Last night, I got to see Jason Mraz live. I was introduced to his music back in 2005, and I’m been a fan ever since. He wasn’t one of those musicians that I was just dying to see in concert, but I’ve always admired his talent. After seeing his performance, my opinion of him has grown and changed. He’s a phenomenal musician and is incredibly talented. The band that’s been touring with him, Raining Jane, is filled with girls who can play more instruments than I can imagine learning how to play. Love music? Go see him live.
Yesterday’s date has some not-so-fond memories for me, so I was looking forward to the show distracting me. What I wasn’t counting on was leaving Alte Oper full of inspiration and a sense of peace. I really wish I had pulled out my journal during the intermission so I’d be able to share all of the thoughts that were running through my mind in the moment, but I failed to do so. The rest of this is just a pale replication of some of those thoughts.
At one point, he mentioned that people always ask him how he seems to stay so positive. He replied that he believes positivity is a choice- he chooses to be positive every day, because without that, there can’t be forgiveness, acceptance, etc. A lot of people speak about acting positively without actually doing it, but I think if you can make a conscious effort to stay positive whenever possible, it’ll reflect into your life and people will be drawn to that. I know from experience that staying positive is so much easier said than done- for countless months, I was unable to even genuinely smile. For me, finding the smallest moment of positivity can be considered a win.
The best part about this whole concert was just hearing all of the encouragement he was genuinely sharing with the crowd. It was refreshing to hear someone with his level of fame who still acted so down to earth. I appreciated it even further because the way he inspired everyone in the audience is what I really hope to do with this blog. Like I’ve said before, I want to be relatable and honest. I want to inspire people to share their stories and know that even in the darkest of life’s moments, there will be an end and the light will come back.
One of my favorite songs from the Yes! album is 3 Things mostly for the following lyrics: “the third thing I do now when my world caves in is I pause, I take a breath, and bow and I let that chapter end.” Those lines are quickly becoming the way I’m trying to live my life. I’ve always been a dweller on the bad moments in life, so a regular reminder to stop and collect myself before going to the next thing helps with closure, thus being able to properly move on.
As for the rest of the concert, there was a video on his trip to Antarctica featuring penguins, a sitar, amazing harmonies, and a surprise proposal. Well worth it.
listening to: Jason Mraz
Knocked Out No Longer 