Oye Cómo Va – Lesson #29 of 37
Recently, I heard Santana’s version of Oye Cómo Va on the radio. I thought to myself, “what does that title mean?” A quick internet search revealed the interpretation – “listen to how.” Listen to how – WHAT? A little more research and I discovered the next line in the song is, “mi ritmo.” Together, it means “listen to how my rhythm goes. That got me to thinking…how does my rhythm go and how does your rhythm go?
If synonyms for rhythm include, beat, pace, tempo, pulse and more, it’s not difficult then to interpret your rhythm as your vibe. I once saw a t-shirt that read: “Never trust an atom, they make up everything.” If we accept for fact that atoms are always moving (save for not knowing what would happen at absolute zero), then every object, animate and inanimate has a vibe caused by the movement of their atoms and that vibe matters.
It’s not just your personal vibe. It is the vibe of the universe that surrounds you that is important. If you are feeling stuck, down, or unfulfilled, check the vibe around you and see how you can change it. Here are five ways to adjust your vibe.
1. Take care of yourself. There’s no set definition of taking care of yourself. What matters most is that you regularly put your needs and priorities ahead of all others on a regular basis. Taking care of yourself could be as simple as taking a five-minute break from your task at hand. It could be pursuing fitness goals, reading a book, writing a book, or learning a new skill. Whatever it is, take care of yourself.
2. Be optimistic. Look at the bright side of things. Even when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, look for the light at the end of the tunnel. All good things in life take some trouble and toil to realize. Don’t give up – move ahead. Discard your inner Eeyore and find your inner Helen Keller. Eeyore always found the negatives while Keller achieved many great things. Despite being deaf and blind from 19 months old until her death at age 87, Keller was the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Look around, you’ll find you are much better off than many others around you. Embrace your advantage.
3. Become comfortable in your own skin. “I’m not vain, or conceited, I just haven’t found anyone better than me yet.” I’m not sure where I picked up that quote and it probably isn’t the best mantra to adopt. However, when you try new things and figure out the things you are good at through trial and error, you will begin to experience life and become comfortable in your own skin. Eventually, you learn that most people are too worried about who they are than to give a hoot who you are. This doesn’t give you license to be a jerk, but it does give you license to be free and live the life you want to live. Feel your vibe and go with it!
4. Get out of your comfort zone. Recently, I was asked, “What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?” The answer didn’t immediately come – it took a while to find the answer. Now I know -- the toughest thing ever for me was to end my first marriage. Why? Because that marriage was comfortable. It wasn’t misery. We didn’t hate each other and still don’t. We simply grew apart, or never grew together. Eventually, we split amicably and at least for me, it opened up a whole new existence. Are you too comfortable not being who you want to be?
5. Declutter. As I write this, there’s a good bit of clutter on my desk. I can feel its vibe. It says get me out of the way and where I belong. Decluttering will allow me to decide what’s important and not. Decluttering will reduce the stress of not knowing what is under there and I might find a gem for a future article. Is your vibe cluttered?
What’s your rhythm (vibe) telling you?
Dan