Fair warning: this article is going to somewhat rambling. I’m in a bit of a mood these days – my birthday was yesterday and Christmas is coming up and it’s the first time I’ll be celebrating either of these without my dad. So I’m having a hard time with it. Understatement, I suppose, because this sucks, big time. I miss my Daddy and I want him back. And sometimes it still hurts so much. I got a package in the mail a couple of days ago. It was from my stepmother and it had a beautiful necklace in it. The note said it was from my dad. He bought it before he died and put it away. I cried.
Most days I’m fine, but sometimes it still knocks the breath right out of me that he’s gone. Add to that the fact that our furnace had to be unexpectedly replaced last week (it’s only 6 years old and should have lasted twice that); the fact that my website was down for four days straight because it was being eaten by zombies (DDoS attack on the host server); the fact that my laptop is acting up and probably going to have to be replaced soon, too; and the fact that I’ve realized that it’s just not physically possible to actually get done all the stuff I wanted to get done by the end of the year. All of which has been causing me much insomnia, so I’m also seriously sleep deprived right now (hence the rambling post you’re being subjected to today).
All of which has, in true Law of Attraction fashion, caused me to start thinking about a lot of crap from the past that’s just best left in the past. So it’s been a really freaking stressful couple of weeks.
Words, Magic and Music for Coping
Which brings us to the point of this article. Which would be that, being the LOA-savvy chick that I am, when I get mired in this type of situation I know that letting myself get stuck in all the crap, both past and present, is the worst possible thing that I can do. So after I let myself wallow in my self-pity party for a bit (‘cause sometimes, you just gotta), I turned to my music, because music for coping is my weapon of choice for powerful vibe-shifting effects.
For me, music is one of those things that has always had a huge impact on my mood. In large part, it’s the lyrics. Words are powerful things. Words have the power to both heal souls and to hurt them. And when you combine words with music, magical things can happen.
And in my quest to find ways of coping with what currently is, I found three new songs that really had an impact on me, and which I’d like to share with you today. These songs have reminded me of some really important truths, and I know there are others out there right now who are going through their own stuff, so I thought these might be helpful for you, too.
Reminder #1: I Can So!
The first song that I’ve latched onto lately is one by Hedley, a Canadian band that I first came across when the lead singer was on Canadian Idol way back when. The song is called “Anything” and when I first heard it, I was struck by how much it sums up everything I try and teach here. It has reminded me that I don’t need to worry about what anyone else thinks. This is my life, and I get to call the shots. Just because someone else doesn’t think that my dreams and goals are realistic, because they wouldn’t be able to pull it off themselves, doesn’t mean that that is my reality.
The song is defiant. And to me it says: I don’t give a damn what you think about what I’m doing… this is MY life and I can and will live it the way I choose to. And I. Will. Make. It. Happen.
A thousand disbelievers
Couldn’t keep me on the ground
I’ve invented a momentum
That will never slow me down
I believe it ‘cause I feel it
And I shout it out loud:
I can! I can!
I can so!
Be a movie star
Or rock the main stage
An XBox tester
Or an astronaut in space
If they tell you that you can’t
You can shove it in their face
I can! I can!
I can so!
~Hedley “Anything”
Here’s a “clean” version of the song on YouTube:
Word of caution to anyone who decides they want to look for this one on iTunes or YouTube: there is a clean version and an explicit version. If, like me, you’re old-fashioned enough to find the sound of little kids swearing vaguely disturbing, then stick with the clean version. Double caution when searching the video – the official music video for the song has a lot of nudity and weirdness in it. It is Hedley, after all… 😉
Reminder #2: I will not be broken
The next song that I came across is from another Canadian artist by the name of Laurell, and the song is called “Unbreakable”. It reminded me that no matter what is happening in my life, no matter what I may be going through, no matter how much it hurts… I will not be broken. Yes, I might get bent. But I am stronger than anything out there. I choose how I will react to what gets thrown at me, and I will get through this, just like I’ve gotten through every other freaking trauma I’ve ever had to deal with in my life. I am stronger than all of this, and I will not be broken.
You can leave with your heart
But you ain’t taking mine
Might hurt but I’ll be just fine
I’m moving on, moving on
I’m getting strong, getting stronger
Nothing wrong, nothing wrong
Ain’t lookin’ back
‘Cause I’ve been down and out
And I’ve been thrown away
Felt the darkness of doubt
But I know I’ll see another day
Well I walked through the fire
I’ve been burned to the ground
But whatcha got here’s a fighter
And you’re never going to stop me now
I’m unbreakable
~Laurell “Unbreakable”
The official music video is really, really powerful:
http://youtu.be/bNbSlcxk35E
Word of caution on this one: This video could be triggering for some — there are a lot of women sharing some very traumatic incidents in this video (written format, you don’t see anyone getting hurt). But then they break the glass they’ve written those incidents down on, and you see them smile and you see them taking their power back. So empowering, and so moving.
Reminder #3: I am exactly where I need to be
This is probably the most powerful, and most truly Law of Attraction song I’ve heard in my life. It’s called “Exactly” and it’s by Amy Steinberg. I can’t even begin to tell you how helpful this one has been for me this week. It’s reminded to stop fighting. It’s reminded me to let go. It’s reminded me that I am the wind and the stars and the Universe itself. It’s reminded me that no matter how I feel right now, the sun will always rise. I am “a blessing manifest” and I am exactly where I need to be at this time.
