realize that time schedules are very tight. OK, enough about that….let’s get back to our song.
As I watched the video this morning, I was aided by the fact the video has the words to the song posted on the screen while they are performing. I found it very interesting (and thought you might as well) that the subtitles we also in Chinese. For me, that added a strong international flavor.....and for some reason....made the message resonate even more soundly with me today. After I listened to and watched the video, I immediately went to the internet, downloaded the lyrics, and started dissecting the message. The messages regarding darkness, hatred, pain, misery, lost hope, and troubled times have such an intense connection to what is going on our worlds today. I have personally felt all of these emotions throughout the last year or so, as I am sure many of you have. I have had conversations about these exact messages with lots of you, and the fact that we get to share them with each other means allot to me. The conversation usually ends with encouraging words from both sides. This positive interaction helps us cope with our own situations, and helps us continue to build relationships with each other. I will tell you, that this both very important and rewarding for me, and has become part of my daily life. The great French author, Francois Mauriac said it best;
"No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever"
The most interesting and poignant thing about Elvis and Nick's song is that the message is not really about lost hope or darkness……it’s actually about Peace, Love, and Understanding. I have been told by many people over the years that I am too intense. I have been told that I dig into things too deeply. I have been accused of “soap-boxing” more times than I care to remember. However, I am perfectly comfortable responding to those confrontations. For those of you who have spent time with me, you can attest to the fact that I am usually not left without something to say in response. :)This is who I am, and as I tread through this difficult time in my life……I realize more and more……that this is “exactly” who I am. The difference for me now is that my responses come from a much more warm, safe, and authentic place. At least this is how I see it. Therefore, the question; “What’s so funny about Peace, Love, and Understanding??......has a deep and soulful meaning for me.
If we all just slowed down a little, and took time to actively pursue these things in our lives……we would be enriched in many ways. Let’s unpack each of these together:
Peace – Clearly, it’s hard to have peace in your life when things seem upside down. One of the ways I have tried to capture this in my life is through faith. I have recently reconnected with my faith, and it has provided with both the strength and the peace I need to help me get through some very tough days. Another trick I have used is to think about being grateful for the things I do have, as opposed to worrying about the things I don’t have. This is a big change for me, but one that I needed to make for quite sometime now. The fact is that god has blessed me with 5 phenomenal children, a "gaggle" of great friends throughout the world (I have some good pals in India now), and a skill set that gives me an opportunity to communicate and share with others. All of these give me peace. What is it for you?
Love – I have started reading the Bible more than ever before. What I have found is that god’s unconditional “love” for all of us is unbelievably intense and unwavering. Love is not just something that is shared between close family members or people in close relationships. Love is something to be offered and shared by ALL PEOPLE. This may sound a bit “corny” to you, but just try it for a few days. Try “loving” everyone and everything around you. A difficult task……yes……but one that can set your heart free and certainly help you in times of struggle. Can you love more?
Understanding – For me, understanding doesn’t mean to get to know something or to figure something out. It’s means caring. Caring for things you haven’t paid attention to before. Caring for the poor, caring for the homeless, caring for our soldiers ( who put their lives in harms way so we can have security), caring for the environment, caring for the millions of people (many of us included) who are facing enormous financial struggles. What’s so funny about that??
The bottom line here folks is a message of hope. In the words of our 44th President “YES……WE CAN”. We can rebuild our lives. We can get through these difficulties. We can open our eyes to more things that don’t directly affect our small worlds. We can have more PEACE in our lives. We can increase our heart capacity and LOVE more. We can develop a greater sense of responsibility and caring for others in need. Regardless of what we are personally going through, there are many others in the world far worse off that we are….for sure.
At the end of the day, each one of us is part of a grand universe, we all have a part to play, and we are all connected in some way, shape, or form. God has a special and individual plan for each one of us, and if we continue to work hard to find our true “authenticity”…… we will achieve the peace and happiness we all strive for. I conclude my correspondence to you on this beautiful North Carolina Blue Sky Day with the lyrics to this fantastic song, as well as the link to this soulful video with Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe. Take the 4 minutes to watch and listen to this song……your day will be better…..I can guarantee it!!!
Peach, Love, and Understand to all of you.......Tony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWdh7ERLb3E
As I walk through
This wicked world
Searchin for light in the darkness of insanity.
I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?
And each time I feel like this inside,
Theres one thing I wanna know:
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding?
And as I walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
cause each time I feel it slippin away, just makes me wanna cry.
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding?
So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
cause each time I feel it slippin away, just makes me wanna cry.
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding?
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