The plan all along was to do 10 videos for each of my kids. So this was Liam’s ninth. It’s sad to realize that Liam is already 10 years old. He has 1 video left. Which is crazy for me to comprehend.
Not all doom and gloom, though. This video was a blast to work on. I wanted to split the emotion; a little classy and timeless and then maximum fun to close it out.
Liam is growing so fast. He is truly a wonderful boy and a compassionate human. We couldn’t be more proud. He’s actually watching me the type this, so I’ll let him mash the ‘post’ button!
This time around I really wanted to “feel” the experience so I decided to try video. I think for the most part everything turned out good. I had a blast documenting the journey and making it come to life. To be honest, the only difficult aspect was editing. I purposely left my MacBook Pro at home mainly because I wanted to edit on my iPad Pro. Let’s just say me and iPad had some issues. I’m not sure if this was because I’m so used to Final Cut Pro that iMovie felt so stripped down or I’m just simply a Mac guy who is accustomed to many more customizable options.
I think the final product is a true representation of what that crisp, fall morning felt like. Connecticut in the Fall is an amazing place. I was so thankful I had good weather and the ability to get out, see and feel some amazing moments.
Sometimes the worst situations bring out the best in people. Traveling across the country for my Grandfather’s funeral has shed light on some things; people are good and having a close family unit is priceless. In the hardest times, a loving, supporting family sticks together.
My recent trip back home wasn’t ideal. I saw loving faces and made memories but a sad occasion brought all of my family together. I first received news my Grandfather wasn’t doing well while on vacation at Disney World. An odd place to find out tragic news to say the least. Luckily, I was with good friends that made the trip as enjoyable as situationally possible. But, his well being laid heavily on my mind.
Once Lindsey and I got home from Disney, it wasn’t long before we received unfortunate news. Papa passed away. I never have gotten used to that ‘quick switch’ moment you experience when a loved one passes; one second they’re here, the next they’re gone.
I love going home to see my family. It sort of acts as a breath of fresh air. A reminder of who I am and where I’m from. But, this trip was understandably going to be difficult.
Before the trip even started I felt a sense of overwhelming stress. It’s hard to explain really. I’ve never been so overcome with thoughts and emotion that I couldn’t function, but honestly I was feeling hints. Lindsey was absolutely amazing. She took care of booking the trip and genuinely carrying any load needed until we were on a plane. She was a rockstar.
When my Papa’s health started failing him a few years back I made the decision that I wanted Liam to make the trip for Papa’s services. I knew my family would really appreciate seeing him. I knew much needed Mommy, Daddy, Liam time would occur. Also I knew he is at an age where he will remember and soak up this experience. So I was super happy Liam joined Lindsey and I up to Connecticut.
When we arrived my brother and his wife, Urszela picked us up from JFK. On a side note, JFK was desolate and empty. I was waiting for tumbleweeds to slide gracefully across the empty terminal. Seeing my brother and driving home with him immediately put me back in the CT mind-state. Lindsey always mentions how I am different in CT and I never really know what she means. I think I understand now. It’s like putting someone in their natural environment. I always feel comfortable and at ease in CT. Anyways after a late night stop at Darian’s rest stop, we spent the night at my dads.
The next morning we ate breakfast, Liam and I played some basketball with my Dad and then headed off to my mom’s. The weather really was magnificent all trip; Low 70’s and breezy. What else could you ask for? The nights were even hitting the 40’s. A welcomed surprise for sure. We got to my moms and I was relieved to see all was the same when I left it last. That may seem odd. But leaving home is tough and coming back to familiarity is comforting.
Our first day at mom’s only had 1 event scheduled. Apparently my family were all getting together every night since my Grandfather’s passing and eating at different houses. This particular night my Mom was hosting. I gently asked if pizza would be present, and my Mom informed me that it wasn’t on the menu. Lindsey and I love this local pizza place called ‘Vitos.’ So we swung by there to pick up their famous Garlic and Broccoli. Still delicious.
