Need some light?
Recently I was flying to a conference several states away. As the flight attendant was going through the typical pre-flight announcements, I admit I wasn’t closely listening. I mean, we’ve heard the same “buckle your seatbelts, your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device, look for the nearest exit” speech for years every time we fly. But this flight attendant said something in a way I’ve never heard it before, and it grabbed my attention.
“In preparation for takeoff, the pilot will turn off all the cabin lights. [This was a 10pm flight.] If you find that you need some light, look above your head and push the button with the picture of the lightbulb.”
Maybe it was the humorous tone in her voice as she said that, or maybe it’s just been a long time since I flew on a late night flight and heard this particular announcement. Whatever the reason– it really struck me in that moment.
How many times in life do we feel lost, confused, aimlessly wandering, in the dark? How many times do we ask ourselves, “what am I doing here? how did I get to this place? what do I do now?!” Wouldn’t it be nice, in those difficult times, to be able to simply reach above our heads and push the lightbulb button?
So where’s the lightbulb button?
As I was sitting there in my airplane seat pondering this thought, it occurred to me that we have many ways in which to ‘shed light’ on our problems.
- Call a trusted friend and ask for their input.
- Meditate or pray about it.
- Consult a spiritual advisor.
- Read a self-help book that pertains to the issue.
- Get some exercise. (Sometimes physical activity jumpstarts the thinking process.)
- Seek out professional mental health therapy.
No, none of the above suggestions is nearly as easy as pushing the lightbulb button. But they can help our mental health all the same! You don’t have to live in the dark! There are options.
If you can relate to feeling ‘in the dark’ and wonder how music therapy might help, feel free to contact me. I’m always happy to answer questions!
