A Playlist About Reflection

https://open.spotify.com/user/12159546926/playlist/7Dq7ew5F5x94ENt8mAJFSI

1. "Shinzo wo Sasageyo" by Linked Horizon

Devote! Devote!

Devote your heart!

With your own hands, tear your way through

To the future we should progress toward!

We begin our journey through reflection with a song titled "Shinzo wo Sasageyo", the opening theme from Season 2 of a Japanese anime titled "Attack on Titan". To provide a little context, this show is focused on a group of young adults determined to save humanity from a race of giant, humanoid titans with a strong appetite for humans. These individuals have dedicated themselves to this life or death mission, even though it means risking their lives. Thankfully, reflection doesn't usually require one to risk their life, but the sentiment is still there. Even without the lyrics being translated, the feel of this song is an empowering one. A rough translation of the lyrics yields the above, with the obvious message being to devote your heart. Whether fighting for humanity or reflecting, one must devote their heart. That is why it is important to begin this journey with a reminder to devote yourself to this practice and to pour your heart into it. Reflection is not effective without devotion.

2. "In My Life" by The Beatles

There are places I'll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain

Before we can reflect forwards, we must reflect backwards, and this is what John Lennon helps us do with this song. John Lennon wrote "In My Life" as a reflection about his own life and childhood. By listening to this song, we are hearing Lennon's reflection in the form of song. We all have things from our past that have influenced us, whether it be someone we knew or an important place we visited. It is important to reflect on our past as it helps us to understand who we are today. On top of that, remembering our happy memories and reminiscing can be a generally pleasant thing. 

3. "Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads

And you may find yourself 

Behind the wheel of a large automobile

And you may find yourself in a beautiful house

With a beautiful wife

And you may ask yourself, well

How did I get here?

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop to look around once in awhile, you could miss it." This particular song is bringing attention to Ferris Bueller's wise words. We have a limited amount of time and this is something that frightens many people. I don't know about you, but I never want to end up in a situation where I'm 50 years old and my kids are old and my career is mediocre and I find myself wondering "How did I get here?". The good news is that through reflection, we can avoid this. By being conscious of the choices we make and the things we desire, our chances of happiness increase. Being a lifelong reflective practitioner will help us to be active participants in our own lives and our own futures.

4. "Echoes" by Pink Floyd

And no one showed us to the land

And no one knows the where's or why's

But something stirs and something tries

Starts to climb towards the light

As with most Pink Floyd songs, there has been some debate about the true meaning of this song...but regardless, I think it lends itself to our discussion of reflection in two ways. First, the always exquisite instrumental stylings of this band. The song begins with an extremely uncomfortable repeating "ping". Repetitive sounds are related to meditation because hearing the same sound over and over helps to center one's mind and narrow one's focus. This aids meditation by helping to eliminate intrusive thoughts while you focus exclusively on the sound. The long periods of instrumentation throughout are also extremely helpful for reflection. It's as if Pink Floyd were actually presenting their ideas to you and then providing you with time to reflect on the words you just heard. Secondly, this song deals with some very complex ideas about humanity (and its origins), empathy, equality and God. However the above lines may be interpreted, I believe they apply to reflection. It is true that no one truly knows why we are here or why we are where we are, but despite that we as humans continue to try to reach the light. Whether the light is knowledge, expertise, happiness, peace...is up to you.

5. "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" by Jason Mraz

I won't worry my life away.
I won't worry my life away.

I have been an anxious worrier for the longest time...about everything. But constant worrying is not a very good way to spend one's life. Through reflection, it becomes more apparent what things are worth worrying about and what things are not. By reflecting and analyzing the things that are bothering you on a deeper level you can ask "Why am I worried about this?" "Is this worth being worried about?" "Can I actually do anything about it or is it out of my control?" All of these reflective questions will hopefully lead you to a peaceful conclusion and fewer worries.

6. "Don't Be So Hard On Yourself" by Jess Glynne

Don't be so hard on yourself, no
Learn to forgive, learn to let go
Everyone trips, everyone falls
So don't be so hard on yourself, no

We so often beat ourselves up over the littlest things. Miss a question on an exam? Say the wrong thing to a friend? Didn't do so great at a job interview? These things can leave us feeling down on ourselves. In the grand scheme of things, though, are they really that important? Maybe. Maybe not. This is why it's so important to reflect, because with reflection you might realize that that mistake was really just a little or insignificant one and nothing more. And everyone makes mistakes, it's human nature. But not everyone is capable of realizing what truly matters and this is something we should all strive for. 

7. "White Privilege II" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Am I in the outside looking in, or am I in the inside looking out?
Is it my place to give my two cents?
Or should I stand on the side and shut my mouth?

This song has been included not necessarily because of the topic but because it shows active reflection throughout the song. Macklemore is questioning his place in the Black Lives Matter moment along with his place in hip-hop. Being a privileged white man in hip-hop, he finds himself wondering if he is part of the problem of cultural appropriation and black erasure. When listening to this song, you can hear his reflection evolve from start to finish and this is an excellent example of the questions that should be asked when reflecting. He also reflects on outside ideas and the opinions and thoughts of others, which is also important when reflecting. He is seriously contemplating his own thoughts and every influence around him, making this an excellent example of reflection.

8. "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder

I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then
Gonna keep on tryin'
Till I reach my highest ground

For me, the goal of reflection has always been self-improvement, and that is what this song embodies. Life is a continual learning process. As we experience more, we learn more. We must always try to learn more--about life and about ourselves. To reach our full potential, we must never cease learning and reflecting. Reflection helps us to know ourselves better and to understand ourselves on another level. How could we ever hope to grow if we don't get to know ourselves first? Growth comes from understanding what we have done in the past, what we hope to do in the present, and where we want to be in the future and reflection is a necessary part of this process. 

9. "Moment of Surrender" by U2

At the moment of surrender
I'm falling to my knees
I did not notice the passers by
And they did not notice me

One of the most interesting things about music is that sometimes the lyrics do not matter as much as the feeling the music gives you. This song begins with a long instrumental section that helps to center one's mind. The music throughout the song, separate from the lyrics, gives the listener a very relaxed and peaceful feeling, one that is very beneficial for productive reflection. Also, the chorus talks about surrendering. Surrender often has a bad connotation, but in the context of reflection it can be a beautiful thing. To give yourself over fully to the reflective practice is not easy, but surrendering all other aspects of your life and yourself to fully engage yields the best reflection. Furthermore, this song also brings to mind mediation, another important aspect of reflection. During meditation, one must surrender themselves to the practice and block out everything around them in order to be completely enveloped in the meditation.

10. "4'33"" by John Cage

We end this playlist in silence. Silence is an important part of reflection that allows your internal thoughts to flow unencumbered by the outside world. So take this time to reflect on this journey and let it guide you to a peaceful and reflective future.