Being at my Mom’s the first full day was great. It was really nice because it gave me a chance to see everyone immediately. Like I said, tough occasion for getting together. But I was really thankful to see everyone again.
The next day was the wake. Services didn’t start until 4pm. While our primary reason for being in CT was family and Papa’s funeral, Lindsey and I had a window to relive some of our favorite spots, so we took it. We left the house on a crispy, breezy fall morning and ventured out to my favorite place in the world; Northwest, CT. We drove to Averill Farms and got apple cider donuts and freshly made cider. Then drove through the back roads of Litchfield through Torrington to see our old condo. Then to Canton to eat an early lunch at Flatbread Co. Flatbraed is this amazing place where all their ingredients come from local farms and they cook only with an open, wood-fired pit. An amazing morning to say the least. It truly is magical how seeing old places can give you a feeling of renewed spirit.
We arrived home and had just enough time to get ready for the Papa’s wake.
The wake wasn’t as bad as I expected. My family, for the most part, was in good spirits. The turnout was very large. Even with COVID protocols in place. Papa looked rested. He was engulfed with beautiful flowers surrounding him. One of his favorite things was UConn basketball. So a large presence of UConn colored arrangements were there. Also pictures of family were in his casket and all around. It was a sweet atmosphere created by my Mom, Aunt Judy and Aunt Chris. They loved him very much and it showed in their attention to detail.
After the wake we went over to my Grandma’s and had a light dinner. Even there it struck me how close knit we all are. I really took this for granted for a long time. Being away makes things clearer in ways. This is one of them. If I never realized it before, I did now. I have an amazing family that have each other’s backs and genuinely loves and cares for one another.
A word about Lindsey in Connecticut…
I can’t state accurately enough how great she was. She constantly was asking what she could do. How she could help. She was going out of her way to make anyone’s life easier. I was so proud to call her my wife. I mean I always am. But, she was so extremely thoughtful and considerate on this trip. I will never forget that.
Our last day there was the funeral. Notably, this was a more somber event. My family was much more quiet and reserved. I was feeling really choked up the entire day, myself. We got to the funeral home around 9am to pay our last respects. I was selected as a pallbearer so my brother, cousins and I drove in a limo together from the funeral home to the church.
At one point in route, I remember thinking this is what life is all about. Being with special people in your life in both, the hard and good times. Sure, we haven’t seen each other in a while, but none of that mattered. There is a closeness present that no one can explain. Any close family has it.
The church gave a respectful service. I learned a lot about my Grandfather during my Aunt Chris’s eulogy. I learned he was a founding member of that particular church, I learned he was awarded an older workers award from the Senator a few years back. Amazing information that a humble man, such as my Grandfather, would never tell you. My aunt Chris did a tremendous job with the eulogy. Though I was being considered to write it early on, I could have never done as concise or accurate portrayal of papa as Aunt Chris did.
After church the pallbearers again hopped in the limo and drove to the cemetery for Papa’s final resting place. The location is beautiful. It’s on a hill overlooking the city of Waterbury. Towards the end of his life, my Grandfather worked as a limo driver for local funeral homes. As a touching final goodbye, the directors from all the major funeral homes where present and rested their gloves on the casket of my Grandfather. It was amazingly moving.
I let Liam and Lindsey place a rose on the casket. That was the moment; the single moment where I knew Papa would be proud of what I have become. I’m nothing special. But I try to emulate his gentleness and kindness through my life and family. I know he loved Lindsey and Liam immensely and I know he would be proud of our family.
We left and once again met as a family at my Papa’s favorite restaurant; ‘The Manor Inn.’ There, I again had the same feelings of gratefulness and appreciation for such a close and caring family.
The absolute ironic part of having a close family like we have is that it started with leadership. It started at the top. It started with my Grandfather; an exceptional man who’s life examples and lessons echoes in my mind forever as priceless memories.
