Spiritual tween: a complicated angst
Complicated spiritual tween angst may be little different than that similar normal rite of passage that all maturing humans must make from child to teenager to adult. As Above, So Below reigns supreme as does cosmic sacred geometry that replicates over and over again. Why wouldn’t the path of a spiritual devotee also possess a “between” state or stage? Could a spiritual tween be defined as someone with a lot of spiritual knowledge or a lot of potential, who hasn’t as yet actualized or manifested fully into 24/7, 365 days a year enlightenment and bliss? It makes sense, doesn’t it?
For today’s Monday Music selection we go back to the early 2000s when according to SongFacts.com Avril’s “Complicated” debuted in 2002. In that timeline the singer Avril represented “gurl power” with a touch of punk and skater flavor. Avril captured the attention of many awkward teenagers who were trying to become who they were meant to be, within the confines of their current reality: too old to be a child, and yet also too young and immature to be fully considered adult. Avril’s song “Complicated” embodied a certain ”tween angst” that is readily translatable into this new idea of spiritual tween angst.
But first, what is a tween, actually? According to UrbanDictionary.com a tween is :
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a girl ages about 9-14…too old for toys, but too young for boys.
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Very easy to market to, will usually follow any fashion trend set for them, will most likely go through the phase of ‘finding themselves’ as they ‘grow up’.
And according to DictionaryReference.com a tween is:
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a preposition and a contraction of the word between
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Also tween, tweeny. A youngster between 10 and 12 years of age, considered too old to be a child and too young to to be a teenager.
Defining a spiritual tween
How might that translate to a spiritual tween? Well, it seems the spiritual tween is a person, in a transitional stage, oscillating between two states of consciousness. This person may be male or female, and would not have to be of any particular age as spiritual knowing arises in its own timing. Perhaps a more complete definition needs more explanation?
The spiritual tween may be experienced and knowledgeable enough to know and identify spiritual concepts of egoic attachment—in themselves and in others—as well as being able to practice and experience the bliss state of detachment. However, the spiritual tween may still be subject to bouts of time spent in younger states of consciousness rather than living fully in the higher states of bliss and detachment.
As a result, there may be a preponderance of spiritual tween angst, where the spiritual tween wants to look good on their “spiritual” journey and may as a result confuse looking good or being cool or hip in their spiritual quest as a way to get to spiritual bliss. Or worse, the spiritual tween may see the act of looking good as the actual state of embodying spiritual bliss with non-attachment. Despite knowledge base of spiritual principles, the spiritual tween may be unable to fully follow or maintain the spiritual principles, frequently creating a between state of spiritual tween angst, until more spiritual practice fully seats the higher consciousness state of bliss.
It’s all been done before; honesty is key.
Avril’s “Complicated” sings out the crushing truth that it has all been done before, with millions of humans before now, each working their way onto the spiritual path, struggling on the spiritual path, experiencing spiritual tween angst, and/or making it to bliss. Or, just being stuck in that halfway place of spiritual tween angst. Here’s Avril’s lyrics claiming life as the way it is:
Uh huh, life’s like this
Uh huh, uh huh, that’s the way it is
‘Cause life’s like this
Uh huh, uh huh, that’s the way it isChill out, what you yellin’ for?
Lay back, it’s all been done before
And if you could only let it be
You would see
There does seem to be a certain nashing of teeth that goes with the spiritual questing territory, doesn’t there? Avril eloquently reminds us, “It’s all been done before” and we just need to “let it be”. Admittedly, sometimes easier to say than do, or be.
Avril continues with a lament about how we all make things so complicated because we resist and we don’t, or can’t, see who or what we really are in the spiritual scope of things. Avril suggests that “honesty” is the turn-key solution. And it is true; at the very least, a bit of self-honesty will ease the struggle, and lift the veil so that reality as it is, may be experienced without resistance. In the song “Complicated” Avril names the pink elephant of complication in the room for us:
Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else
Gets me frustrated
Life’s like thisYou, you fall and you crawl and you break
And you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
You promised me I’m never gonna find you fake it
No, no, no
Take a look and listen for yourself; here’s Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” as posted by AvrilLavigneVeVO on YouTube:
Enjoy the music, and use the Grounded Relating Monday Music Challenge to stay present to yourself today. The Universe is always calling, always playing your song; are you listening?
Full lyrics for “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne, as posted on atozlyrics.com:
Uh huh, life’s like this
Uh huh, uh huh, that’s the way it is
‘Cause life’s like this
Uh huh, uh huh, that’s the way it is
Chill out, what you yellin’ for?
Lay back, it’s all been done before
And if you could only let it be
You would see
I like you the way you are
When we’re drivin’ in your car
And you’re talking to me one on one
But you’ve become…
Somebody else ‘round everyone else
You’re watching your back like you can’t relax
You’re tryin’ to be cool
You look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else
Gets me frustrated
Life’s like this
You, you fall and you crawl and you break
And you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
You promised me I’m never gonna find you fake it
No, no, no
You come over unannounced
Dressed up like your somethin’ else
Where you are ain’t where it’s at
You see you’re making me laugh out
When you strike your pose
Take off all your preppy clothes
You know you’re not fooling anyone
When you’ve become…
Somebody else ‘round everyone else
You’re watching your back like you can’t relax
You’re tryin’ to be cool
You look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else
Gets me frustrated
Life’s like this
You, you fall and you crawl and you break
And you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
You promised me I’m never gonna find you fake it
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
Chill out, what you yellin’ for?
Lay back, it’s all been done before
And if you could only let it be
You will see
Somebody else ‘round everyone else
You’re watching your back like you can’t relax
You’re tryin’ to be cool
You look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else
Gets me frustrated
Life’s like this
You, you fall and you crawl and you break
And you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
You promised me I’m never gonna find you fake it
No, no, no
Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else
Gets me frustrated
Life’s like this
You, you fall and you crawl and you break
And you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
You promised me I’m never gonna find you fake it
No, no, no
