What Lies Within

"All reactions to external stimuli can be traced back to an evolutionary rationale.  You pull your hand away from fire to avoid physical harm.  You get butterflies before an important speech because the adrenaline running through your veins has caused a physiological fight-or-flight response. There is no evolutionary context within which people's response to music makes sense -- the tapping of a foot, the urge to sing along or get up and dance, there's just no survival benefit to these activities.  For this reason, some believe that our response to music is proof that there's more to us than just biological and physiological mechanics -- that the only way to be moved by the spirit, so to speak, is to have one in the first place."  -Jodi Picoult

Inevitably, every time I log in to Facebook, my news feeds are filled with updates on people's lives, photos of the previous day's events, random rants about work or other stressful situations, political opinions, and song lyrics.  That's right, song lyrics.  We've all done it and we've all seen it done.  Music speaks to us.  Music compels us to do or say things that we may otherwise not have the strength to do or say.  Music can make us feel confident and cheer us up.  It can also make us feel sad and solemn.  Jodi Picoult (along with hundreds of theologians) suggests that music also proves we have a soul.  The quote I've posted above explains that our instinctive actions all have a purpose: we do or don't do things to avoid harm.  For example, our natural instinct when we touch something hot is to pull away as to not get burned.  But when music comes on, our natural instinct to sing, dance, tap our feet, etc have no survival purpose.  There's no reason why we should naturally begin to move to the music.  The only explanation is that something within us craves the emotions that are provoked when music is played.  Thus, proving that we have a soul, a spirit, or SOMETHING unexplained within us.

You have a soul.  It's where you derive your courage, bravery, and confidence.  It's where we find the strength to fight.  So, if you've lost hope, believe in yourself again.  Because you were made for so much more than the mundane life you've been living.  You were born beautiful, smart and talented.  You were made to be different, extraordinary.  Wherever you are and whatever you're facing is nothing compared to the heart and soul that is within you.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.  We are all meant to shine as children do.  It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone.  And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."  -Marianne Williamson

You have heart.  Go be fearless.