Facundo Cabral On Sadness And Distraction

The Argentine songwriter Facundo Cabral was known for his way of thinking through deep reflection. Through anarchism, social criticism and optimism, he sent warm messages. In his performances he often quoted Whitman, Borges, Atahualpa Upanqui, Jesus, Mother Teresa and Krishnamurti. One of his most appreciated performances was called “You are not depressed, You are distracted”.

He went into exile during the dictatorship in Argentina, when he moved to Mexico. During his career, he performed in 165 countries. His most successful concerts were those he did with Alberto Cortez, who considered Cabral to be a “controversial figure who discovered himself”.

With “You are not depressed, you are distracted,” Cabral reflected on sadness, something that affects us all at some point. It manifests itself as a type of blindness that distracts us from enjoying the beautiful world around us.

Distracted from life

In part of this presentation, he wants us to question ourselves regarding this by saying: “Distracted from the life that is within you… You have a heart, a brain and a soul, so how can you feel unhappy? Distracted from life around you… dolphins, forests, oceans, mountains, rivers… ”

He points out: “Do not fall victim to the same thing as your brother, who suffers over a human being when there are 5,600,000,000 others in the world. It’s not so bad to live alone: ​​I’m fine; I can choose what I want to do at any given time. And thanks to my loneliness, I know who I am, which is fundamental to life.

He also says that: “That is the reason why you think you have lost something, which is impossible because everything has been given to you. You have not created a single hair on your head and you can therefore not be the owner of anything. Life does not take things from you either. It frees you from things, it makes you lighter so that you can fly higher, so that you can become whole. ”

Facundo Cabral’s generosity

Facundo Cabral was a man who shared his experience with the masses by using sarcasm and humor. The audience liked this and it revived their meaning of life in an authentic and original way.

His performances show that everything in life is about learning. “From childhood to the grave, life is a school. Therefore, what you call problems are lessons learned. And life is dynamic, so it’s moving all the time. That’s why you should think about the present. There are so many things to enjoy and our journey through life is so short and it is a waste of time to suffer. ”

He refers to death as follows: “You have not lost anyone. People who have died have simply moved on to a place where we all go. And the best part of them, their love, stays in your heart. There is no death, there is only to go on, and there are amazing people waiting for you on the other side: Gandhi, Michelangelo, Whitman, Saint Augustine, Mother Teresa, your grandmother, and my mother, who thought we were in poverty stood closer to love, for money distracts us with so many things. ”

How to find happiness

Cabral was like the apostle of love, who preached his dissatisfaction with the establishment. He was a true pacifist, who never saw violence as the solution to anything. A lonely and happy creature, along with good literature and music, who made his own creations.

He promoted the idea of ​​following his heart: “You can find happiness and it’s that easy! You just need to listen to your heart before your mind intervenes. The mind is governed by memory, which complicates everything with old things, with the past, with prejudices that poison and imprison. The mind makes you spiritless; it does not accept what life is like or how it should be. Just do what you love and you will be happy. ”

He suggested that happiness is a duty: “Establish a peace with yourself, stand in front of the mirror and think that the creature you have in front of you is God’s creation. And decide here and now to be happy, because happiness is something that is achieved, not something that only comes to you from the outside. And happiness is not a right, it is a duty, because if you are not happy, you will make everything around you bitter. ”

Other lessons

When it comes to diseases, he has the following to say: “If you have cancer or AIDS, two things can happen, and both of these are good. If the disease wins, it frees you from your body which is so tormented. And if you win, you will be more humble and grateful and therefore happier, free from guilt and responsibility. Ready to live each moment deeply, just as they should be. ”

Regarding inner light, he says: “ Fear distracts us from love, and it is wise and courageous because it knows that there is no measurement or end. Look inside you and the clouds will disappear. Be quiet and listen to the wisdom within you.

When the inner light has been lit, nothing can extinguish it. It is perfect as gold, symbolizing its pure power of what is important: the soul. It is an endless and fantastic journey, because your soul laughs with happiness every time you live deeply. ”

Regarding the ego and being innocent, Facundo Cabral says: “ Miracles occur when you abandon your ego. Then, without resistance, you will regain your natural strength. In this way, you can awaken love, until you walk on water and heal with words. The ego gives each thing a name, but the innocent sees them; the ego judges them, but the innocent lives them; the ego separates, but the innocent sorts out differences; the ego depends on the mind; but the innocent depends on the heart. ”

So now you have all the parts, and all that is needed is to accept the challenge: “Now that you are alone and calm, forget who you are, because it is someone else’s creation, and listen to your heart. What do you want to be? What do you want to do right now?… For life exists right now. ”