Get Back To …. Let It Be

Spring is here but does it mean a new beginning will come along? Does it mean we should leave the old patterns behind?

A couple of friends recently asked me if working on our ancestor trauma or forgetting the past would help us align with our new selves. My answer to them was another question: what led you to today's version of yourself? Perhaps forgive and not forget?!

I've recently come across Peter Jackson's three-part, 8-hour documentary - Get Back. This originally a 57-hour-footage was hidden in a vault for 50 years before Peter Jackson stumbled upon it while working with Apple Corps.

The Beatles aren't only known for being the pioneer in the current commercial and studio standards that we have today. They are also known for being the core of our social, cultural, and industrial movements with the positive messages, unforgettable rumours, and one & only Savile Row rooftop concert.

In addition to the visual and audio stimulations edited by Peter Jackson and his team, the movie offers a fresh perspective on how The Beatles came up with their creations, what happened in the band, and how they overcame their uncertainty, difficulties, and conflicts.

WHAT THEY SAY

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr later shared their reflections on the documentary.

Paul said, "When I knew Peter was going to look at all the footage, I said to him, 'I'm not sure I'm gonna like this, Peter' because it was from a very difficult period of my life and it's always looked like I broke up the Beatles, and that isn't the case. [After the screening of Peter Jackson's version] I'll tell you what is really fabulous about it, it shows the four of us having a ball!"

Ringo said,"I had a lot of talks with Peter Jackson because I didn't actually like the original one [Let It Be] because it was very dark. Not even dark, it was dull. We had ups and downs, but even around all that – which you'll see with the Peter Jackson edit. We were having fun, which [Let It Be] never showed, joy and fooling around and shouting at each other. It's what four guys do. I keep saying that: four guys in a room, there's a lot of joy."

WHAT WE LEARN

When we are in chaos, we often focus on the darkness because the feelings are real and tangible.  After a while, we try so hard to forget the past and seek the light at the end of the tunnel, yet miss the importance of being in the process and knowing that light has already shone inside the tunnel. It just matters on our realization.

(Ding Ding Ding! Nerd moment: light is a spectrum. It isn't white. It's a combination of many different colours, visible and invisible lights. That means lots of invisible lights already surround us).

When we look back on the hardships, they might not be as damaging as we thought. In some ways, it can remind us of a better picture of how we lived through it. This is because it shows how everything is connected, how far we've come, and how we arrived here at this point in life. Wisdoms will be passed down as a legacy and lesson to future generations.

We often fall into the trap of not being enough. The path to a new beginning is also misguided if we erase the past or continue to blame #AncestralTrauma. The truth is that we are (and already are) ancestors of our next generation and communities. Our history made us who we are today. The beginning is not only celebrated in Spring, but every day, every hour, every second.

We can learn how to revisit the past without being triggered and learn the gain from it instead of what is lost.

Perhaps it's time to start viewing our past from different angles. Re-edit some colour, audio, and director's cuts in our darkness, like Peter Jackson did with The Beatles' past. Then, think about if it's a legacy we'd like to leave behind for our next generations in 50 years. Yes, after reading this and if it motivates you to think about what you've gained from the past, that's already the new you seeing new information from your past.