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| Out of the Blues Comes Green |
Greetings my fellow Deep Diggers,
I recently began building yet another one of those modern day playlists on Spotify called: Step into "that" feeling. It's a playlist of songs that give me that intangible feeling that only a song can give. You know the one. (At least I hope you do!)
As I began picking through my memory store of songs, the band A-ha came to mind. They have several songs that just get me every time. In particular, Out of Blue Comes Green came to mind and as I listened to it for the hundredth time, it made an impact on me in a way that it never had before.
For the past few years, I've been in a life funk: Just feeling quite down and overwhelmed which brought on a numbness of being. I'm not sure if anyone reading can relate, but when I become too overwhelmed, a part of me kind of shuts down and I become numb. I think it may tie into my ability (or curse?) to compartmentalize. I just involuntarily shove all the overwhelming and painful things somewhere, so I don't have to constantly feel them. A huge downside (just one of many) is that this can cause me to experience every day as bland, uninspiring, and meaningless. There is a part of me that enjoys certain activities, laughs, loves, etc. But there is an uneasy feeling underneath it all like something is off.
There were a lot of factors and circumstances that led me to this place, not the least of which is this whole forced COVID downtime. Being an extroverted introvert, who gains essential soul inspiration from engaging in social outings from small to large, I was not receiving the soul food nourishment that I so desperately need. This might not have been quite so impactful if I had not also been facing a number of other issues: relationship, my kids beginning to launch, relocation, getting older, facing the possibility of giving up the therapy of running, etc. All of this led to a place of living every day somewhat present (yet submerged) with a sinking feeling in my being that I was never going to feel real peace and inspiration again.
And I prayed.
I begged to feel inspiration again.
I beseeched to be lifted up out of this place and feel peace.
I implored to be taken out of this life if I was going to just languish in this
uninspired paralysis.
I can't say exactly when I began to move (be moved?) out of this dark blue and into the light but it slowly began to happen. I do feel that the realization that I needed to make some changes in my life and acting on that, was the beginning of a level of restoration.
This year has been a slow and steady return to peace and inspiration for me. And so recently when I heard the A-ha song, Out of Blue Comes Green, the lyrics sank in a little deeper and I understood the simple truth:
I can't say exactly when I began to move (be moved?) out of this dark blue and into the light but it slowly began to happen. I do feel that the realization that I needed to make some changes in my life and acting on that, was the beginning of a level of restoration.
This year has been a slow and steady return to peace and inspiration for me. And so recently when I heard the A-ha song, Out of Blue Comes Green, the lyrics sank in a little deeper and I understood the simple truth:
So many times in life, you have to go through blue to get to green.
Life circumstances, whether caused by choices we make or things we can’t control, can send us into depths we never knew existed.
We can feel so lonely and isolated:
Father,
My wings are clipped
See the steps that made me trip
Now I'm so lonely
We can feel so paralyzed:
Mother
Time's frozen flame
Seem to linger in the rain
Holding me only
We can feel so helpless, confused and out of control:
Like a river I'm flowing
And there's no way of knowing
If I'm coming or going
I need something to chain me down
Chances are, I’m not the only one that’s ever been there and even now thinking about being there and the prospect that others may be there in the present or future causes me to well up with emotion. And I want you to read and remember the next section of lyrics. The optimistic self-talk that the singer clings to in his desperate state:
But it don't matter
My eyes have seen...
For better
Out of blue comes green
He's been there my friends. Listen to him. He's experienced the numbness. The paralysis. The helplessness of circumstances and the pain that comes from that.
But he's also experienced the aftermath.
Aftermath seems like such a desolate word doesn't it? It conjures up images of the rubble that's left after a war. A state near to complete ruin which makes one wonder if a state of restoration will ever be possible.
But do you know that this term originated in agricultural in the 1400's? And the term was used to describe new growth of grass after a harvest or a "second-growth" of crop. And this new or second-growth can't happen unless everything that's there is removed. It's hard and painful to lose what's there. But the former growth has served its purpose and circumstances and changing seasons sometimes require drastic change in order to move forward.
Yes, out of blue comes green.
So often, it’s only out of the dark, blue, and helpless times that strip away everything we thought we knew, that the lush, green and creative personal growth manifests.
Yes, those blue times can take you SO low. But you must persevere and cling to the truth that there is something to learn and, in that truth, look deep into what you’re going through. Pick it apart to see what might be learned and hang on to the hope and certainty that the light will shine through the blue and will scatter to green and lush growth in your life. Understand that examining the blue and turning it inside and out every way you can think of, will be instrumental in facilitating the coming of the light and the second-growth.
And in this friends, please know that you are not alone. Others are there or have been there and have made it through to a better place. It's so easy to let the isolated feelings of being in the blue cause you to further separate yourself from others. Please don't forsake your fellow earth beings in this process.
And remember, it will get better.
It WILL!
Divine Love will bring you through if you just hold on, cry out and reach out.
Life will be green again and you will have an entirely new perspective on the blue times to not only prepare and sustain you through future struggles but also to share with others who are going through their own season of blue.
Until next time, Peace and Love to you my fellow Deep Digging Earth Babies!
Life circumstances, whether caused by choices we make or things we can’t control, can send us into depths we never knew existed.
We can feel so lonely and isolated:
Father,
My wings are clipped
See the steps that made me trip
Now I'm so lonely
We can feel so paralyzed:
Mother
Time's frozen flame
Seem to linger in the rain
Holding me only
We can feel so helpless, confused and out of control:
Like a river I'm flowing
And there's no way of knowing
If I'm coming or going
I need something to chain me down
Chances are, I’m not the only one that’s ever been there and even now thinking about being there and the prospect that others may be there in the present or future causes me to well up with emotion. And I want you to read and remember the next section of lyrics. The optimistic self-talk that the singer clings to in his desperate state:
But it don't matter
My eyes have seen...
For better
Out of blue comes green
He's been there my friends. Listen to him. He's experienced the numbness. The paralysis. The helplessness of circumstances and the pain that comes from that.
But he's also experienced the aftermath.
Aftermath seems like such a desolate word doesn't it? It conjures up images of the rubble that's left after a war. A state near to complete ruin which makes one wonder if a state of restoration will ever be possible.
But do you know that this term originated in agricultural in the 1400's? And the term was used to describe new growth of grass after a harvest or a "second-growth" of crop. And this new or second-growth can't happen unless everything that's there is removed. It's hard and painful to lose what's there. But the former growth has served its purpose and circumstances and changing seasons sometimes require drastic change in order to move forward.
Yes, out of blue comes green.
So often, it’s only out of the dark, blue, and helpless times that strip away everything we thought we knew, that the lush, green and creative personal growth manifests.
Yes, those blue times can take you SO low. But you must persevere and cling to the truth that there is something to learn and, in that truth, look deep into what you’re going through. Pick it apart to see what might be learned and hang on to the hope and certainty that the light will shine through the blue and will scatter to green and lush growth in your life. Understand that examining the blue and turning it inside and out every way you can think of, will be instrumental in facilitating the coming of the light and the second-growth.
And in this friends, please know that you are not alone. Others are there or have been there and have made it through to a better place. It's so easy to let the isolated feelings of being in the blue cause you to further separate yourself from others. Please don't forsake your fellow earth beings in this process.
And remember, it will get better.
It WILL!
Divine Love will bring you through if you just hold on, cry out and reach out.
Life will be green again and you will have an entirely new perspective on the blue times to not only prepare and sustain you through future struggles but also to share with others who are going through their own season of blue.
Until next time, Peace and Love to you my fellow Deep Digging Earth Babies!
Out of Blue Comes Green - A-ha