My grandpa was a lot of things to a lot of people. He was a friend to many, a husband, a father, a brother, a grandfather, a great grandfather. He also was the embodiment of a kind and gentle human being who led by example. He didn’t strive to be loud or heard, but his presence was more than sufficient to leave an impact.
In the book of Ephesians, Paul lists the characteristics of a loving human filled with the spirit. Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness and Temperance. The world today is seriously lacking all of those characteristics. But my Papa’s life displayed not only the traits of a loving husband and father but the blueprint of how to achieve such.
If Papa wanted me to learn anything from his life I truly believe it was this… You don’t always have to be the loudest in the room. You don’t have to drive the fanciest cars or have the nicest things. You don’t have to have a flashy personality or have the spotlight directly on you. He never did or cared for such accomplishments.
What you do have to do though, is love your family with all of you. Sacrifice daily so loved ones can get ahead. Be an amazing listener and care for others more than yourself.
Papa’s greatest lesson he ever taught was soft, quiet whispers of examples. He was as strong as he was quiet. He was as loving as he was gentle. He was an amazing leader and the embodiment of a man who was utterly secure in his ways and unparalleled at being gracious and selfless to his loved ones.
I am forever blessed and thankful to call Papa my teacher, my example and simply my grandfather. They say you can’t pick family. But God gave my family the best Grandfather anyone could possibly ask for.
I love you Papa. I will miss you more than I know how to describe. But rest assured, that your ways of kindness and selflessness will continue to live on through myself and my family. We are honored and forever grateful to have felt your love and warmth in our lives.
Over the years I thought I’d known and experienced perseverance. I’ve accomplished many hard tasks. I’ve beat personal battles that seemed impossible at times. I’ve stuck to hard diets and built up discipline in many areas of life. But this post isn’t about me and those accomplishments weren’t real perseverance.
Lindsey’s decision to leave her Credit Union position came at a particularly convenient time. I had just got hired on at a Fire Department that paid more money and Lindsey was pregnant with our third child.
Lindsey has clarity of mind and decision-making skills unlike anyone I’ve ever met before. She’ll make hard, big decisions with sweeping assurance. She does this almost effortlessly. Leaving the Credit Union was one of these decisions.
Lindsey rose fast at her Credit Union job. She was named Assistant Manager within a 1 year of employment. She never was quite fulfilled, though. I think she loved the challenge of learning something new, but always felt somewhat empty at the end of the day. I sometimes could see it on her face. She was exhausted and not necessarily enthused. It wasn’t long before she starting thinking on a grander scale. She always said if she was going to be away from her family, it would have to be worth it. I never forgot that mostly because she said it with heart.
The decision to stay home after Leo was born also had a huge agenda attached to it. Another clarity moment Lindsey had; deciding she wanted to teach. She made a personal decision to complete her Master’s Degree in Teaching. I’ll admit I was worried how this was going to be possible, though; a newborn, a hyper middle boy and an over inquisitive 8 year old bouncing all over the house. Not too mention my Fire Department job didn’t work as planned and we found out our middle son was Autistic and required weekly therapy sessions right in the middle of Lindsey’s schooling. Top all of that with our youngest developing ‘Failure to Thrive’ at 11 months old and eating through a feeding tube for 2 months. The cards were stacked against Lindsey.
But she did it.
Perseverance made it possible and perseverance carried Lindsey through.
Long story short, Lindsey finished her Masters Degree with a 3.9 GPA (which doesn’t sit real well with her) and obtained a job as a full-time 7th grade Math Teacher before she “officially” graduated.
Looking back through our marriage, my children and I have had the pleasure of Lindsey being a stay at home mom for the majority of our life together. In other words, we’ve had her all to ourselves. Up until recently I never quite understood how much value, compassion and empathy we were hoarding in our home. My children and I are grateful and appreciative of all of her traits, but one thing is extremely clear now; God created Lindsey to grow, reach, connect and teach kids in need of loving and learning.
The combination of Lindsey’s heart of gold and Christian values is something that kids can sense. She doesn’t need to put on a front or pretend to care. If you’re around her while she’s talking about teaching or reaching kids, you’ll know, she cares deeply.
