THANK U an inspirational song by Alanis Morissette

I would encourage you to listen to the Alanis Morissette’s song entitled, Thank U. It can be found on YouTube. Its message is inspirational. Even though I’d heard this song several times, it wasn’t till I was working on the challenge of accommodating and learning from the difficult situations in our lives, that I looked up the lyrics and found that this song packed a punch. It takes us on an excursion through a life that is not working to a place of clarity. See what you think.

How bout getting off of these antibiotics

How bout stopping eating when I’m full up

How bout them transparent dangling carrots

How about that ever elusive “could have”

Thank you India

Thank you terror

Thank you disillusionment

Thank you frailty

Thank you consequence

Thank you silence

How bout me not blaming you for everything

How bout me enjoying the moment for once

How bout how good it feels to finally forgive you

How bout grieving it all one at a time

Thank you India

Thank you terror

Thank you disillusionment

Thank you frailty Thank you consequence

Thank you silence

The moment I let go of it

Was the moment I got more than I could handle

The moment I jumped off of it

Was the moment I touched down

How about no longer being masochistic

How bout remembering your divinity

How about unabashedly bawling your eyes out

How about not equating death with stopping

Thank you India

Thank you Providence

Thank you disillusionment

Thank you nothingness

Thank you clarity

Thank you silence….

Well? What do you think? Whilst we may all differ in our interpretation of the lyrics, I suggest that Alanis is acknowledging the trials  and challenges that transformed her life. She describes where she found herself (” over-eating, chasing the elusive ‘could haves’, and being seduced by the ‘transparent dangling carrots’) mired in the trappings of a materialistic world….one that was not working anymore.

It seems unusual that Alanis gives thanks for India (not sure about this one) terror, disillusionment, frailty, consequence and silence. These experiences are not the usual ones we hear anyone giving thanks for. So, why does Alanis? I suggest that she credits the so called ‘bad’ experiences for bringing her clarity and personal freedom.The lyrics suggest that there is a  need to give up on blaming and masochism and on feeling as though we would die if we were to change the way we operate. Going against the grain is an uncomfortable feeling because our conditioning tells us that we risk being isolated, risk being different.

Grappling with the feelings of isolation requires courage because instinctively we anticipate the ‘nothingness’ this must surely entail. Nothingness does not seem like a good place to be yet Alanis credits it with progress and personal growth. Giving up our ‘stuff’ is difficult, as a general rule, because it is so familiar. It may be an odd thing to say but our ‘stuff’ lies within our comfort zone. We are used to it. We know how it works. Often, we identify with it. However, when we give up on all that ‘stuff’ we hold so dear, that ‘stuff’ that causes us pain, we do arrive at nothingness and then we have clarity. Alanis sings, ” The moment I let go of it ……..was the moment I touched down.” We are able to see what is important and we are able to choose differently.

There are times when we look at people in the public eye such as singers and see the fame and adulation and imagine that those people lead lives that are enviable but in this song Alanis reveals that working through ‘stuff’ is common to all of us.

I would encourage you to listen to her song, Thank U, on YouTube.

Be kind to yourself