Today, August 24th, is a noteworthy day on the calendar.
Here in the United States, it’s National Waffle Day! Woo-hoo — break out the waffle iron!
More significantly, it’s Independence Day in Ukraine, a day I hope Ukranians will continue to celebrate for many years to come.
On this date in 1944, Paris was liberated from German occupation by Allied forces and the French Resistance—a cause for celebration and a source of inspiration because, at the rate things are going, “Vivre libre ou mourir” may replace “Taxation Without Representation” as Washington D.C.’s motto!
Today is also the anniversary of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, but not of “Live at Pompeii.” That doesn’t come until October.
Which brings us to today’s most noteworthy designation: today is International Strange Music Day.
No joke. Created by a New York City musician and composer (mostly to promote his own music—trust me: you’ve never heard of him), International Strange Music Day is a day to switch up our playlists to something unusual, broaden our musical horizons, and embrace the diversity of music.
These days, I consider embracing any kind of diversity an act of resistance, but strange music has always been my cup of tea.
When I was a young man, I thought it would be my vocation.
Just about the time I turned 18, I ditched the idea of becoming an artist and dedicated myself to pursuing a career as a drummer in a psychedelic rock band, a project that quickly morphed into playing electronically processed gongs, shakers, and whatnot as a member of an analog synthesizer and tape loop ensemble.
It was weird. It was fun. And it had absolutely no commercial potential whatsoever.
Which was an early indication that I didn’t have much aptitude when it came to making money.
In fact, none of the things I was good at or interested in had anything to do with making money. I didn’t give a whole lot of thought to how I could turn my natural aptitudes and inclinations into a way to earn a living.
Or if I did, then I just wasn’t very good at that kind of thinking.
Which totally didn’t matter 3 years later, when I moved into a yoga ashram and became a brahmachari—something between a full-time student and a monk.
It was during my time in the ashram that I learned about the idea of “essential natures” and that we all have not one but two essential natures.
An “essential nature” is the definitive inner reality that makes someone or something who or what they are. On one level, we have an individual essential nature that’s specific to this life: the core characteristics that make us who and what we are.
On another level, there are changeless spiritual characteristics that we always have and that all of us share: the essential nature of all beings everywhere all the time.
One of the most important things I learned in the ashram is that harmonizing our essential temporary material nature with our essential eternal spiritual nature is the secret to living a truly integrated and satisfying life.
This is the secret to living our yoga full-time, as opposed to carving time out of our busy lives to practice.
For most of us, the path of yoga takes us through the world, not away from it. Even if we spend some time in a yoga ashram, very few of us will stay there forever. I didn’t.
And the truth is that, back then, I didn’t really understand what my natural aptitudes and inclinations were. But once I did, things started to fall into place.
I even figured out how to earn a living in a way that’s aligned with my nature.
And it’s a good thing I did because, one way or another, we all act in accordance with our natures, so we might as well figure out what they are and how to make them work for us.
I like strange music. And waffles. So today’s a great day for me.
Living in harmony with your true nature, materially and spiritually, is the key to making every day great.
Wishing you all good fortune,
– Hari-k