4 - On the radio in the Car

It's on the radio in the Car when you hear your favorite song

Transcript

Current Episode Introduction

This episode is informed by the verse of the poem representing the letter:

• C

• It's on the radio in the Car when you hear your favorite song

It includes a brief description of the verse, a personal reflection demonstrating how the verse has facilitated my own resonance with Doses of God in my life, a statement of gratitude, and a few guiding questions that may be considered for your own reflection.

Description

Here is description of the verse:

• It's on the radio in the Car when you hear your favorite song

• The car can be an ideal place to receive a Dose of God. You can turn on the radio and bask in the rhythm of a song that aligns with your musical preferences. Music can make you feel so good inside and prompt you to simply enjoy the moment. It can free you from incessant thought and the clouds of external distractions that disrupt the peace that is designed for you. When you hear your favorite song, you hear something that resonates deeply within you. You may encounter similar resonating experiences as you come across your favorite quote, read a book from your favorite author, watch your favorite movie, or listen to a lecture from your favorite teacher.

Reflection

Here is my personal reflection on the verse:

• To me, this verse is about feeling good through resonance with language content delivered through a musical or other auditory or visual way. The content might make me feel good emotionally, physically, and/or spiritually. In a literal sense of the verse, I love listening to my favorite music in the car. Thanks to streaming audio services like Spotify, I don’t need to wait in anticipation for one of my favorite songs to play. I can play almost any song I enjoy on demand, which makes it super easy for me to listen to my favorite tunes in the car whenever I want. Spotify also introduces me to awesome new music every week so my list of favorite songs is continuously evolving. A few of my more recent favorites include “Call it Dreaming” by Iron & Wine, the acoustic version of “Chateau” by Angus and Julia Stone, “No Hard Feelings” by The Avett Brothers, “Mallorca” by Ry X, and “Burgs” by Mt. Wolf, which feels a bit more like a reflective essay spoken over the backdrop of soothing music. My musical preferences have changed across time; however, there are still several songs from years ago that I continue to enjoy hearing. A few include “Typical Situation” by Dave Matthews Band, “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson, “Alive and Kicking” by Simple Minds, “Imagine” by John Lennon, and “Beast of Burden” by The Rolling Stones. During my adolescent years, my list would have likely included songs like “Get it Together” by Beastie Boys, “Rooster” by Alice in Chains, “Know Your Enemy” by Rage Against the Machine, “Release” by Pearl Jam, “Eulogy” by Tool, and “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails. Way back in my younger years, it would have probably included songs like “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham, “I Want a New Drug” by Huey Lewis and the News, and “Karma Chameleon” by Culture Club. There are several more representing a variety of genres. My favorite song is often mood-dependent. Just because a song is on my current list of favorites or was on my list of favorites in the past doesn’t mean I’d enjoy listening to it at any given moment. Fortunately, modern technology allows me to choose from my list of favorites at any point in time and also exposes me to new favorites if I simply allow a station to play. Metaphorically speaking, a favorite song could be any type of language content I encounter -- with or without words -- that makes me feel good; a car could represent virtually any location where I am experiencing an encounter with content that makes me feel good. Here are a few additional examples of encountering language content that makes me feel good.

  • I enjoy re-reading excerpts from books that have had an influence on my life. Sometimes I’ll re-read excerpts before I go to bed or at random times during the day by opening an e-book on my phone and scrolling through highlighted notes. I don’t revisit my favorite excerpts too often, but it feels good when I do re-read them or when they cross my mind in thought. Some of my favorite excerpts appear in Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now, Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Wherever You Go, There You Are, Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Essays: First Series, Daniel Goleman’s The Meditative Mind, Lao-Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, and the Holy Bible.

  • I enjoy listening to podcasts that inspire me and/or challenge me to interpret situations through altered perspectives. I feel good when I hear things that validate my beliefs, expand my knowledge, or enhance my worldview; however, I also feel good -- although it can sometimes be a bit of an uncomfortable type of good -- when I hear something that disrupts a belief I considered to be almost certain. The most common places I listen to podcasts are in the car while driving and in the kitchen while straightening up, loading or unloading the dishwasher, and making breakfast or lunch. Some of my more recent favorite podcasts include Philosophize This, Hidden Brain, How I Built This, The Tim Ferriss Show, On Being, and EdHeads as well as other shows on The Good Talk Network. One of my favorite podcasts from years ago was A Crash Course in Miracles.

  • I enjoy listening to sermons from the pastors at my church, especially during LIFE Group season. LIFE is an acronym for Living In Faith Everyday. A LIFE Group is a small group of around 6-10 members of the church congregation. LIFE Group season, which occurs a couple times per year, is a consecutive 4-6 week period during the year when the pastors preach a series of sermons centered on a common theme. Each sermon is accompanied by reflection questions to ponder during and after the sermon. Congregational members meet weekly with their respective LIFE Groups, often at one of the member’s homes or other offsite locations, to discuss sermon messages and accompanying reflection questions from the prior worship service. During LIFE Group season, I seem to be more attentive to the sermons and, therefore, glean more value from the messages. The more value I glean from a message, the more I seem to enjoy, or at least appreciate, the message. I think I am more attentive because I know I will be discussing the messages with a small group of friends, and I desire to be an informed participant in our conversations.

• A few other formats of audio content I have enjoyed include audiobooks, documentaries, TED Talks, and YouTube lectures that align with my interests.

Gratitude Statement

I am immeasurably grateful for:

• the sense of resonance I experience when listening to my favorite songs -- whether they are in the form of an actual song, podcast, sermon, or something else -- and will attempt to remain attentive to and appreciative of the feeling I feel when my favorite songs play.

Guiding Questions

Here are a few guiding questions to consider that might facilitate your own personal reflection upon the verse:

• It's on the radio in the Car when you hear your favorite song

Take a moment to reflect on:

• some of your favorite songs or other forms of language content and how they make you feel.

For example:

• What are your favorite songs or other forms of language content?

• What are examples of environments where you encounter this content?

• How do you feel when you hear or see the content?

• In what ways do you express gratitude for your favorite songs or other language content?

• What strategies could you implement to maintain awareness of your exposure to songs or other language content you enjoy?

Closing Statement

In closing:

• Whether your favorite “songs” take the form of a song, movie, book, lecture, or something else, when it manifests a moment of presence for you, you receive a Dose of God.

Next Episode

The next episode in this series will focus on the verse representing the letter:

• D

• It's in the sound of your Delightful voice when you decide to sing along

Positive Vibes

Thank you so much for listening. May you consistently position yourself to accept and resonate with the Doses of God that are ever-presently here for you.