Plain White T's - Rhythm of Love (T. Lopez) ~ Erwin Lazaro 154

I haven’t spent much time on lazarolivingdream.com since February 2013. I have been preparing materials for the website, but I haven’t had the opportunity to work on any of it beyond taking photos and planning.  My daily life has required most of my attention and I’ve been writing in the wee hours to avoid writer’s apathy.  I know I’m in a zone when I shove aside my chair and type at the computer on my knees. In my penitent posture I follow the humble inspiration that beseeches me while my family sleeps.  I have to capitalize on my inspiration otherwise I’d never move forward.  My thoughts would lay dormant in my mind if I took the easy way out.  That is unacceptable.  Add the fact that I miss writing my weekly blogs and this all means I have to pursue my passions.  After all, I am an expressively passionate man and I’m glad to be writing a blog once again.  I do hope interest still waits in earnest for my ramblings!  I will always have endless musings to share.  This particularly long overdue blog is a celebration for the inspiration behind my smiles of late.

I’ve been smiling with great fondness for the precious times in my life and all of the smiling is due to the precious people surrounding me.  My family celebrates oodles of birthdays during the months of March and April.  Thus far, in 2013, I’ve spent a wonderful amount of quality time with family and friends, some planned, some coincidental, definitely much more than I have since living with my mom, my dad, and my sister (when I was a wee lad).  That was many years ago.  Smiling because of the people surrounding me must mean I truly enjoy my family and friends! =) In fact, I recently passed a mirror and noticed my big “ear to ear” grin.  I had to do a double take, stop, and verify that that was really me staring back with that goofy grin.  I nodded my head and “verified the verification” (RDA reference)!  That silly grin helped inspire this blog too!  As referenced earlier, when I’m inspired, I have to go for it!  And, I love sharing happiness.  The more happiness is shared, the better!

Smiling is therapeutic and no fees are involved!  That should be enough incentive for just about everybody, except for Mr. Scrooge, maybe.  But, in the end, even his stone cold heart thawed and his frown turned upside down!  Yes, I am gushing about smiling and happiness!  Consider this a friendly reminder while witnessing tragic news feeds around our world and moving through the redundancies of daily activities and routines.  Counting blessings and giving thanks for those blessings should be a part of every daily life.  I am grateful and I am identifying my blessings on a daily basis.  Smiling is on that list of items.  Check!

Too often I pass by strangers in public and witness scowls all over the place, even greasy imprints on storefront windows, would you believe?  Even so, every once in a while I see a glow in the distance.  I become attracted to its radiance and have to find out what it’s all about.  Low and behold it’s a person smiling a radiant smile!  I’ve written about this before.  It is always just cause to accentuate the positive.  Witnessing a smile automatically puts a smile on my own face.  It is contagious.  I just wished that more people would smile, not because they have to do so, but because they want to do so.

I understand that so many people are continuing to face adverse conditions, but life is tenacious.  Under the most adverse conditions, life finds a way to survive.  With that being the case, hope is also in order and life is about more than just surviving.  Hope inspires and inspiration opens the doors to growth and potential happiness.  Growth hopefully inspires appreciation for overcoming obstacles by giving thanks for the blessings of life.  Appreciation is the beginning of happiness.  I give thanks and I smile.  I’m inspired by my precious family and friends.  Every experience contributes valuable wisdom for future reference and I’m taking careful notes.  Occasionally, that means I have to remind myself of the priorities in my life.  Most importantly, my wife and my children are my greatest priorities, as it should be.  After all, time moves forward and every moment is precious.  And, my most valuable memories are created with my wife and my children.  And thus, even though I have every intention to work on important projects like my family website, I have greater priorities that need my care even more.  When I finally sleep, I give thanks and smile, ever grateful for the many, many blessings in my life.

Though, “Rhythm of Love” by the Plain White T’s is more about a
passionate encounter almost sung in a whisper, I love the upbeat, optimistic flow of the music and I sing it in such a manner, interpreting the music in my own personal way. The music inspires me to smile, not because I have to smile, but because I want to smile. =)

From Wikipedia:
"Rhythm of Love" is a single by the Plain White T's.  It is the first single from their sixth studio album Wonders of the Younger.  The song debuted at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The song was featured in a fall 2010 promo for the season two premiere of Parenthood on NBC, and also during the closing credits of No Strings Attached (film).  As of April 2011, the single has sold over 1,000,000 copies.