A Better Life

Today (August 16) marks the day three giants in their respective professions departed this life. Elvis Presley, the one who is probably celebrated most on this day, in 1977; Babe Ruth in 1948 and Bela Lugosi in 1956. All three of these men rode high in their professional life and were given all the luxuries this life could afford. Excess ruled their lives and their talent paved the way. From humble beginnings they rose above the rest. In popular music, who can top the impact Elvis had on the generations during his lifetime and since? What child hasn’t heard of Babe Ruth? What film student doesn’t know the work of Bela Lugosi. Their impact on all of our lives has been significant and will carry on for many generations beyond their seemingly short lives.

Just as a house has rooms for specific purposes, your life should have these same "rooms" for very specific purposes. Ever wonder why all houses have the same basic rooms? Our shelter reflects elements we need in each of our lives. You need a kitchen/dining room, a living room, a family room (or den as some would call it), a bedroom and a bathroom. Kitchen/Dining Room - Every house must have a place to prepare and consume nourishment, whether it be a cookie or a 6 course meal. The need for nourishment is key to survival. Without nourishment we would perish. We need regular intake of food to provide energy for the necessary and sometimes unnecessary activities in our life. Every feel sluggish? Time to visit the kitchen/dining room of our life to take in more energy. If your car runs out of fuel what happens? It stops, won't go, becomes pretty much useless. We are the same, without nourishment we stop and become all but useless. Living room - Just as we need physical nouris...

In the course of everyday life, we find ourselves surrounded by music. These songs can come from many sources. The radio, a movie, a radio commercial, a television commercial, the internet or the neighbor playing an instrument for fun perhaps even a band playing in someones garage. The music can sometimes trigger memories. Most of our firsts and lasts are defined or at least marked by music or a particular song. It could be the first day of school, a song playing on the radio. Your first kiss, the first day of your first job or just simply a day that went particularly well. The point is that a song can trigger wonderful memories or memories we would rather not remember. Memories we don’t want to recall can be painful and be associated with a song that was playing at the time such as a funeral, a particularly unpleasant event where we were a victim or just a song playing when you learned of a tragic event. The songs we select to listen to whether it be in a playlist on our iP...