March, 2016 | David M Masters

I grew up around music and was constantly singing to the radio or vinyl recordings as a youngster. From 1974 to 1994 I was chronicling my life’s journey in song. I started playing professionally in nightclubs at a very early age. Overhearing instructions by the nightclub owners, “You can only play songs that are BMI licensed,” and seeing musicians being sued over music rights in the news put the fear of the music industry in me.

So, I thought the only way not to get sued for playing music, was to write my own songs (originally fear-based songwriting). As I embraced the process, these songs became my musical scrapbook, the soundtrack for the stories spanning twenty years of my life.

I always knew – even as a young child – that I had a message and a mission, and though it has taken many forms along the way, I have stayed active and true to my life’s calling; and sometimes my message is sung. I never claimed to be a proficient singer or songwriter, only a man with a message burning inside, aching to get out in any way possible and I didn’t let my ability (or lack of ability) keep me from singing my song.

You came to this planet with a song to sing. What is your message, your song? Your message/song is unique to you. No one can tell you what song you should sing because it is your song, and your song alone.

Managerial structures that govern the publicly accepted views revered by our earth’s inhabitants would like you to think it is okay to sing a song, as long as it isn’t too radical or upsets the status quo. Plus, just like anything else, only individuals “qualified” should participate in such activities.

This underlying philosophy will keep most of the individual song-singers in check and when you’re trying to find or sing your song, you may start to interrupt yourself due to doubt propagated by the idea that

I’m not good enough
I’m not educated enough
I’m not strong enough
I’m not qualified enough
I’m not a good singer
I’m not from a musical family
I’m afraid to sing in front of people

And any other barrage of self-doubt and excuses to keep you from singing your song. If you don’t sing, they win; your message is stifled, your candle light is snuffed out and the community at large suffers.

Believe me, there is someone who needs to hear your song. I have countless stories of people who were moved by particular songs that I’ve written and/or performed… some have truly amazed me. Because even though I wrote a song with a specific subject matter or purpose, the listener was moved in an impactful manner; and when they explain to me how the song spoke to them, I can’t even imagine how they could have interpreted the subject in such a way.

Obedient sharing will bless others in ways you could never expect

It’s like being obedient to sharing your message, will bless others in ways you could never expect.

If someone is drawn to you, they may need to hear your song… If you are singing, the universe will bring people to you to hear your song. It may be only one person, a small group of folks or thousands of people; it doesn’t matter.

What matters is that you sing your song. So sing.

The world is in disrepair, the United States is in shambles… If you don’t believe me, turn on the TV and it won’t be long, you will see that our nation and the world are sliding down a slippery slope.

How did we get into this desperate cycle of degradation? I mean, here we are on the epicenter of technological advancement; it wasn’t long ago (only several generations) that there were no toothbrushes, electricity, cars, toasters, telephones, radios, televisions, let alone computers or the Internet.

It wasn’t until the 1600’s that the printing press allowed information to be controlled, doled out to the general population and used as a means to persuade collective groups of people to embrace particular types of thought. Following the 200 years of the printing press’s dominion, the propaganda strings became stronger and swifter with the introduction of better methods of communication, like the telephone, radio and television; let alone more recent technologies including the personal computer and the Internet, leading to present-day communication technologies.

And still, with all this technology that we currently hold in our hands, the world remains in a state of decline?

Things will go on as they are as long as the majority of our populace is made up of puppets manipulated by puppeteers; the one’s that consume and those who control the media.

Oh, sure, we hear rumors of people willing to “make a stand.” Only to find their efforts are fruitless, as they are silenced. The boisterous rebels willing to publicly draw a line in the sand and attempt to influence the masses, whose messages fade away as they disappear, are murdered or die of natural causes.

The only way to change the world is one person at a time, from the inside out, and it starts, here and now with me. I am the problem. I am what stands between the world as it is today and the brighter future for tomorrow.

What can I do to change who I am?

I can turn off the TV. I can reject fear and find ways to love more deeply and passionately, embrace my personal power and a more intimate connection to the source of all that is and ever will be. I can conduct my affairs with integrity, have compassion for all peoples of all nations; including those within the boundaries of the nation where I reside who see things differently than me.

My power of influence will be focused on myself and who I am; not in an effort to convert or persuade anyone to accept my unique and individual point of view on these or any other matters. I will gently and humbly share my ideas, only when prompted; and when questioned I will respect the perspective of my audience, only disseminating that which the hearer may hear in a manner that will have the best likelihood of being understood.

I will allow everyone to go it alone, to find their own way at their own pace and celebrate their right to do so because, after all, aren’t we all just doing the best we can with what we have? I know I am.

And as I focus on me and who I am, there is the possibility that someone, somewhere else is turning their attention inward in a similar manner. I believe that as the number of these empowered individuals becomes more enlightened, as their consciousness is raised, it will clear the airspace for other individuals to begin to think for themselves.

This continued individual growth of consciousness grows exponentially as the number of enlightened increases forming a collective consciousness. Once national consciousness is raised to critical mass, then we will see change; not until then.

One man cannot conduct a battle against the world, but I can fight the battle for who I am. This I can do, for this is who I am.

Consider opening your heart to who you are to be a part of this change.