The Power of Music
How Dealing with a Bully Led Me to Writing this Song
Does facing a bully make you stronger?
I remember encountering bullies when I was a kid. Even when I was not their intended target, I noticed how they would inflict themselves on others.
If you stop to think about it, a bully comes in different shapes and forms.
It is not always the thuggish personality who threatens to beat you up for your lunch money. The physical threat is also laced with psychological attacks. The endgame for them is to get into your head.
And like a game of minds, each attack needs to be countered with a move.
Too bad we don’t approach bullies like a game of chess.
I quickly learned some of the personality traits of a typical, garden variety bully.
- They are comfortable with dispensing
- abuse
- manipulation,
- humiliation,
- domination.
- They display narcissistic tendencies.
- Their attempts to exert power may mean they too feel a sense of overcoming powerless.
Fast forward, bullying even happens to adults.
There must be 50 ways of dealing with a bully. At least 10 of them are illegal. They call this the 20% rule of thumb.
That means there are at least 40 legal ways of dealing with a bully.
Step One: To get them out of your head, you need a positive mindset.
Step Two: You need to find creative ways to eliminate the stress they are imposing on your daily Zen.
I never intended to enter Step Two so quickly. It happened almost organically. A poem took shape in my head. Almost in the form of a folk song.
I found myself singing the song in the shower before getting dressed for work. I start to hum the catchy tune in the elevator before I hit my floor at the job.
Here’s the song. A musician friend JR was instrumental in helping flesh it out with me.
For me, I would say there is serenity in the power of words and music. Screw the bullies, after you knock them down like a house of cards.
Thanks to the editors of Reciprocal publication for such an engaging space on the Medium writing platform.
Here are two pieces that hit home for me:
Inspiration for dealing with bouts of writer’s block, I found valid tips in this piece by Sahil Patel —
I always feel inspired and restored by walking in nature and totally loved reading about its benefits and enjoying beautiful photographs here in this piece by B.R. Shenoy —
grace notes: Thank you for taking half a minute to listen to my little song.
© Connie Song 2022. All Rights Reserved.
