There is something really beautiful about the world. It is really wonderful how every detail fits together no matter how intricate and delicate the pieces may be. The strength Earth has is incredible. To hold so many elements together is really impressive and completely mysterious. There is no end to reasons people come up with for our existence and the existence of our peer species and life. On that note, there is no end to peer species and life either. Pure mystery. Scary — almost. It doesn’t have to be.
Life can be as simple and infinite as it appears. If the endless reasons and life all have their own endless reasons and life and no one can prove any of it, then why not just smile and enjoy what is in front of you? Believe what you experience and feel. After all, who is to tell you it isn’t real if you are the only one experiencing it? As you enjoy the bewilderment and smile at the warm sun, dance in the cool rain, run in the open fields, and smell so hard that you can taste the wild flowers, remember one very important fact: Respect reaches far and wide and will make all the difference in life. If you respect the beauty of the world and endure the ugliness with tact you are a just man. Give back when you can and enjoy what is grown at your feet. Love with all your being and respect with all your might. This world was made for us, but it was also made for the tall trees, flowing streams, towering mountains, and all the critters that call those places home and everything else in between.
The mystery may be Earth’s greatest strength; to think it has the strength to create such beauty, one could only assume that it can equally create ugly excruciating things. This fact alone should be reason enough to have respect for the powers responsible for such beauty. Respect for your self and the world around you will protect you from the ugly excruciating things. It is through awareness and love for all life that keeps us from harm. Each moment is different than the last, so we must be conscious of the good in life, and believe there is a righteous reason for why the moment exists. Give back to that moment by creating another one. Life live happy and free of hate or judgement. The judging is not for us to do.
I believe this is a life style that Emerson would be proud to sponsor. I believe his free loving nature and philosophies on how to treat the world around you encouraged and inspired countless people. Though I also believe this trait of loving the world around you is inherent in all life. And I think that is what Emerson would like best. His emphasis on love and relative thinking is not hard to catch on to. In reading “Divinity School Address,” and “Self-Reliance” the love ideology was practically poking me in the eye — but let’s try a different analogy — practically tickling my toes, because it was nothing I needed to defend myself from. I had never read Emerson’s work. Knew the name, but what he did while he was alive I knew nothing about, but still he was so relatable; so kind and gentle with his speech. Emerson’s words already lived inside of me, but Emerson inspired me to use those words.
In addition to me understanding his two cents of loving the beauty of the world, I created a playlist of music that I find to be really beautiful and inspiring. Sometimes this beauty comes from the tone, other times it could be the story, but in all cases I believe love is the common theme. Each song expresses love for something or someone, and if Emerson was as romantic as his writing, he would really find a place in his ever loving heart for these songs.
I hope everyone enjoys these songs and that they encourage you to live a more love filled life. Respect each other and everything around you. Believe what you feel, and know what you see is real. Don’t let anyone discourage you from doing what you believe to be right or just.
“Thoughtless people contradict as readily the statement of perceptions as of opinions, or rather much more readily; for, they do not distinguish between perception and notion. They fancy that I choose to see this or that thing. But perception is not whimsical, but fatal.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
1. Blue Sky – The Allman Brothers Band
2. Meadowlarks – Fleet Foxes
3. What is this Thing Called Love – Les Paul
4. Do you Realize? – The Flaming Lips
5. Everybody I Love You – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
6. Son of a Preacher Man – Dusty Springfield
7. Once I Was – Tim Buckley
8. We are Going to be Friends – The White Stripes
9. Shoulda Been in Love – Wilco
10. This Land is Our Land – Woody Guthrie
11. Harvest Moon – Neil Young
12. Sec Walking – My Morning Jacket
13. Home or Somewhere Else – Mimicking Birds
14. Take Me with You When You Go – Jack White
15. Before My Time – J. Ralph featuring Scarlett Johannsen
16. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) – George Harrison
17. Knife – Grizzly Bear
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