I think thats what drew me to her in the beginning; her compassion and empathy to strangers. Thats not a trait you fake. That’s something that you either have or you try to work on, but certainly not fabricate. Lindsey is effortless when it comes to helping people in need. She has a sixth sense for the helpless and exhibits infinite patience and compassion when dealing with them.
I said all that to say; I don’t think kids are tricked by gimmicks or people who are around to collect a paycheck. Kids can sense motivation and energy way more than we give them credit for. Students should be taught with respect and genuineness. Lindsey showed me enough videos in her Masters program to coincide with this thinking.
Lindsey puts her whole self into her passions. For example, when she was setting up her classroom, Linds was intent on creating an environment that was warm and welcoming. Super positive signage, supportive messages and encouraging thoughts can be found on every wall. This isn’t by accident. This is Lindsey. Here’s a great example of how brilliant Lindsey was before teaching a minute in her own classroom:
A coworker of her’s mentioned early on to not “go crazy” with decorating. “The kids don’t care” he said. This person missed exactly what Lindsey already knew. Making kids feel comfortable, safe and supported builds a foundation. It sets a precedent. It’s like a comforting figure saying: “Hey, I care about your grades, but I care about you more.” It’s the exact right way to build a relationship of trust and love; with comfort, not content. Lindsey had this pegged before minute one of her first class.
My Nonni used to tell me all the time; “make your face your heart.” She would say that’s the key for people to see the true you. It’s not always easy for me. This is something Lindsey doesn’t have to work on and precisely why being a teacher is Lindsey’s calling in life.
Lindsey’s face is her heart. Plain and simple, the two are one. A warm, glowing, open-arms smile thats as inviting as it is caring and loving. Every student she comes in contact with for the next 25 years will grow to learn that Mrs. DiLeo is a loving human first, a teacher second.
There’s no better example of Lindsey’s compassion, love and attention to detail for her students than the sign near the exit of her classroom. Lindsey felt very strongly about this sign and it’s reason for existing. She wanted her students to see this sign and read it as they left her class for a reason; Lindsey wanted to leave them with a simple yet genuine reminder. Lindsey was so insistent this sign had to be exactly right that she custom made it herself and printed it several times for it to be “just” right.
The sign reads as follows:
“Before you leave this class, always remember; I love you. You matter. You can do anything. I believe in you.”
This previous year showed an amazing amount of progression with him. He has been working hard going to Speech Therapy, Physical Therapy and Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy. No matter what the public eye sees, Luca has worked tremendously hard and Lindsey and I couldn’t be prouder.
On top of that, Luca completed his first year of school. A huge accomplishment for him. Not only did he finish his class but he showed gigantic strides of improvement with his speech and communication skills.
Happy 5th Birthday little man. You are an inspiring, happy little little soul. Everyday I truly realize, I am lucky and blessed just to be a part of your life.
On July 20 2020, you will turn 35 Years Old. I’ve compiled some pieces of advice over my years of experiences to help you navigate through life and be true to who you are. Some of these you discovered along the way, some more recently. All of this advice however, is how you truly, authentically and genuinely feel after 35 years of life on this planet…..
~ You are what you do. Not what you say, not what you believe, not how you vote, but what you spend your time on.
~ Be kind to people who are different than you.
~ Life’s never too busy to go for a walk, put on headphones and feel the breeze.
~ You can’t change anyone.
~ Listening is the most important thing you can do in life. If you think someone’s done sharing, always ask yourself: “is there more?”
~ The stars in the sky are the most amazing evidence of God.
~ Be gentle towards animals, they feel pain too.
~ 99.9% of the time in life things are not black-and-white. Life is filled with shades of gray.
~ If you want seconds, wait five minutes and reanalyze. Never get thirds unless you’re eating New Haven pizza.
~ When an object is lost, 95% of the time it is hiding within arm’s reach of where it was last seen. Search in all possible locations in that radius and you’ll find it.
