Can you imagine Rose and Jack without “My Heart Will Go On,” envision Harry meeting Sally without “It Had To Be You” playing in the background, watch the Lion King without “Hakuna Matata,” see Eminem in 8mile without um, “losing himself,” or cheer on Rocky while he runs through the city without rockin’ to “Gonna Fly Now” (okay, and without a sweatband, but that’s beside the point)? Can you IMAGINE what movies would be like without music? Booorrring!

Now, not that my life is a movie, exactly, but I kind of like to keep the theme songs bumping up in here like it is. It just makes everything better. Music sets the tone, the mood and the general energy level for the present. It has such a powerful emotional connection and generates an enormous physical response that it’s hard to ignore its potential to change your day.

While I admit that I am a terrible singer, have zero dance skills and have forgotten how to play all five instruments in which I had years of training, I love music. Love it.

With a few obvious exceptions, I have my beats on pretty much all day, every day, everywhere I go. I have two bluetooth speakers in my house, one in the car and even when I’m out working at a coffee shop I usually am wearing my headphones.  In fact, right now I have on my “Get it Crackin” playlist and am resisting bustin’ a move in between paragraphs, but just barely.

Since I was in the car over this last weekend doing all that thinking I spent a good amount of time with my music playlists. I have recently upgraded from Pandora to Spotify and Oh.My.God. What a difference. WOW. It lets you do all kinds of amazing things that Pandora doesn’t. I’m sorry Pandora and Hip Hop Road Trip, I promise to make some drop-in appearances now and then but Spotify has Old School Hip Hop, and it’s um, better. And iTunes? Please. Upgrade or buy someone out ‘cuz, hate to break it to ya, but people aren’t going to keep paying $1.29 a song when they can have unlimited songs for $9.99/month. Just saying. . .

Anyhow, I thought now might be a great time to share a particular playlist with you. Of course you can cyber stalk me on Spotify, but in case you haven’t made that discovery just yet, I’m offering an annotated list of my ten most favorite songs from what I call my “Fix-it/Reset” playlist.  These are the songs that remind me to CTFD and let go whenever I can use a swift kick in the ass (so. . . fairly regularly). Some are deep, some are funny, some just get the beat going which in turn improves my mood. Regardless of their genre,  in sum all are inspirational, motivational, positive mood changers.

So here it is, it was a tough call and I had to cut some really good players but these are the winners, for today anyway.  Feel free to add your own below in the comments section and keep an eye out for me on Spotify. We can be friends. OH BOY. Real, true, musical bosom buddies. No false sense of intimacy there or anything. . .  but that playlist has somewhere around 75 songs on it (sometimes I need a REALLY big kick) and they are all guaranteed to help you get your groove going strong. Oh, and as a side note, my music interests are pretty wide and a some of the songs on my list include “explicit” lyrics so you know, maybe don’t play it around your kids. . . yet.

Rock on my friends.

THE CTFD “RESET” PLAYLIST

1. “Let Her Go” by Passenger

This song is about mindfulness really. As in I’m going to learn from Mike Rosenberg’s pain and appreciate what I have when I have it rather than when, um, it’s gone.

LINKS:  YouTube,Spotify, lyrics 

2.  “Who You Love” by John Mayer and Katy Perry

This song reminds me that most of my life is out of my control. You love who you love. Some things just happen or are just plain meant to be. As a good friend of mine says, “it’s already been written.” This song is a gentle nudge to just accept that and quit fighting with the universe. You’re gonna lose anyway.

LINKS:  YouTube, Spotify, lyrics

3. “Keep Your Head Up” by Ben Howard

This is a little bit self explanatory but… essentially, it reminds me to stay strong, not look back (or down, actually) and keep moving forward.

LINKS:  YouTube, Spotify, lyrics

4. “Don’t Mess With Karma” by Brett Dennen

This is just plain funny. And a pretty darn good song. Remember, “don’t go messing with karma, it’ll come around.”

LINKS:  YouTube, Spotify

5. “Sunshine” and “Live Like A Warrior”  by Matisyahshi

Okay, I know this is two songs- they tied. It’s pretty much impossible not to feel happy when the “Sunshine” is playing, and “Live Like A Warrior”- Unnnhhhhh. Power up people. World Domination theme song right there.

Sunshine LINKS:  YouTube, Spotify, lyrics

Warrior LINKS:  YouTube, Spotify, lyrics

6. “Pompeii” by Bastille

The main chorus says “how am I gonna be an optimist about this?” Enough said.

LINKS:  YouTube, Spotify, lyrics

7. “I Believe (In Everything)” by JJ Gray and Mofro

Another great song with a lovely little tune about being mindful, letting go of the past and appreciating the present.

LINKS:  YouTube, Spotify, lyrics

8. “Vipassana” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Macklemore is kind of a genius- he waxes some serious poetic justice on this piece. Pretty freaking fabulous really.

LINKS:  YouTube, Spotify, lyrics

9. “Have A Little Faith In Me” by John Hiatt

This will pull me out of sad moment like nobody’s business. It is also a beautiful reminder that I am never alone, God is always with me. The universe is always here, providing. I just have to be willing to notice.

LINKS:  YouTube, Spotify, lyrics

10. “On Top Of The World” by Imagine Dragons

Gotta love your peeps while they’re here. Tomorrow may never come, tell the people in your life you love them. Be grateful. Live like today is your last day. Climb that mountain. Just.do.it. Need another motivational saying? Listen to the damn song.

LINKS:  YouTube, Spotify, lyrics

Serious runners-up, by the way, were: “Till I collapse” by Eminem and “Check Yo’ Self” by Ice Cube (duh, right?)

See you on Spotify. Peace out.

 

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