I once read that the power of music is in its ability to carry the listener directly into the mental state of the composer. The listener has no choice. It’s like hypnotism. Once the music starts, the listener is pulled in. And no matter how hard they resist, they eventually give in to where it is the sound takes them.
Driving home from work provides just such moments. With my mind half focused on the road and half focused on the day behind me, I often let the music take me where it will. On the most recent occasion, it was Bob Marley’s ode to optimism, “Three Little Birds.”
As the music played, I found myself focusing in on the lyrics of the song.
With the weight of Bob’s words behind me, I began to think of what it would be like to be so optimistic. To have faith that no matter what happens, everything will turn out as it should. That, win or lose, for good or bad, the outcome of every situation always presents valuable lessons to learn.
Then I began to think of Phil Jackson.
I began to think of all the things that make Phil Jackson who he is. The Zen teachings, the use of meditation and visualization, the weird video clips used to spruce up game film, the tweaking of friend and foe alike through the media in order to implant a simple message.
And of course, I began to remember all that he has helped the Lakers accomplish, both in this lifetime and in the previous one; then known as the Shaq/Kobe era.
Eventually my thoughts began to drown out the music and I remembered that Jackson has said that this was his final season as head coach. I thought of the prospect of no longer having him on the bench and the optimism quickly turned to skepticism.
A thousand thoughts of doom and gloom, of the post-Magic and post-Shaq eras, began to take hold and with that, I broke the number one rule of Zen philosophy, always stay in the moment!
It’s a valuable lesson and one that is more important now than ever before.
As I struggled to re-gain my focus, the song continued and again I tried to let the song take hold…
