And Its Alright, In Fact, Its A Gas

"I was drowned, I was washed up and left for dead. I fell down to my feet and I saw they bled. I frowned at the crumbs of a crust of bread. Yeah, yeah, yeah I was crowned with a spike right thru my head. But its all right now, in fact, its a gas! But its all right, Im jumpin jack flash, Its a gas! gas! gas!" - Rolling Stones "Jumpin Jack Flash"

From the good to the very bad, the lore of how this song came about only adds to the greatness of it. But how does one take a song like "Jumpin Jack Flash" and spin it into something about attitude?

Well hang on folks, first listen to the song and then we'll talk.



As I have always understood it, when the song was released in 1968, Mick Jagger's comment was "...it was the most basic thing we ever did." But much later in another interview he said "...it’s a metaphor for getting out of all the acid things."

Being older and having listened to this song hundreds of times, I never interpreted it with the demonic or drug use labels others have given it.

This song for me has always been about overcoming circumstances.

We each get dealt a life that many times we didn't ask for. Sure, our behaviors can place us in situations that create lousy circumstances. Those circumstances build up inside like a bad chili on a warm day. You feel rotten, it brings you down and destroys anything positive you may have.

How we choose to react to those circumstances dictates whether we remain firmly defeated or pull out of them. You need to begin the process of creating an ARC (ACCEPT, REMOVE and CHANGE) to something better in life.

An arc is shaped like a curve or arch, which in certain terms means getting over something. Think arc of a bridge you build to a better life.

ACCEPT - Accept and acknowledge circumstance; understand the circumstance and accept it.
REMOVE - Remove any idea from your mind that circumstance is permanent or unchangeable.
CHANGE - Change negative things in life; movement creates change which changes circumstance.

Keep remembering, "I was drowned, I was washed up and left for dead", but I was determined to do more with my life.

And "...its all right now, in fact, its a gas!"

Stay inspired my friends!

Contentment Right Here

"It's alright. Wherever you are right now, I tell you it's alright. That's where you're supposed to be now." -311

Soon I will have the annual celebration each of us have, which is a birthday. That ritual we perform to mark the successful completion of another year in this great life. It will be different this time around as my mother will not be here this time. She passed away last October from Pancreatic Cancer and each of us miss her. My sister passed away back in the late 1980s and there are those days in which I would love to have her here.

But my faith in God and understanding of life in general gives me contentment. Where I am in life right now, "it's alright." I don't share the passing of my mother to garner sympathy, but to note that each of us have our pain and joys in life. Not having loved ones to share this day with me can be sad, but I'll choose to have the memory of them with me. Joy will fill my heart in knowing "it's alright."

The picture you see is of my mother and sister many years ago. It is a picture that I found somewhat interesting in that you can see others in the mirror. Those people are my father and a couple of siblings. But why so interesting? It is as if I am getting a glimpse of them together from the other side. And those in the living mirror are what my mother and sister get to watch everyday.

It gives me that contentment I spoke about, that I'm right where I'm supposed to be. That it is alright both for me and for them. It makes me believe that if you can realize this contentment, your own life will be much better. It will allow you to feel the joy that life really is meant to be.

Find your joy in this life. Know that "it's alright" and experience that joy.
_