Carve Out Your Niche & Build a Stairway to Heaven

Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.

  ~Ludwig van Beethoven

My First Encounter with Stairway to Heaven

I was a high school student in 1971 when the song Stairway to Heaven came out. Since today is the 40th anniversary of its release, I was reflecting on this song that so intrigued me then, and still fascinates me today.

The opening lyrics to the song (see below)  made me ponder the idea that there was much more to life than what we actually perceived. The lyrics only gave veiled glimpses and hints about what was actually transpiring behind the scenes of life, but that only made it more interesting. Those glimpses seemed couched in truth, and rang true with deep thoughts in my own mind that we only perceive a small slice of what is actually going on in life.

A Warning?

I didn't realize it at the time, but in what may be an ominous warning for the 2012 presidential candidates, the anagram of "Stairway to Heaven" is "whiners vote."

Stairway to Heaven Today

Now, 40 years later (as an older, wiser, more perceptive person - okay, at least older), I still believe that much of life still goes unperceived. As I mention in my book Carve Out Your Niche, I believe that what people see of us, our appearance, our disposition, and our thoughts, are only scratching the surface of who we really are. Deeper down in our spirit we are much more.

When we listen to that still, small voice, and follow where it leads, we realize that there are great snow-capped mountains in the distance calling for us to climb, and great journeys that we must undertake. We aspire to much more than before it dawned on us the depth of who we really are.

If you are going to build a Stairway to Heaven, start early, it could be a long and thrilling adventure.

Rock on!

The opening lyrics of Stairway to Heaven:

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying the stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying the stairway to heaven.

There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.

* * *

Upcoming Radio Interviews

to discuss "Carve Out Your Niche"

November 18th, 8:05 am, with Cheryl Harle, 1230 AM, www.kcup.net, Newport, OR



Week of Nov 21st, date & time to be announced, with Gary Sutton, 910 AM WSBA, York, PA

November 23rd, 8:30 am, with Dave Gillian, KRSN 1490 AM, Los Alamos, NM