~ Time and reflection are the two most important things in the world.
~ Apologize as quickly, as honestly and as sincerely as possible.
~ There really is no such thing as a dumb question. Odds are someone around you has the same question.
~ Tell the people you love how you feel about them more often than they tell you.
~ Encouraging people will never get old.
~ Thinking differently than others will make you feel alone. But that’s not a reason to conform.
~ The burden of persuading people on political topics or conspiracy theories is too heavy and ultimately not worth it.
~ Be a parent w/ guidelines and rules, but treat your kids with respect.
~ Don’t take things too personal.
~ Keep your phone in your pocket.
~ Spend your attention and energy on people, not things.
~ Learn to appreciate selfless acts and gentle people.
~ Take care of the planet you live on. Your grandkids will live here soon.
~ Documenting will become amazingly valuable. Whether it’s video, pictures, journaling or blog posts. Capturing memories is worth all your time and energy.
~ Be interested, not interesting.
~ Reflecting on your past helps remind you who you are.
~ When Lindsey asks what’s wrong, tell her. She wants to help and cares about you.
~ Personal mental health is priority number one. You can’t be good for anyone in your life if you’re not taking care of yourself.
~ Watching films and listening to music from your childhood will give you tremendous comfort.
~ Sometimes church is going to be difficult to go to, but its always worth it.
~ Social Media and the news will have no profitable value on your life and pull you to the brink of depression.
~ Acquiring things will rarely bring you deep satisfaction. But acquiring experiences will.
~ Don’t be the smartest person in the room. Hangout with, and learn from, people smarter than yourself. Even better, find smart people who will disagree with you.
~ If you find yourself at a funeral be quiet and listen. Nobody talks about the departed’s achievements. The only thing people will remember is what kind of person you were while you were achieving.
~ Live and let live.
And here’s some extra special bonus advice:
~ When life gets heavy, listen to Suitcase Full of Sparks on a breezy, starry night.
A simple yet powerful reminder of how magnificent God’s creation is and unfortunately, how easily we lose sight of that fact.
I am comforted by the thought that ages ago, God created this universe and at any single point in the day, any human could simply look up, observe and enjoy the wonder of space and the magic of its presence. Sure, I’m a self confessed space nerd, but I think normal people feel this way too.
The video puts its best: “Its a great reminder that we should look up more often.”
Lead singer, Tom DeLonge is many things. Nowadays he’s the CEO of To The Stars Media and works hand in hand with former military officials to bring world citizens the UFO news. That’s crazy to even type. But, it’s true. The other side of Delonge is his musician side. He still makes an album once in a while and has glimmers of Tom of old, but nowhere near his hey day of 2006 and Angels and Airwaves debut album ‘We Don’t Need To Whisper.’
When Tom left, he broke blink 182 into two-thirds. The story goes DeLonge wanted to grow as a musician. Which was a very odd claim if you listened to blink’s most recent album up to that point. It was very experimental and easily Delonge’s most mature music to date. But that didn’t stop him from leaving blink-182 and starting an unnamed music project.
Enter me.
I grew up mostly with rap, hip-hop and 80’s music. I know that’s a weird blend, but that’s just what happened. My cousin Mickey really got me into blink-182 during the recording of their final album (Self-Titled). So I was on the front lines following Tom and his adventure when the band broke up. It didn’t take long for rumors to swirl that Tom was working on a solo project and that’s all anyone really knew for a long time. Blink-182 broke up in 2004. Angels and Airwaves first album wouldn’t be released until 2006. In hindsight it’s obvious Tom was working on AVA material before blink broke up, but waiting to hear any news from Tom or an update felt like an eternity.
My fascination with blink came at an interesting time in my life. Blink was known as an immature band, coincidentally I was maturing. I found blink’s music to be honest, upfront and transparent. I was moving on from the stage in my life of trying to impress people with possessions and ego and really clung to the honesty blink was singing about. They weren’t singing about how great they were or how they lifted them selves up against anyone. Quite the opposite. The later blink stuff was about feelings that you wouldn’t necessarily be proud of. Shame, fragility, depression, humility and hurt.
