From Pianos to Love

I knew I wanted to write something here today, but I didn’t know what to write about. Until now. I just (and when I say “just,” I mean about 30 seconds ago) watched a YouTube video that one of my friends posted on Facebook. It’s a cover of One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful” (don’t hate, folks; guilty pleasure) by ThePianoGuys. Holy crap! 5 guys + 1 piano = pure magic and finesse. I honestly just sat here and cried while I watched. And it’s important to not just listen but to watch because it’s amazing to see how these five men create the sound using the piano in unusual ways.

I think the reason why watching a video like this makes me cry is because it’s a fantastic example of seeing the creative process at work in conjunction with the finished product. Plus, the fact that the piano is used in its entirety and not just the keys shows innovative thinking. It all comes back to the idea of seeing something in a completely new light, a new perspective, and creative something beautiful from that perspective.

Why is this important? Well, I’ve actually been reading a book called 101 ways to Have True Love in Your Life (it caught my eye in the library; I’ve always been interested in how love works, as I’m sure most people are). Anyhow, one of the sections talks about empathy, and how we need to be open to put ourselves in the shoes of our beloved so we can fully connect with him/her. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, it’s not easy to be empathetic if we haven’t been in exactly same situation, but we can learn to be more empathetic by opening our heart to really feeling our own emotions (which I have a lot of trouble doing in my day-to-day life). That way, if we allow ourselves to truly feel upset, frustrated, anxious, ecstatic, afraid, we recognize those feelings in others. As for those situations we haven’t been in, this is where the new perspective comes in: we look at a situation and are willing to feel it from the other person’s angle, therefore helping us be more empathic. The beauty if this is that when we are empathic we are forging a connection of true understanding, respect, and love.

Who doesn’t want that?

So, as usual, I bounce from place to place and have no idea if this makes any sense, but this is how the brain works, I suppose.

Good luck deciphering!

Peace,

Joyanne 😀

P.s. NYC in T-12 days(ish)!!!