One Song and a Beat-A Letter for the Youth

One Song and Beat

Take a moment to hear them into-being sing you,

Your forebears on the ground on which you tread,

They knew you were coming because they believed.

You are the embodiment of eternity; some denied,

To live and let live without extending dominion,

Over an empire, they could not exterminate.

You are the one your ancestors prayed for,

To pray for the ones after you.

You are the one, the promise of the tribe.

Do you want a mouldy bribe,

For what you have already proven?

The worst has already happened, the end of the world we knew,

They thought it ended; we created a new one.

In which we planted your seed, where now you bloom.

What you fear already happened, not yours to dread.

If you doubt, look at yourself, standing feebly.

Though you may have faith in needle-eye size,

You have lived here before, thriving in adversity.

Believe! Believe! Believe!

You are the one for this time! Believe!

You conquered this before, now here to heal it,

One song and beat at a time.

? 2023 Nsamu Moonga All Rights Reserved

Hey there,

Lately, I've been bombarded with some pretty deep questions. Like, what does it even mean when someone asks why you're searching for the living among the dead? Or what's the deal with ringing the bells that still can ring? And why should we celebrate the embers in the ashes?

In a world that's all about conquering and dominating, it's so easy to see where it all goes wrong. Just look at the raging wars, and you'll see everything messed up with life right now, right? The run-down economies and corrupt politicians, hungry babies crying, and nonresponsive public servants, you get it? The gloom of employment opportunities is compounded by disengagement from doing mundane chores.

But hold up! If all we see is a world full of war and ecological disaster, why should we even care? I want to shout out Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED talk on the Danger of a Single Story. It's my go-to when I start feeling overwhelmed by one catastrophic narrative. Because, let's face it, focusing on just one story of human existence and our messed-up economy leads to significant despair.

And you know what? This story of doom and generational cynicism isn't favouring us, especially young folks. I've come across way too many of you who think there's no point in living because the world wasn't made for you. And don't even get me started on politicians who love spinning tales of doom to keep you from taking action. Even in religious circles, it's all doom and gloom before redemption. All this emphasis on collapse keeps us stuck in a state of inaction.

That's why I love Leonard Cohen's Anthem, where he says, "There's a crack in everything." We've known that forever, haven't we? As a teacher, mentor, and therapist, I'm all about listening in a 360-degree way. It means paying attention to those moments when the doom narrative doesn't dominate. What happens to people when they're not trapped in catastrophe? What if that crack in everything comes with bells that still can ring? Who's ringing those bells, anyway? Celebrating human agency and resourcefulness gets me pumped.

While we can't ignore the challenges we face as humans, we must remind our young peeps that they can take control in the face of adversity. They can make a difference in their environment instead of just being victims of circumstance. What if we presented them with a 360-degree story, where opportunities are just as plentiful as misfortunes? I refuse to buy into a single story of anything, anytime. It's easy to get swept up in the doom, but I also want to focus on those bells that can still ring. Leonard Cohen was a master storyteller who showed us the complexities we tend to oversimplify.

So, listen up, youth! Don't let anyone convince you that you're doomed. That'll make you inactive and think your only option is to join the corrupt crowd. Nope, there are pockets of influence around you if you start with something small. Your environment will respond to your actions. You're not just a victim of history or its failures. You're alive and kicking! Don't hang out with those who exaggerate the negativity. Find other storytellers who can give you a 360-degree view, accounting for your desire to live fully and find meaning.

You can find these extraordinary storytellers in books, podcasts, poetry, and more. Stay away from sources that only feed you one dominant story. This isn't about switching from one single story to another. We don't want to swing to the extreme of a positive-vibes-only environment either. Natural attunement goes beyond that. It acknowledges the challenges of being human and seeks out possibilities and the persuasions of hope. Those persuasions of hope? They push us to audaciously take action, not despite the evidence of doom but because of it. We rise in the face of adversity.

I get it. It's tempting to embrace inaction when we see corruption and fleeting success all around us. Social media is full of stories selling us easy wins. And when you fail, you might start questioning yourself or feel the need to connect with the "right" people. It's tempting to join groups and companies that promise a simple, carefree life. But here's my take: it's not about overexerting yourself. It's about engaging intelligently, using your skills, and playing the long game. What matters is that you consistently wake up and do something small. Learn from those chosen storytellers and act with authenticity and courage. Please don't worry too much about the result. You can focus on what you can control and take action. The PhD looks like the tediously working on punctuation. Play the long game. Playing the long game means you might be pushing a wheelbarrow today, knowing you're building a cathedral. So push that darn wheelbarrow. The cathedral will be visible in due time.

So, my question to you is this: What are you currently reading or listening to that challenges your dominant beliefs or stories? Please share your thoughts, and let's keep expanding our horizons together.

Cheers,

Nsamu