I am exactly where I need to be
I need to be exactly where I am
I am surrendering so willingly
To be the perfect me inside this now
And truly how else could it be
Destiny she blesses me
And when I try to fight or run
I only wind up back at square one
I am exactly where I need to be
I need to be exactly where I am
I am divinely timed and shining brightly
Yes I believe that there’s a purpose just for me
Yes I believe that we are light
And we shine infinitely
And when I am alone and full of fear
I just remember the rising sun always appears
Everyday miracles that I see
Well they take me back to
Exactly where I need to be
~Amy Steinberg “Exactly”
Here’s a YouTube video for this one (and seriously, if you only listen to one of these songs I’ve posted, make it this one):
So that’s my music for coping right now. If you’ve got any coping strategies for tough times or songs that help you when things are looking down, I’d love to hear them; please leave a comment below and let me know how you deal with life’s “stuff”. And in the meantime, a thousand disbelievers will not keep me on the ground, because I am unbreakable, and I can, I can, I can so. I am surrendering so willingly, to be the perfect me inside this now… because I am exactly where I need to be. And this, too, shall pass.
photo credit: (c) Can Stock Photo
OMG, Nathalie, “Exactly” is awesome! Thank you for these songs! Since you are from Canada, you must know about the magnificent show Being Erica and how her life turned around once she changed her attitude with a little help from her guru. I wish I can talk more about that show, but you can only do so in forums. It now has a cult following.
To think I was in despair and crying all the time for so, so, so long some time ago and wasted years being in that state. It is like my heart and mind were numb. Now I see and feel all the possibilities that keep coming to me, all around me, in everything.
The songs I found most helpful and inspiring have been: Over and Over by Madonna, My Valentine by Paul McCartney, Ain’t Back Yet by Kenny Chesney, and Cruise by the Florida Georgia Line. They either inspire you, put you in a great mood to carry on, look back at life and state that you would not change a thing even through bad and good times. I hope you get a chance to give each a listen, even if you do not like the genre, they have a beat of their own and are good to listen to. Enjoy!
“Exactly” is pretty awesome, isn’t it? It is totally one of my most played songs now. 🙂 I have heard of Being Erica but I’ve never seen it and didn’t know what it was about (I’m not much of a TV watcher anymore), but now you’ve gotten me very curious and I’m going to have to go look it up. Sounds like a show I’d actually enjoy watching!
Don’t beat yourself up over the bad years. I’ve been there, too. We didn’t know then what we know now. Now we know better, we do better, right? 😉
Thanks for the song suggestions! I’m putting together a new LOA playlist for the Vibe Shifting YouTube channel, so I’ll go check them out!
Your birthday is the day after mine, Nathalie, but you always lead the way for me in finding the right direction and in staying positive and consistent.
Oh, yes, I know it isn’t all sunshine and roses all the time. It’s easier to put on a brave face when one is writing or connecting with the public (that can be cathartic too). What started out as opportunities for escapism and for soaking up the learning have evolved into opportunities for me to sort of cheer others on. Losing my father devastated me but over time, that evolved too… it caused much introspection, which helped motivate me; it went on to strengthen me, I think, because oftentimes although he’s not physically present, sometimes it feels that I have twice the spirit energy within. It’s powerful stuff–and when it really shines, spectacular things happen.
I have noticed that you too over the course of time seem to have the same sort of thing happening. Since discovering your site and your writing, You seem to get stronger, more powerful, and more motivating. We don’t always know where it comes from, but as we teach, we also learn.
Music is my lifesaver and has always been. And it was a great place in which Dad and I found common ground in our appreciation for it and how it “spoke” to us and fed our spirits.
There are certain songs that, after some years, I still can’t bring myself to listen to, because they remind me too much of when I lost him and the process surrounding that. But so many other songs remind me of a younger time when Dad and I would sit and listen to LPs on his stereo. He’d play this one and that one, always saying, “Listen to the words.” Maybe at the time they didn’t register but so many of them truly do now. And as you do, I often stumble upon just the perfect song with the perfect lyrics, at just the time they’re most needed.
Happy (Belated) Birthday to You! I wish you countless blessings in the year to come. The journey you’re traveling is a good one and the right one.
Hi Ayla, and a happy belated birthday to you, too! Hope you had a wonderful day and wishing you all best for a wonderful year ahead. 🙂
I, too, have noticed much introspection since my father’s death. It’s really caused me to think more about the kind of person I want to be, and what direction I want to go in from here. Sometimes it seems so clear, and sometimes I feel like I’m wandering around in circles. But it’s all part of the journey. I am so glad you can feel your dad’s energy helping you along today; I think that’s wonderful!
I think my dad I found our common ground in all things “geeky”. I discovered the Think Geek website in the year before he passed, and I remember being absolutely thrilled at all the awesome “dad gifts” they had. Star Trek everything-you-can-think-of, Big Bang Theory, beaker mugs, Doctor Who… it was like the site was designed with me and my dad in mind. And I just couldn’t go there after he died… it was just too hard. But in the last few weeks I’ve found myself enjoying browsing their stuff again, and the thought of how much my dad would have loved particular items doesn’t hurt anymore.
As for the music, I think it’s one of those things that just seems to have a direct line to our souls. It affects us far more powerfully than you’d ever think it could. And it’s one of those things I’m feeling the need to get back to lately — it was an area I dabbled in in my younger days and it’s something I want to start working with again over the coming year.