Sometimes, I need something a little more hard-hitting, like a good Linkin Park song. Among my favorites from this band is "Breaking the Habit," but there are others I sometimes drift to when I need to understand one of my darker and more negative emotions. Depression can hit at any time, and for any reason, so it's good to have a wide variety of songs that'll lift me out of it. "Breaking the Habit" not only resonates from a lyrical sense as they talk about enacting positive change in their lives to overcome something difficult, but the music and the vocal performance of this track hit hard and to the center. Chester Bennington - lead singer for the band - gives us a sense of personal depth as he tackles a powerful, heart-wrenching bridge. I personally love it when a lyric and vocal performance matches so perfectly as when Chester sings "I'll paint it on the walls, 'cause I'm the one that falls." The climactic final chorus punches through with just the right amount of ferocity to give a therapeutic song its appropriate conclusion.
How many of us could benefit from breaking one of our daily habits? Do we take more than we give from our loved ones? If you're like me, you feel the desperate need to contribute more than you consume. I know I need to do more for my neighbors, my friends, and my family. I try every day, and I do feel like I fall short most days, but at least I'm working each day to break the habit and push myself to serve others just a little more.
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