There’s No Other Way by Blur

Photo by Pineapple Supply Co. on Unsplash

When was life meant to stop being fun? It’s not that everything we do has to supply us with a sense of amusement or entertainment, but fun is an important part of living a life in which we thrive. There’s also something of an attitudinal aspect to this. Like when something we have always done for fun becomes just another chore. This week’s song There’s No Other Way by Blur exclaims:

You’re taking the fun out of everything.

Perhaps this is something that you’ve found in your life too? Either circumstances or people seem to transform something you’ve always enjoyed into something of a task that just needs to be completed so you can get on with the rest of life. In my experience, anxiety and depression can certainly make you feel like this; that life is just a treadmill to walk rather than an expedition to enjoy.

One of the things I really like lyrically about this Blur song is that it reintroduces the concept of mystery to life and our enjoyment of it as an antidote to rigid structure:

You’re making me run, when I don’t want to think … You’re making it clear, when I don’t want to think.

Thinking through things, planning and being logical certainly has its place in life. Yet, there are some things which logic and sensibility simply can’t do for us. Fun is one of those things, as is love. It strikes me that these lyrics encourage us to pause and question; where are we heading, why and what’s the rush? Why not take the time to choose to enjoy our experiences rather than simply proceed through them? The danger is that in overly planning a life we end up not living it and enjoying the amazing things that constantly go on around us. The song encourages us to wait, observe and refocus our priorities:

There’s no other way. All that you can do is watch them play.

It’s not that we buy into the idea that; I don’t want to think at all. But it is that we don’t need to have the content and direction of our life simply dictated by some form of logical masterplan which doesn’t take account of the beautiful nuances of life, or the direction of others; You’re taking me up, when I don’t want to go up anymore.

So, this weekend, why not take some time to rediscover the fun in life by making a commitment to spend some time just watching it all.

Need some rediscovering the fun in life? Why not consider booking an appointment with the author, Dr Dave Wood?

Taken from the album: