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The song I’ve chosen for my birthday is the same one that the Swedish monk and lecturer Björn Natthiko Lindeblad mentioned when he spoke about his approaching death.

That might sound contradictory, but I don’t think it is. Quite the opposite, actually.

The song captures something that’s neither birth nor death, but somehow also both. Something we’re often in touch with early in life and again towards the end, but sadly tend to overlook during the long stretch in between:

Life

That’s all we have. This moment, right here, right now.

Life isn’t the opposite of death. Birth is. Life, in its essence, is the constant that makes everything possible. If we go through life without ever really acknowledging that, life slips past us - no matter how old we get.

When we’re stuck in the past or lost in the future, the title of Laleh’s song is a gentle reminder to return to the now. “Tack Förlåt” means “Thank you, sorry” in Swedish. It’s a quiet wake-up call. A way to accept what is - here and now.

Part of the lyrics, translated to English:

Have you heard what we’re saying?
Time doesn’t heal all wounds
And everyone knows that the world just keeps spinning
But the world stops with thank you sorry

Check out my Crucial Tracks playlist or Crucial Tracks profile to see (and listen to) all of my “today’s track” picks.

It wasn’t a big deal, though. I noticed it the evening before and booked a ticket myself. All good!

Since I knew the booker is fairly new to the job, I started writing a text: “Just wanted to let you know that…”

Then I stopped and decided to call her instead. She was grateful for the heads-up and said, just as I suspected, that she wasn’t aware of that routine.

All good! Again.

So, why call instead of just texting?

Because it’s so easy to misinterpret a short message — especially when it comes from someone you don’t know very well. Good intentions might just as easily be read as complaints.

We try to “set the tone” in a message, but let’s be honest — a short text doesn’t carry much tone. No matter how many emojis we throw in, it still can’t compete with the sound of someone’s voice.

— Hi, how are you?

Just by hearing those four words from someone calling, we pretty much know what to expect next. That’s how much weight, and lightness, a voice can carry.

I’d even go as far as to say there’s a tiny error in a well-known saying. But it’s an easy fix:

A picture is worth a thousand unspoken words.

This song… wow, just wow!

I can’t think of any other song that captures the feeling of breaking free quite like David Bowie’s “Heroes”. It’s not just the Berlin Wall–inspired lyrics, it’s everything. The whole feeling that the music and lyrics convey together.

And to add some visuals to that same feeling — the final scene in the movie “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”. I get goosebumps just thinking about that last shot through the tunnel to the sound of “Heroes”.

Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever
Then we could be Heroes, just for one day

Check out my Crucial Tracks playlist or Crucial Tracks profile to see, and listen to, all of my “today’s track” picks.

Last week, I had one of those situations. It wasn’t possible to do a proper attic check, and I explained that to the homeowner. I also reassured him that it doesn’t matter — his home insurance would still be fully valid, no exceptions.

Today, I got a negative user survey response (I honestly don’t think that’s ever happened before) from that same client. He felt I didn’t check the attic thoroughly enough — even though I clearly explained that everything was in order, no action needed, all good, green light, thumbs up, no worries.

Still, not satisfied. Can’t please them all…

Anyway, that’s my little ramble for today.

It was a great experience, and I saw many wonderful examples of people getting a second chance at life.

Check out my Crucial Tracks playlist or Crucial Tracks profile to see, and listen to, all of my “today’s track” picks.

 

I recently visited a client who was 99 years old and incredibly energetic. The kind of person who walks into the room with a spark that makes you forget their age entirely.

Whenever I meet someone that age who still seems so full of life, I can’t help but ask about their secret to a long and happy life.

The answers vary quite a bit. One person mentioned a lifelong love of cycling, another talked about the joy of being a ham radio operator. Someone else spoke warmly about their book club — not just the reading, but the friendships and laughter that came with it.

At first glance, these responses seem to have little in common. But the more I hear them, the more I think the real secret might not lie in the specific activity.

Maybe it’s simply that these people have made space in their lives for things that bring them joy. They’ve kept themselves busy with what they love, even when life got difficult. Painting, writing, mushroom hunting, traveling, or just quietly tending to a garden.

Perhaps the real key is nurturing your inner passions. Living in a way that feels in tune with who you are.

Who knows, maybe in 70 years, someone will ask me the same question… and I’ll say:

“The secret? I never stopped blogging.”

 

A colleague told me about a challenging task he had coming up at work. I replied that hardly a week goes by without something similar happening.

It’s a bit like life in general, isn’t it?

When you think about it, there aren’t many stretches of time that pass by without something stirring things up.

There are illnesses, unexpected expenses, aches and pains, driving kids to their activities… Then there’s repainting the house, going to the dentist, planning events — the list just keeps growing.

That’s simply how life is, whether we like it or not.

Is it wrong? No, it’s just life.

But it will feel very difficult if we think it’s not supposed to be this way. If we go around feeling like life is treating us unfairly. “Why is it always me who gets hit with these things?”

When we instead recognize that this is part of what it means to be human, everything gets a little easier. Some things will still be unpleasant, of course, but we don’t have to add frustration and irritation on top.

And that makes life a whole lot simpler.

Both this domain and my other one, robertbirming.com, have gone through countless changes over the years. Different platforms, content scattered across the web, and URLs that are now broken.

It’s a mess. Like a piece of clothing that’s been patched up so many times it’s beyond saving.

I know it might sound like one of those “that’s not the actual problem” situations, but in my case, I honestly think it is.

And yes, I get that it’s probably super boring to read about this over and over. I’m not even sure what I hope to gain by publishing this — other than possibly sounding a bit unhinged. But writing usually helps.

My current thought for a fresh start is to not use my name as the actual blog title. I’ll still publish the posts under my name, of course — I just want the blog itself to have its own name. Something that feels like a proper title, a word or phrase that stands on its own.

I think it could be fun to use something related to my home country, Sweden, even though I’m writing in English. It would add some personality. Ideas like SwedeTalk, Mind the Moose, or Smorgasblog come to mind.

Anyway, that’s where I’m at. Got any thoughts? (Other than suggesting I see a blog therapist?)

 

"Thank U" by Alanis Morissette

Listen on Apple Music

Share a song that feels like a prayer.

A fantastic song that really feels like a prayer of gratitude. An honest “thank you” to things that, on the surface and in the moment, might seem negative but are also part of a bigger development in the right direction.

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