My spirit was low, my energy was drained, and the list of negative things that had been happening to me could go on long enough to bore someone.
It was a Friday night and my mom had tickets to an Eagles concert at the Prudential Center. “Ughhhh,” I thought to myself, “This is the last thing I feel like doing.”
I was not in the mood to smile or to find that bubbly personality within myself. Despite all of it, I got out of bed, threw on some music, jumped in the shower and I got ready, knowing I wasn’t going to let my mom down.
What I didn’t know was that I was getting ready for a concert that was going to awaken me. Live and authentic music echoed through the arena causing my mind to stop and my heart to take over.
After all, my mind needed a break from overthinking my break up and all of the things I could have done differently to prevent the situation. I deserved a break and a few moments of peace and serenity. The concert did just that for me.
I woke up the next morning after seeing the Eagles perform with a rejuvenated soul. I woke up with a sense of happiness and purity. I woke up with a purpose and an understanding of who I am and what I was put on this earth for. I can’t remember the last time I felt that way and I know everyone can identify with that feeling. Like who am I? What are the reasons for my struggles, for the mistakes that are heart breaking? For the lessons that were learned the hard way?
You just sit and wonder why. But, at that Eagles concert, I had a spiritual emergence within myself; I realized something. There’s no “why did that happen to me,” And there’s no “what’s going to happen?” It’s just “I am here now; this moment is the only thing that I need.”
I have been living in the past and the future so often lately, in search of answers and peace until I realized that all of the answers, all of the peace, all of the things that I need are right here.
Losing my father has become a real struggle that not only I can relate to. My father came to me at that concert while I danced freely with my arms in the air next to the woman who has shaped me into the powerful person I am; my mother, Linda Scano.
What exactly did my father show me that night? He showed me that presence is key. It wasn’t through words that he shared this with me; it was through feelings, through gratitude, through empathy. I saw that everything I needed is everything that I take for granted.
It’s the sound of the birds chirping in the morning, it’s the sun peeking through my blinds to wake me up, it’s the miraculous chance that these musicians came together and put on a performance that caused people of all backgrounds to come together and forget their differences.
I realized how easy it became to get stuck in the whirlwind of my negativity. Constant analyzation of what happened in my past and constant fear and worry of what would happen in my future created a war between my mind and my body. I could not find peace or contentment and I realized that sometimes that will be the case.
Sometimes, we are going to want to continue to pursue thoughts/situations and over analyze our past/future; But, here is what I want to share, it is much more rewarding, not even rewarding, but FREEING, to let your mind and your body become friends by living in the present moment and escaping the cycle of never ending catastrophic thoughts. The presence is what I found as I let my soul embrace the harmony that The Eagles so easily achieved.
I believe, these are the moments in life to capture and hold safe. These are the moments that you use to get through the hard times. These are the moments that end the war between your mind and your body. But most importantly, these are the moments that make life worth living.
