highly sensitive power

“Social change is so much more fun when you sing.”
~ James Keelaghan

Every summer we spend the weekend of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival immersed in a culture replete with the fun side of social enlightenment and positive change. Musicians sing about righting injustices, bridging gaps, and including everyone. Truths come to light, tolerance expands, and children (some of them quite old) romp in the setting sun. The water is filtered. Garbage is separated down to the level of compost. We leave our belongings all day on our staked-out spot in front of the main stage and find them intact when we return. The water of the bay glitters before us, meeting the mountains on the far shore.

I believe what I heard Canadian singer and songwriter James Keelaghan say this weekend, that social change is more fun when you sing. The metaphor extends easily. Social change is more fun when you play. And personal change is more fun when you play (see Stay Afloat When They’re Rocking Your Boat for an example).

What positive change are you in the midst of that feels hard, or even just un-fun? How can you turn the process into a song or a festival or a party? You can invite others – even one other – to join in. You can arrange a play date or a series of play dates. Or lace the whole process with joys only for you, with tailor-made, guaranteed grin-inducers, wonders, and rewards. Practice until you find what works for you, then build on that.

Let self-recrimination fall by the wayside. Don’t urge yourself forward. Instead, lure yourself into the life you want by strewing the path with enticements and pleasure. Sweeten your journey. Change and fun are not mutually exclusive.

Flickr photos: Electric guitar, by Jsome1
Related reading: Play Anyway, The Power of Community