November 16 – Bring Harmony
“That where there is discord, I may bring harmony. (Today)” — Prayer of Saint Francis
One of the best examples of a band that really nailed this harmony thing was The Beatles—John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The final versions of their songs sound so polished, like everyone just knew their part. Sometimes it was Paul’s turn to lead, sometimes John, sometimes George got a shot, and every now and then Ringo stepped up to the mic. At no point did they seem to compete in the music itself—the finished product was harmony. Beautiful melodies that carry me away while the record spins.
I can’t forget that I can be an extreme example of self-centered behavior. I’d prefer to be the lead singer all the time. In meetings, people bring a lot of problems—and I watch what old experience takes the lead. Sometimes I get to be the bass player, steady and simple, holding the tone of strength. Other times, I keep the beat with the drum of hope.
Nothing knocks me out of harmony with the world faster than my opinion, telling someone else what to do or how they should live their life. It's easy for me to forget that everyone’s got their own instrument, their own rhythm, their own timing. My job is to start bringing a steady beat when things seem chaotic—something soft enough that others can find their way back to the song if they want to. That’s real harmony.
Harmony can be a tricky thing, but practice in the meetings makes me a better player. I don’t always get to sing lead, but I can still be part of the song. When I play my part instead of trying to control the whole band, life sounds a lot more like music and less like noise.
When was the last time you let someone else take the lead so harmony could happen?
