I had a major breakthrough last Thursday. It all started with a song I’d heard many years ago on The Brady Bunch called “Til I Met You”. I found the song last week on YouTube and listened to it a lot. On my way into work a few days later, I had it almost memorized so my mind wandered a bit as I sang it. The song sounds like a love ballad in which the singer is describing how much better his life became after meeting a special someone. However, everything changed for me when I started thinking of myself as that special someone in my own life. Immediately I started crying and I struggled to sing the rest of the song. The realization was that it’s not another person who makes my life great. The best times of my life have come when I’m in tune with and at peace within myself. I’m blessed to have several wonderful friends and family members but I’ve always been disappointed whenever I’ve expected them to do for me what only I can do for myself.
This was similar to the realization I had when listening to “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel last year: I can be my own best friend and take care of myself in ways nobody else can. However, the realization from The Brady Bunch song felt much deeper and more profound. I don’t know why but I suspect it’s related to all the inner work I’ve done since last year and how well I had been taking care of myself in the days leading up to hearing that song.
My mood has been elevated ever since that day, difficult tasks have become easier, and whatever stress I’ve felt has been lessened in addition to being insufficient to stop me from doing important things. This has been the biggest shift I’ve experienced this year. I have a feeling it’ll be a permanent shift and a major stepping stone toward lasting peace. This is going to be my year. I know what to do and I’m going to keep doing it, one step at a time.