EASY
In this week’s Sweetest Sounds, we’re analyzing one of the only songs at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 that isn’t a holiday song. Although it may not be a holiday song, somehow it fits the sentiments we all should embrace while entering the new year. This week we’re analyzing Adele’s Easy on Me.
if only it was this easy
I think the magic word for this song is grace. As in giving yourself grace. Recognizing that you deserve the grace, kindness, and patience that you give to others.
There ain't no gold in this river
That I've been washin' my hands in forever
I know there is hope in these waters
But I can't bring myself to swim
When I am drowning in this silence
Baby, let me in
The best start to practice giving yourself grace, is reflection. Taking a minute (or a couple) to really assess where you are. What choices have you made? Why did you make those choices? How did you get here? When we take a breath and reflect, we start to see the full picture of our situation.
who doesn't pull off the road to reflect in a field?
Go easy on me, baby
I was still a child
Didn't get the chance to
Feel the world around me
I had no time to choose
What I chose to do
So go easy on me
When we really start asking ourselves the tough questions, it can be easy for us to start judging ourselves. Hindsight is 20/20 so when we look back, we often do give our past selves grace. “I was so stupid to do that” or “I messed everything up!” are common phrases we cling to when reflecting.
We ignore the fact that we were doing the best we could with the information we had at the time. We didn’t know any better, so we only did what we knew. Our past selves, or younger selves, like children, behaved without the wisdom. The wisdom our current selves has.
As we start this new year, quick to make resolutions and changes, we need to give our selves grace. Be easy to others and go easy on ourselves. We are only doing the best we can. So go easy
