Love the haters in your life.
It’s cool to say and would look good on a shirt, but it’s hard to actually do in real life on a day-to-day basis. And i don’t mean “embrace the haters” like in a i’m gonna prove them all wrong one day, then they’ll see kinda way. I mean, actually love them, even as they make fun of you, or put down something you believe is right. now, i’m not saying you should be a pussy, either. But if someone hates the color blue, and you know that it’s wrong to hate the color blue; dont call them a moron or hate them back. Not only have you stooped to their level, but have entered into a circular argument based on hatred that will never resolve. Ok, now replace “the color blue” with “race / sexual orientation / ethnicity / body type, etc.” No one ever realized the error of their ways while yelling insults in an argument. It just leads to people getting defensive and breeds more animosity. Obviously, if people are getting physically hurt, there’s a time and place for self-defense. It should never be the first option though. Repaying hate with hate is not only bizarrely ironic, but misses the whole point. Lead by example. Stand up for what’s right, without putting others down.
- “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” - Gandhi
- “If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn your other cheek to him as well.” - Jesus
- It is certainly not easy. Who’s up to the challenge?
I had the pleasure of collaborating with Blake Sennett on his new record “Bury Me In My Rings.” Blake is the guitar player / songwriter in Rilo Kiley and this is his 3rd album with his side-project, The Elected. Together we co-wrote a song called “When I’m Gone” that i’m incredibly proud of. I did my best ?uestlove impression on the drums and played synth bass on the track as well. Hope you all enjoy it!
LINK: Bury Me In My Rings - The Elected
Everyone who comes to see my band, Ocean Grove, play a concert will be receiving an EP of reworked versions of our songs ABSOLUTELY FREE. this is simply a big thank you for supporting our self-sustained venture into the independent music realm and coming to see our shows. We recorded it last Thursday in a really fun, improved session at House of Blues recording studio in Los Angeles.
The cover is a photo i took at 6:30am in the Dominican Republic back in 2009. we were running late on our way to the airport and pretty much everyone was asleep in the van. i noticed the sunrise and snapped a photo. i thought it fit the vibe of these 3 songs perfectly. The track listing is:
1. I Want You In Love
2. Dream Date
3. Our House
See where you can get your FREE copy here!
The guys who wrote the Macarena, Monica Lewinsky, and the Chilean Miners all have something in common. I know what you’re thinking, and no, I don’t picture any of them naked when I eat wheat-thins. These 3 distinctly different sets of people are all known for one thing and, pretty much, only one thing – whatever it was that made them famous for a little while. Sadly, we live in a world where we need to compare ourselves and use a rating system to classify one another because GOD FORBID WE ARE ALL CONSIDERED EQUALS. The truth is, it’s not our 15 minutes / seconds of fame that define who we are. It’s the type of person you are. Those Chilean Miners have 33 different personalities, background stories, interests, dislikes - but for the rest of their lives, they will be known for being stuck underground and that is all people will ask them about. Unless one of them makes a sex tape and gets a reality show.
It’s a tough thing to not care what others say about you. This is why Bob Saget spent so much time after “Full House” convincing everyone that he is a badass through his stand-up bits. 100% of the time it is pride that causes the pain. “But that’s not who I really am!!” Pride tricks us into thinking way more about ourselves than we ought to. I guess Pride can be a good thing if you are a cheerleader or being made fun of for something you believe in, but when it causes hate towards others, or even more scary – an inflated sense of self, we need to check ourselves before we wreck ourselves. (© ice cube)
WTF am I talking about? Well, if you leave this rant with one thing, let it be this: you are not your clothing brands, the music you like, the school you got into, etc. There are kids in Africa who have none of those things; are they nobody? Of course not. We are all defined by who we are, and how we treat others. Killing our own pride on a daily basis is the key to loving those around us. This is something I will be forever working on.
imagine your life is a one-hit wonder. what will you be remembered by? let it be love.
