Do you have a personal anthem song? Does it change from time to time, year to year, mood to mood? Or has it been the same song for as long as you can remember?
I have a playlist called Inspirations with fifty-five songs that lift me up, get me going, help me to feel unstuck. It started with only a few songs to listen to when I was in a down mood, then grew as friends, family and clients shared other inspirational songs with me.
The first song on the playlist is Martina McBride’s “Anyway.” It replaced Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life,” which is still a favorite on the list, and it has occasionally lost the first seed spot to some other flash-in-the-pan song, but it always finds its way back to the number one spot because it is my personal anthem, articulating and reflecting how I strive to live my life. Here are the first few verses:
You can spend your whole life building
Something from nothin’
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway
You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might not never come your way
Dream it anyway
God is great
But sometimes life ain’t good
And when I pray
It doesn’t always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway
This world’s gone crazy
It’s hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway
You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
In a moment they can choose to walk away
Love ’em anyway…
I was listening to this song the other day…one of those low, “I hate COVID and staying at home and doing on-line therapy and blah, blah, blah,” days. Ridiculously, yet predictably, the song made me feel better, helped snap me out of my pointless whining. I started thinking about why I felt better, why exactly I connect so deeply with this message. Why do I believe it’s better to do things that won’t last, that could very well fail, that may lead to loss and heartache and struggle? Why do things that may very well be pointless?
After pondering for a bit, I realized it’s because it’s who I am and exactly, precisely who I want to be. I want to be endlessly hopeful because it keeps me moving forward. I want to risk failure because things might work out well. I want to risk heartbreak because loving and connecting feel so amazing. I want do the things that are important to me and feel right simply and entirely because they are important to me and they feel right. Not for a particular result. Not because of the anticipated outcome.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I do not succeed in living life this way. I have a long, long way to go before I am actually this accepting of adversity (hence the whiny days!). But I like listening to the song because it reminds me that this is who I want to be and how I want to move through the world. Listening to it moves me in that general direction, right? Maybe or maybe not, but I’ll do it anyway!
What’s your anthem? Please post in comments, so we can all share in your inspiration.
Better late than never! I’ve always loved Imagine – that great old Beatles song than never fails to make me cry.
And add to that the strident women’s songs that never fail to make us stand taller and flex a bit.
Music makes everything FEEL more — like turning up the volume of emotion.
My first inclination, and the one I will stick with is: my anthem is “Let Me Sing & I’m Happy”, a song I got to sing in WHITE CHRISTMAS, by Irving Berlin. Simple, but enough for me!
And, yes, I want to live in Gratitude & Hope, mostly because it is much more satisfying to me than the alternative.
Today, I made a growth leap: I was doing a simple, but involved task. When I faltered, I decided to look at myself as a very good friend who was trying to do that task for the first time. I was encouraging and supportive – to myself!
Thank you for letting me share! 💖
A mix of Donovan’s “Sunshine Superman” and “Mellow Yellow” would have to be my anthem. They’ve made me ready to go out and conquer the world since I first heard them back in 1966. Thanks, Holly, for a good lift during these wild times!.
Greetings! Well this post hit home for me on many levels. First I’m an “oldies gal” so I have may playlists that I listen to ALL the time. Music is a big part of my life. Secondly, I am married to a musician so music is always on in my home. Thirdly, I have taken up piano lessons during this time off. Its been super fun and very challenging.
Playing piano has helped lift my sprits and time just flies by. There have been a few songs that I have come to learn to play { not well} yet!
“its a beautiful morning” by the Rascals, ” Here comes the sun” by the Beatles and “Somewhere over the rainbow”.
All of these songs are wonderful to play on piano due to the melodies and the words. I told you I was an oldies gal!
I have come to embrace this time off and look forward to the day so I can practice my piano.
So whether I am doing my Pilates or playing the piano ” I am Blessed ” by Martina McBride is my anthem for these times.
Thanks Holly for the inspiring blog. I miss you.
Yes, I know and love that we share that love of music Aileen! How fun that you’re learning piano!! Way to go!!
You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel, a muscial by Rodgers and Hammerstein.
You have inspired me to create my own inspiration music list. Thank you!!! Hope you and your family are doing well through all this crazy.