Two Minutes Can Make All the Difference

Over the last two years, I have been at a crossroads; a point of transition with a lot of unknowns ahead. And with carrying around this experience, not uncommonly the web of responsibilities in combination with the stresses of work, life, and now the holiday season - can trigger a lot of feelings and overwhelm.

Yet recently, under the brunt of another "mental storm", just at a moment when the stress and strain of it all felt like more than I could bear, I recalled a beautiful guitar piece performed by the legendary Brazilian guitarist Bola Sete: "Tango El Bongo" - written by the legendary George Van Eps. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI_NaMUjeqA.

I listened to this piece, and in two minutes my whole biochemistry felt like it had changed.

I could breathe deeply, I felt completely different about the world, or at least about my world - which had now become peaceful - for just a moment.

From that point on I became captivated with learning the piece in my spare time, figuring it out on my guitar by ear, little by little. It was not about obtaining the sheet music and learning it quickly (it is fairly involved), it was more about the process of listening, getting the voicings together, letting the chords envelope me and surround me, working through the fingerings, and diving into the feeling of getting swallowed in those sounds. I was just having so much fun. I also like to think of how much fun Bola Sete was having playing it, you can just see the pure happiness in his whole demeanor in the video, like he's regaling us all with a joyous story.

Two minutes really can make all the difference.

When I listen to this piece in the morning, or on the train, or when I work on it before I face the day, somehow I feel like I have a secret weapon to face the world: joy.

Update: A couple months later I put my version of the piece up on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ-exqSlJPQ

I encourage you to take two minutes (or a lot more) to spend on something that does bring you joy, relief, that gets you focused on something else than your problems, particularly when you are a place of crisis. Take some time to figure out how to bring more joy into your life. I truly believe music has saved my life, from catharsis, prayer, meditation, to therapy, venting, laughter, and just plain happy noodling. It's something I could not imagine my life without.

• What makes you feel beautiful? Re-energized? Relaxed? Excited about life?

• What makes you see possibilities again in your life?

I believe each of us needs all the healing forces we can afford to embrace.  Whether or not it's decent poetry, to share some of my thoughts:

When everything is frantic, the heart inside is gold.

When everything outside is an unknown to behold.

When fires burn your life to ashes in the ground.

Listen my friend, listen, to the heart and all it sounds.

So long as you can breathe, your heart can find a beat.

But you'll have to really listen, to hear its secrets speak. 

In the space of a moment, you can feel complete.

You can rise again, to sing the truths it speaks.

Two minutes can make all the difference. More to the point: You can make all the difference!

For kicks, or just a break: This notion of time and of how even the smallest of events can largely change outcomes is something explored in many films. For a fun refreshing example of this, check out Run Lola Run.