This morning was one of those days that my partner wasn’t available for our morning run, so I popped on my IPod and let the music carry me up those tough hills and long stretches of road, its dancing spirit ready to boogie.
A few years back my friend Elisabetta told me about an article in Real Simple magazine by Gail Blanke, also a life coach. She talked about how a song can lift your spirits on those rough days, help pump you up for an interview, even find the courage to tackle challenges heretofore not considered possible. It’s so true. . .
The Power
Music has the ability to change our perspective and transport us to another time and place. When I hear the song “Brandy”, it brings back the memory of listening to my radio in the mornings of my senior year of high school. “Let it Be” reminds me of the school dance where I met Ronnie Hogan for the first time.
Music can inspire us to take chances—to find the courage to step up to the next challenge or opportunity that has come into our life—to really consider that career change, to introduce ourselves to that interesting colleague at the networking meeting, to wear that fun outfit that makes us feel oh, so alive.
There is nothing like a great song to move us. I like most kinds of music, but there is nothing like a rocking, pumping pop song. The aerobics and spin classes have it right—some grooving music will allow you to do most anything including those intense classes.
What Moves You?
Any song with a great beat and melody is good for me because it gets me dancing. My current faves are Hevia “Busindre Reel”, Nick Lachey “What’s Left of Me”, Madonna’s “Swim”, Imogen Heap’s “Speeding Cars” (I admit it—I’m a closet pop queen and a bit behind the times) and all of Alanis Morrisette. There’s a beautifully haunting song from a 1980 film, Bagdad Café-“I’m Calling You” that that speaks to some deep place in me.
And then there’s the music that calms and centers me…..solo piano music, classical cello pieces, even some new age Enya.
How about you? What music makes your spirit soar? What makes you want to get up and dance? What music relaxes, calms and centers you? Do you make time to listen to music and allow its rhythm and harmony move you? Go for it—it’s free and all around us.
The dancer moves to the rhythm of song
A love harmoniously keyed
Bending melodically to and fro
Like swaying cattail reeds
D Ingram
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