On Friday night I had the great privilege of attending the concert of fellow Cape Townian, Alice Phoebe Lou. At only 21 years old though, she is far more than just your average musician. Although she spends most of her time as a street performer in Berlin, busking, Alice has been catapulted into “stardom” after the YouTube video for her Berlin TedxTalk went viral last year. In her talk, which you can see here, she speaks about wanting to use her music and any platform she may get from becoming famous as a away of spreading a positive message and helping to connect with people and be of service rather than use fame for selfish or superficial ends.
Having just experienced her and her music first hand I can tell you she is doing just that. I sat in awe listening to this beautiful angelic-looking creature perform to a packed yet entirely silent concert hall full of people. And you could feel this palpable energy in the room, like everyone was connecting and sharing in something uniquely precious and almost sacred.
Now you may think that this all sounds like hippy, esoteric bullshit but I think there is a great message here and one that I would like you to be inspired by at the beginning of this week. Going forward, as you start out on your day and as you journey around your world this week, I would like you to hold in your mind two things.
1. Connect with the part of you that is an angelic-looking, blonde, free-spirited 21 year old
It is so hard being an adult. We start out fresh and full of hope but often life gets us down and we learn to see the world through a lens of practical obligations, duties, and “shoulds”. But in each of us there is still that inner child that laughs too loudly at silly jokes and wishes to run through sprinklers on a hot day. You don’t necessarily have to forgo your adult responsibilities but can you please, just for me, try and start a dialogue with your child (or young adult) parts. Connect with that part of you that saw love as a fuzzy place in the clouds and not that thing that causes heartache. Remember the feeling of invincibility you felt on the day school ended, when you felt free as a bird. Get in touch with the part of you that decided to take that trip, kiss that boy/girl, jump into that water. These parts of you are waiting to be played with and believe me, you’re going to have so much fun together.
2. Try and make a positive impact on those around you
Just like Alice, please remember that you have a platform. You may not be able to reach millions of people but even if you connect with one, that can make a difference. So, whether you work in an office or alone, whether you drive a car or ride a bike, whether you’re shy or gregarious, please do me this favour. Experiment with the idea of having a positive influence. Send your friends motivational or inspirational links this week. Buy someone flowers. Tell the people who matter that you care about them. Smile at a stranger. Talk about love. And passion. About the possibilities in the world, not the failings. Hold someone’s hand. Share a moment. And when you do, do it with your whole being. Let’s use Alice’s beautiful work as inspiration.
Have a beautiful week! Be golden!
The image above was taken by the talented Romy Maxime. Find her here on Instagram and Tumblr