These days, I spend a lot of time listening to music. It soothes me to hear familiar melodies wafting through my small home office, keeping writing deadlines at bay, and the noisy world on mute. One of the songs that I love especially for its lyrics is “Fix You” by Coldplay. My daughter reminded me on Tuesday while I was playing it for the nth time that when she was younger, I didn’t like Coldplay. Oh, but that was then. Things change.
I mean, listen to the lyrics—
“When you try your best but you don’t succeed”
“When you get what you want but not what you need”
“When you feel so tired but you can’t sleep”
“Stuck in reverse”
“When the tears come streaming down your face”
“‘Cause you lose something you can’t replace”
“When you love someone but it goes to waste”
“What could be worse?”
“Lights will guide you home”
“And ignite your bones”
“And I will try to fix you”
I think this could be one of the best Christmas carols there ever was. Every day, we try to fix ourselves, coping, surviving and in the process, celebrating life given until taken away. We can’t always have our way. But there will always be little victories to celebrate—the lack of traffic on a very unusual Monday, making it to a meeting with barely enough sleep, or sealing a deal because you aimed high and trusted your instincts.
Unfortunately, not all of us realize that every single sunrise bears the power of magical transformation. We wake up, take a bath, brush our teeth, and go through the motions of the day, failing to embrace our self-worth. That self-worth gets magnified when passed on to others by simply wishing them a good day, and being on the happy side of hope. Instead, we stick to the mundane, failing to see how a good day can get better.
That there will always be bad days are certain. But you, dear Reader, have reached that certain age where bad days are manageable because your life skills have been honed by having gone through so many of them. Relax. Give yourself a pat on the head. Live.
Live for yourself. Time is finite. Like childhood, it goes away and never comes back. Yet, Christmas reminds us that we have the power to make so many people happy simply by being around, staying alive, and sharing even the most commonplace experiences.
In our growing up years, we were blessed with ample time to discover who we are. As adults with careers and families to spend weekends with, we are blessed with precious time to make a difference, heed a calling and make lives matter. Not just your life, but also other lives—because your life can be the sunrise that brings the glorious possibilities in hope to people who have none.
Back to Coldplay:
“But high up above or down below”
“When you are too in love to let it show”
“Oh but if you never try you’ll never know”
“Just what you’re worth”
“Lights will guide you home”
“And ignite your bones”
“And I will try to fix you”
The best people in the world are those who give up their comfortable seats in the MRT station to a wobbly, more fragile passenger. People that make the best friends are those who melt your anger against the world just by popping up online. The people who need the less fixing are the people who have no idea what a Trust Fund is and yet has full trust in their abilities to rise above.
We don’t need a title to be great, or a pedigree, or a mansion with butlers galore. The best mansions I have seen have the warmth of an iceberg.
We don’t need billboards proclaiming our self-worth. Those who advertise their greatness need to spend to be happy.
A former boss of mine once said, “In life, you only need just one person to love and who will love you back for the rest of your life.” And it’s true. Positive affirmation is to see that person glow at the sight of you.
In the full spectrum of life, we really just need time to think and know: when our living deadline is up, to whom will our absence matter the most? Those are the people we need to love to the hilt and spend time with.
Three things I know to be true: Music is love. Time is finite. And I love Coldplay.
Merry Christmas, everyone!