It’s not often I tap into my softer, more emotional side while at the gym. (Except for when I push it too hard and cause tears of pain!) But on this occasion I was unexpectedly moved, becoming tearful, and I found myself thinking about emotions and mental focus. Now you may be wondering where I’m going with this, so stick with me and allow me to set the scene.
Last week, I was working out in the gym using the calf raise machine. I have a long-standing Achilles tendon injury and I’m in rehab. So I was using the machine, up and down, up and down, over and over again.
At which point the music video for Over and Over Again by Nathan Sykes (formerly of the British boy band The Wanted) appeared on the TV screens. I had never heard this song before and was captivated.
Cue Nathan Sykes at a grand piano under an old tree with hanging lights. The video tells the story of a young man who catches sight of a young woman and can’t take his eyes off her. They smile, he finds her again and gets down on one knee to get her attention. Romantic scenes flash by – they go to the cinema, row a boat on a river, he proposes, they buy their first house, have their first child. A perfect love story.
“Always be true”
But this is not all to the song.
The video tells two unfolding stories simultaneously, each in a different time. The first story is of two people who meet, fall in love, go through life. The second is of a lady, decades in the future, thinking back over these moments in her life while she paints. As the video unfolds, her expression becomes more intense. As the couple’s life draws on, she becomes more and more pained, more sad, until tears are streaming down her face.
“It will stay brand new” – SPOILER ALERT
It’s unclear why she cries, until the scene cuts to her tending a grave. This is evocative storytelling. The words and video are truly beautiful. Even this isn’t all to the song. At the very end of the video, the old lady doing the painting leans slightly, slumps in her chair and drops her paintbrush on the floor.
Drops her paintbrush on the floor.
We now realise that the lady has spent her last minutes smiling, crying, re-living over and over again.
How sad that life comes to an end. But how beautiful, the life she lived!
“We’ll never forget this moment”
This got me thinking: In the story, the older lady sees the deeper, richer and more beautiful value of living life, and yet the young couple experience lots of energy and happiness as they live things for the first time together. Yes, she was no longer in the moment of the first flush of love, the first kiss, the first house, the first child – she was decades removed from these vivid experiences. But the older lady has perspective.
What if we could achieve such insight about our lives at the same time as we lived them? What if we could step momentarily, imaginatively into the future and enjoy the benefit of hindsight to relish the victories, feel the trials, and know that we are valuable?
I believe we can. I believe you can. This wonderful love song by Nathan Sykes inspired me as I stepped off the calf raise machine, eyes moist. The energy found in meeting someone special, falling in love, and making memories while building life together is powerful. Using imagination and visioning (see below), you can unleash this power, using emotions to drive you towards your goals in life.
What next?
Struggling with a decision? Or to focus? Consider this question first (and don’t let it become overwhelming!): What is my purpose? Below you will find some simple ways to do this:
- Write the eulogy for your funeral
- Imagine you walk past a cafe in 10 years time and overhear some friends talking about what you have done and who you are. What are they saying? What are they not saying? (Change the timescale to suit)
- Write a letter from your 70-year old self to yourself, giving advice to you today. (If you are 65 or more already, add 10-20 years to your age; whatever you feel appropriate!)
When you pass away, what – out of your work and play – will “stay brand new”, will endure?
Want to develop a razor sharp focus to achieve your goals? My free infographic is packed full of practical strategies you can start using today. Power up a positive mindset by using your mind, body, emotions and intentions. Sign-up below and I will send you my FREE infographic, “How to grow your mindset (in a positive way).”
Great piece Nick and I loved the video! It is so very true that there is huge benefit to be gained from a “present/future” perspective and the impact it can have. Keep it coming!