PRESTO: Heat or Light? A Rockstar Reflection on Radiance
One of my favorite Rush albums of all time is Presto. Every note, every lyric pulses with insight—and the song “Presto” itself has long held a special place in my heart. When I saw the Time Machine tour live, I was already expecting magic, but when Presto made the set list, I was thrilled.
During the show, as I heard the lyrics for what must have been the 10,000th time, something shifted. A particular line suddenly popped into vivid awareness, like a flare in the night sky:
“I’m not one to go pointing my finger,
when I radiate more heat than light.”
Those words struck me straight in the soul. And I started visualizing something… an image of a person radiating one of two types of energy: heat or light.
We are always radiating. The question is: what are we radiating into the world?
Depending on how we perceive reality—and how we choose to show up—we’re either shining light or emanating heat. Both are powerful forces. Both can be felt. But they have very different effects.
Light illuminates. It nurtures. It helps things grow.
Heat, on the other hand, can distort. It can wilt. It can burn, even when unintended.
And isn’t this the central tension in so many of our human interactions? In conflict, in reaction, in emotion—do we offer clarity, compassion, and courage (light)? Or do we contribute pressure, tension, and resistance (heat)?
This insight isn’t just poetic—it’s philosophical. The sentiment echoes across centuries and continents:
- Desiderius Erasmus, Dutch Renaissance philosopher, wrote: “Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.” What if we trusted that light—gentle, steady, unapologetic light—is enough?
- Dylan Thomas, the fiery Welsh poet, urged: “Rage, rage against the dying of the light!” Even in despair, he called us back to light—not passivity, but the fierce refusal to let light go quietly.
- Goethe, the German philosopher and mystic, whispered “Mehr Licht!” (“More light!”) as his final request on Earth. Not more time. Not more things. More light.
We may not have the grandeur of a concert stage or the finality of a deathbed proclamation, but we do have this moment. This breath. This presence.
So ask yourself:
What are you exuding today? Heat or light?
When I feel reactive or judgmental—when my own internal “temperature” rises—I return to that lyric. I pause. I breathe. And I try to choose light over heat. Again and again.
Because, our true nature? I believe it’s light. The kind that nourishes. The kind that sees. The kind that helps others grow. It’s steady, soft, strong.
And when we let that light emanate—without force, without performance—darkness recedes. Almost effortlessly.
Let it shine, Rockstar!
_______________________________________________________________________________
**ROCKSTAR PHILOSOPHY** Journal Prompt:
What helps you stay grounded in your light when life turns up the heat?
_______________________________________________________________________________