I use every day things to inspire what I’m going to write about next. I have written about the ups and downs of my career for years, but after having over 50 of those columns published in the local newspaper and some national publications in the field, I began to run out of fresh ideas. They would be there if I looked hard enough, but I felt it was time to start writing for me instead – I love it so far, and hope you are enjoying some of the content as well.

I disliked any and all songs by the Beatles in my university days

Like many, we have Sirius XM radio in the car, and love the fact that we can listen to basically any genre of music at the push of a button. On any given day we could listen to Coolio, Phil Collins, The Grateful Dead, and Offspring, among others – there’s even the odd hint of country in there from time to time. This time, while driving through town, it was “Wonderful Christmastime” by Paul McCartney – only one quarter of the Beatles, and certainly the more instrumental of the two we have left….although Ringo is awesome too. I started thinking about how much I disliked any and all songs by the Beatles in my university days. I recall being open to listening to anything, but as soon as the Beatles came on I no longer had interest in being in the same room. I have taught myself over the years to never “hate” anything, other than hatred itself, but I feel like I truly hated their music. Years went by, and I must have tuned the Beatles out completely, changing the channel with almost as much haste as I do for Nickelback or U2.

Can you think of a memory, or many, that you connect to a song? Perhaps it was a time of year, or the song was playing in the background. Maybe it was at an event or on a road trip, and a certain song was the soundtrack to that moment in your life. I have many memories, and many songs that come along with them, but none of them are by the Beatles.

…appreciate where a person is coming from, and why they have been shaped the way they have

In my daily search for writing inspiration, I asked myself how I could write about my journey with the Beatles, and how it translates to real life. I am not a music critic, so a music review wouldn’t work. I love a great sound system, but a review of my factory speakers would simply confuse you and the other Karmatunity readers. Then it hit me – twenty years on, I actually love the Beatles, and have a mix of their hits on as I write this. How then, after wanting nothing to do with their music just a short while ago, have I changed so much in my musical taste that I listen to them regularly, and respect their accomplishments more now than ever? The fact is… I had changed. I’m not a completely different person than I was in the early 2000’s, and I expect many of the great people I met in university and college are also largely the same people today, but we will have all tacked on roughly twenty years of ups, downs, experiences, and lessons that have shaped how we act today, and what is important to us in life. Through learning about each situation we’ve been placed in, regardless of the outcome, we reshape who we are and grow for the next situation. I’ve learned, over the years, that it is so important to try and understand another person before casting judgement. Taking just a few minutes to listen and learn can pay off greatly by allowing us to appreciate where a person is coming from, and why they have been shaped the way they have.

We won’t get along with everyone in this world, and you may still not like the company of someone, even after learning more about them, but I can promise you that you will learn to appreciate them for who and what they are if you take the time to listen and learn. I remember browsing online one day and for some reason I searched for the Beatles, finally taking the time to ask the world why they are so universally loved. What I learned was that this group of gentlemen in their early 20s created a massive library of hits, many of which can be heard daily, whether on the radio or on the screen. It wasn’t the number of hits that impressed me though, it was the fact that they had done this in only about 8 years. They released album after album, hit after hit, toured the world, and inspired millions in only 8 years. They were the same age as I was when I thought I despised them, but while I was trying to figure out what type of music I actually liked and what I wanted to do with my life, they were already masters of their craft. Couple this with the fact that the “Fab Four” really didn’t get along as well as we might think, and I am floored by what they accomplished. I was glad I took the time to “listen and learn.”

We might learn to appreciate something or someone more than ever

So, what’s the most important takeaway from my journey to ultimately love the Beatles? It’s not that they truly are a remarkable band, not only in their 8 years together, but also in the solo careers of each of them thereafter. It’s not that we need to be more open to new experiences, new people, and new music. It’s that we must take the time to learn about others. We may not always like what we learn, but if we continue to learn and continue to listen, we might learn to appreciate something or someone more than ever. Perhaps in twenty years or so I will give Nickelback or U2 a shot.