Harmony is a quality that is often misunderstood. In traditional usage it is seen as something quite passive, something soft and gentle and non-confrontational, a quality that is easily disrupted by the hustle and bustle of daily life. And yet in my experience harmony is anything but passive – to experience harmony in its most genuine expression, one must be willing to face the aspects within oneself that are dis-harmonious. True harmony is not gained by backing down from an argument, but by working through the disagreement until acceptance is reached. This is the quality that lies at the core of authentic harmony – when we can truly learn to accept ourselves and the world around us, we can allow ourselves to move into a harmonious state.
A lack of conflict is not necessarily the same as a state of harmony. While we still have parts within us that are in pain, from past experiences and trauma, can we honestly be said to be in harmony with ourselves? Only once we heal ourselves of the pain and trauma we carry within us could we possibly achieve that state. The simple fact is that healing ourselves is never going to be soft and gentle. We must first acknowledge that we are not okay, which in and of itself can be a very painful process, and then allow ourselves to accept what we feel. Only then can the pain be released, the emotional wounds healed, and we can take another step towards our own version of true harmony with ourselves and the world.
But this version of harmony, where we face our demons and overcome them, is impossible for the world to disrupt. This allows us to face ourselves, and the world at large, with a smile.
Nathan is the bass player and one of the singers for the Love Finders Band - see their version of The Scientist with him on lead vocals below.