When I heard about Tom and his new project I was immediately excited. I don’t have a musician’s ear, so it was hard to pick out what members of blink were responsible for what aspects of music. But I had a hunch that DeLonge’s style was way more aligned to my likings than anyone else in the band.
The first step of Tom breaking his silence was a few interviews he did with Rolling Stone magazine. This was interesting because Tom was talking about growing his sound and moving to more of a Pink Floyd / U2 style of music. Regardless if Tom would make good on his claims, it was exciting to see the him officially working again. In those times, Tom had a way of creating anticipation unlike anyone I’d ever experienced.
I think it’s important to remember back then we didn’t have Instagram or really Twitter to the extent it’s at now, so getting leaks and accessibility to DeLonge was really difficult. But it also made the news much more worthwhile and exciting when we actually got some updates. Thinking back it felt like a personal relationship with the artist; something more intimate and special. Nowadays it’s sort of feels like you’re sharing the artist with millions of other people and their opinions on the internet.
The first official information we received about Angels & Airwaves was the band members. All unknowns for the most part, the band was built with Dave Kennedy as secondary guitarist, Ryan Sinn, the bassist and Atom Willard who was a known drummer from many bands in the punk rock scene. I remember getting excited about learning about these people and wanting to dive deeper into each of their lives but the internet wasn’t built that way back then. So I kind of had to take all of them for face value. Except David Kennedy, he played with Tom in Boxcar Racer so I was familiar with him.
The first real music we heard was a complete, seemingly accidental, leak of the song ‘The Adventure’. The story goes that a fan hacked into Tom’s personal email and then ripped this unfinished version of the song (gasps and all) and uploaded to the masses.
I’ll never forget the emotions I felt when I heard ‘The Adventure’ initially. I was alone in my room late at night. My laptop at the time was a Dell XPS. It had a really bright neon blue strip of light in front of the mouse pad, which seemed fitting – a mood setter. I must’ve listened to that leak of ‘The Adventure’ over 100 times that night. That’s not an exaggeration.
It was the first time I ever felt like I was flying listening to music. Also a reflection on Tom himself, like a man who went into exile and then finally made good on his promise of truly creating one of the best songs that ever existed. There were soaring guitars, melodic overtures, uplifting tones and beautiful lyrics that really painted Tom’s journey perfectly. This wasn’t your blink 182 Tom Delonge. This was a redeemed Tom Delonge: in many ways, a vindicated Tom Delonge.
I also remember feeling if The Adventure was this good, how much better could the rest of the album be? The internet was abuzz and taking notice. Rightfully so.
Unfortunately, Delonge let a lot of stuff go to his head and his claims started getting more and more outrageous by comparing WDNTW to ‘The Joshua Tree‘ or ‘Darkside of the Moon‘. Anyone on level ground could probably tell you he wasn’t going to make good on these claims, but I promise after The Adventure leak, a small loyal following was holding out hope. Later, in a documentary titled ‘Start the Machine’ (excellent watch by the way), Tom admitted that a lot of the claims he made were due to his addiction to pain medication and his reality distortion field was out of whack. I believe some of that, but I honestly think Delonge is the type of person who believes in what he does and at the time felt extremely strong about the work he was putting out.
A few months later, Angels & Airwaves starting going on tour. The album subsequently got slowly leaked and we went from static versions to somewhat OK quality of songs to very finalized versions of the songs. It really was a journey. Looking back, I can’t remember anything else in life that I was so closely glued to for updates and leaks because the end result was so positive and purposeful. Every little leak was a celebration. Every tiny song clip would be analyzed and commented on endlessly.
