29 Dec 18: Legend - Chronixx

Song: Legend

Artist: Chronixx

Album (Year): Chronology (2017)

Notable Lyric: "I am a lion but you never heard me roar"

For the last year and a bit I’ve been living in London. The buzzing metropolis. The “Big Smoke”. The place where you will meet someone from every country and the place where you can find almost anything you’re looking for. You don’t really have an excuse to be bored in this city because there is always something to do! A pop-up Cambodian food stall in Hackney, a concert of a niche Lithuanian DJ in Harlesden, sporting events, art classes and so on. Exciting, isn’t it? But also incredibly exhausting.

You easily get overwhelmed with the abundance of choice. Be warned if you’ve got a friend visiting town or even going for drinks then picking the right place can turn into an unnecessary ordeal. You know the one that has a door behind the bins with no handle, the “cheese tea” is finest in the land, but most importantly the £15 cocktails are served out of poorly designed vase (but it was found in a recycling bin in Westminster so it’s “edgy”. Everyone on Instagram is raving about it so it must be another long-lasting fad).

However, I'm cautious to not turn this post into a public complaint about having too many options. "Oh the trials and tribulations of living in a first-world country with a full-time job and a social life" - the nerve to complain. It's more about not being swept away in the expectation of what you should be doing or what you may be missing out on.

The message that I’ve taken in this song role of just being comfortable with yourself, not doing things simply for attention or validation, and being unapologetic about the things you like to do. You don’t always need to be out there trying to change the world or advocating for whatever the internet in uproar about this month. It reminds me of a lyric from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' song, Growing Up, with Ed Sheeran:

"Don't try to change the world, find something that you love,

And do it every day. Do that for the rest of your life,

And eventually, the world will change"

I find it about the peace that comes with the humility and content with the simple things. Getting on with your own life and continuing to do the things that you enjoy as it’s not your life’s mission to constantly impress people. If that’s something that genuinely interests you, then by all means go and discover the all the latest and greatest, however I feel it's much more meaningful if it rooted in genuine interest, not based on what others will think of you.

“I’m a hero that no one celebrates, but if one person remembers my name that means I’ve made a change”

London - and life - can sometimes feel like a battlefield in order to find the most interesting thing or a competition to do the most. In the grand scheme of things, it’s the things that are most interesting to you that count the most and can't be taken from you. Of course some people love sharing their experiences with others in order to give them the opportunity to discover or inspire that particular event too. These can be useful people to have in your circle (or follow on social media) but remember that that's their role or calling; it doesn't have to be yours and it doesn't make you any less interesting. An example that comes to mind is when someone does a good deed, films it and shares it online. For some it could inspiration while for others it may seem like they only did it for the acknowledgement. In the end, it's about how you choose to view it but as long as you're helping or something you enjoy, no one can take that away from you.

Story of my life, ordinary person just like you. If you take a look inside, you'll see the great things that people do We out here changing lives day and night, day in day out. BBC don't show it CNN don't show it

I've written this from my personal experience but I'm sure others will be able to relate it in some other way. Other than the message, it's a lovely song.