top of page
Writer's pictureCamp Goldston Publishing, LLC

In Harmony with Me

I learned a long time ago to live in rhythm. Life is like good poetry, it’s supposed to flow and feel good to the soul. When something is out of sync, I back away, then I look around and try to figure out what’s out of whack. I adjust, change up something, and then my feeling of rightness returns, letting me be in sync once again.

Imagine driving east on a major thoroughfare and having to get gas or maybe something to eat. Well, I’m the type of person who will not make a left into an establishment, because it means waiting for an opening, then having to fight to get out when it’s time to resume my trip. I prefer to wait until I come across an establishment on the right side of the street, with an easy entrance and an easy exit. Nice and easy always works better for me. I try to stay in harmony, letting stuff flow naturally.

Maybe it sounds weird to folks when I mention my idiosyncrasies, but it’s how I stay in harmony. Like I will literally stop everything I’m doing and recite a mental list of the things I’m supposed to be doing in order. Example, today I sat on the side of my bed and verbally went through my list. “Make breakfast, work on my article for Garden Spices, sleep until three, start packing, take a nap until 5:30, be alert for my interview at six about being an African-American author, then make it to work by 7:30.” If I stray from the list in any way, something will feel off or out of whack, causing me to once again go over my list aloud to myself.

I think of life as a poem, with a certain cadence to it, an ebb and flow, with crescendos, balance, and meter. I try to flow just like that, smooth, easy, rhythmic, and soul-filling. I tend to think most things out, dissecting them long before I ever take any kind of action. Things may seem spur-of-the-moment to others, but trust and believe I’ve weighed possible outcomes long before, keeping everything to myself. Logic goes hand in hand with my rhythmic approach to life, going together like peanut butter and jelly. In my 2017 annual “Dear Santa” letter (I know how old I am! It helps me plan out things!), I mentioned to him the flights I would be tracking in 2018, my goals as a writer (submit one hundred pieces, sign a traditional publishing contract), and take more time to enjoy life. I read it last week, amazed and proud that I accomplished everything I’d planned on achieving. I had to look up and say thanks to He who orders my steps.

A few years ago, my life was chaotic, drama-filled, and there were negative people whom I was involved with. My blessings were few, my stress level was high, and everything was at sixes and sevens. I stepped back and looked at everything, and I had to figure out how to restore harmony. It started within, my introspection forcing me to make changes in how I operated. I let people go, changed how I operated, and I focused on achieving a cool balance, a harmony which would enable me to do and achieve all of the things I wanted.

These days my inner circle is made up of a very few people, those who know me inside and out. I’m going to keep it like that, interacting personally only with those few who help me maintain my harmony. I like the peaceful rhythm of my life, and the only dissonance occurs when negative people try to infiltrate my inner peace. I’ve learned how to keep them out, because I’m only harvesting positive energy. I’ve been through enough to know I don’t need certain stuff anymore.

I hang out at home, or at my favorite bar, and I chat intimately with a handful of people. My vacations and getaways are usually not disclosed to the world (social media!) until I’ve landed at my destination. Life is smoother and more harmonic when everything is planned out, helping it flow smoother. It hasn’t been an easy journey by any means, but I appreciate the cadence, the rhythm, and the smooth flow of my journey. Sure, there will be days when life is out of sync, when rain happens, and disappointments occur. I’ll step back, exhale, plan my next move, and I’ll do whatever is necessary to restore harmony. The lessons were tough but well worth the time spent learning.

So, when people see me smiling, traveling, achieving, and evolving, know that the secret to everything is the harmony within me I strive to maintain. The days of me enduring a cacophony of chaos are over…

 

Marlon Hayes


Marlon S. Hayes is a writer, blogger, author, and poet, who is doing all that’s necessary to embody his personal mantra that ‘Life is a banquet.’ Currently seeking a job as a travel writer, but don’t tell anyone. His work can be found on Amazon, and he can be followed at Marlon’s Writings on Facebook, marlonhayes.wixsite.com/author, and he responds to emails at Duckdaddy_63@yahoo.com

0 views0 comments

留言


bottom of page