What made things even more special for me was this album in so many ways brought me closer to my two cousins, Mike and Mickey. They are huge music fans and both musicians, respectfully. My background is mostly a film person. In that sense I always felt alone because no one shared the love of that craft with me, or at least to the extent that I admired it. But being invited into the music world with my cousins was really special for me. I got to learn aspects of their lives that I truly cherished and we became so much closer as friends just because of a music album we all collectively admired.
Another unforeseen benefit of ‘We Don’t Need To Whisper’ was a growing relationship with my friend Jeremy. At the time, Jeremy and I had a met a few years prior. We both came from very different upbringings and backgrounds. We connected initially over cutting hair, but I really believe Angels and Airwaves solidified our pact as genuine friends. We traveled together listening to AVA, we trained listening to AVA. I mean, we experienced life together listening to WDNTW. Agreeing on Angels and Airwaves and experiencing their music together really bridged two very different people. Again, just from a music album, a true friendship grew stronger and deeper.
Speaking from a broader perspective, I don’t care who you are or what you’re interested in. If you like rock music or you don’t. Looking into Angels and Airwaves initial album, anyone could be inspired. Each and every person has lived Tom’s story in one way or another. We’ve all had the decision to make – to feel stuck and content just cruising along in our realm of comfort or take the risk in uncertaintiny. Tom’s journey was an age old quest: see what you’re capable of. Just once in your life, challenge yourself to the change the world.
The truth is Tom Delonge and the Angels and Airwaves origin story propelled me and gave myself the confidence to make one of the biggest decisions in my life: believing in myself enough to make my own movie from scratch. It’s hard to estimate how much inspiration was driven from Delonge, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I started writing the script for my film six months after ‘We Don’t Need to Whisper’ was released.
From visiting Tom’sAngels.com, to checking for leaks, to actually going to shows with my best friend Jeremy and my cousins Mike and Mickey, to actually getting to meet Tom and Angels and Airwaves in Times Square, there are so many amazing events that happened revolving around this album. I’m shocked it took me this long to write about it. I still listen to WDNTW on a regular basis and it never ceases to amaze me how these notes of music bring me back to a direct time and moment in my life.
Angels and Airwaves shaped me a lot as a person, and I don’t mean I wanted to become a rockstar. Tom and AVA’s movement really put me in touch with a feeling and emotion that I’ve always had, always felt and never really knew how to get in touch with. From the lyrics of the songs to the melody of the music, the inspiring messages, or just the plain artistry of the obvious hard work that went into making the album, experiencing We Don’t Need to Whisper really put me in touch with a part of myself that still holds true to this day. It’s a genuine voice I feel inside. A voice of hope, inspiration, and love.
I’m so thankful to have been able to experience Angels and Airwaves and the process of WDNTW coming to life. I guess everyone has things in their life that shape or influence them greatly. ‘We Don’t Need to Whisper’ is at the very top of my “influential works of art” list that helped me grow and see the true potential of myself in the world.
There’s a problem when addiction and habit get in the way of your mental health. Nothing shoves me off my axis more easily than social media. Today’s looming issue is the majority of people (including myself) have a difficult time balancing screen usage and personal well being.
I’ve spoken about Matt D’Avalla countless times now. His channel is a must for anyone looking for ideas to improve their life or just plain get motivated to rethink personal workflows. Matt’s latest video really hits the nail on the head regarding screen / life balance. What worked for him and what he’s sticking with.
Matt also talks a little on mental health. How he feels leaps and bounds better after limiting social media:
My favorite change since I slowed down my time on social media; I compare myself to other’s much less often. I stopped feeling that I’m not as good as other people. No matter where you’re at in life it’s difficult not to have these kind of thoughts. I’ve found that this constant scrolling only helps to support them. On and on the voice goes; making comparisons and accusations.
Yes, there are ways to lower this voice, through meditation. But, I find that not feeding it to begin with helps the most. So, I don’t.
I can echo what Matt is saying here. To simply excuse or remove yourself from negative triggers in your life is extremely effective. Difficult at first, but effective.
Give his video a watch. It’s well worth your 8 minutes.
ddileo 