Hello and welcome,
And today's word for living your best life is music.
Think about a song that instantly lifts your mood,
Or a melody that brings back a flood of wonderful happy memories.
Music has a way of moving us,
Healing us,
And connecting us to something deeper.
Music can even be spiritual.
Music can help us concentrate.
There are so many different roles of music.
And it isn't just really about entertainment at all.
It is a universal language that transcends cultures,
Emotions,
And even time.
And sometimes I use music in my coaching practice when individuals are struggling to verbalize an emotion that they're feeling.
And for some people,
Words don't come as easily as they do to others.
And in those situations,
I can understand a person's inner world by listening to a piece of music that they say reflects how they're feeling in a particular situation.
So music really is a language in itself,
Very,
Very fascinating and very powerful.
Now just to understand the importance of music,
I ask you to imagine how different your life might be without music.
How often do you intentionally use music to uplift yourself,
To feel inspired,
To energize yourself,
Or to calm down?
There are so many different uses.
And I would even go beyond them to ask what really is music,
Because when I spend time in nature,
Not only do I have birds singing,
And that's extremely musical,
But sometimes the sound of the leaves of the trees feels like music to me.
Ludwig van Beethoven,
Despite losing his hearing in his late 20s,
He composed some of the world's most famous symphonies.
His story is a testament to the fact that passion and perseverance can triumph over adversity.
He didn't just hear music,
He felt it.
Bob Marley,
More than just a musician,
He used reggae music to spread messages of peace and unity and resistance.
His lyrics became anthems for social change,
Proving that music has the power to influence the world.
It's a universal language.
And the wonderful Arethas Franklin,
Known as the Queen of Soul,
She said music was not just about entertainment,
It was about empowerment.
Her hit song,
Respect,
Became an anthem for both the civil rights and women's rights movements.
That's quite powerful.
So music activates multiple parts of the brain,
Which can really help us improve memory,
Mood,
And even physical healing.
And for children,
Not only is being multilingual very powerful for the brain formation,
But also learning an instrument,
It sets up a whole new part of the brain that can be very,
Very useful also in later life.
And in fact,
Playing an instrument at any age,
Learning an instrument at any age of your life,
Can actually increase IQ levels and strengthen problem-solving skills.
I'm so glad I started to learn the piano last year,
Even if it only lasted a few months.
But I did notice,
Actually,
As an adult learning the piano for the first time,
I could feel different parts of my brain being activated.
That was quite exciting.
So the three steps I'm going to invite you to dabble with and play with today to bring a bit more music into your life are the following.
Number one,
I'd like you to create a playlist for your mood.
Whether you need motivation,
Relaxation,
Or creativity,
Or whatever it might be,
Or motivation to move,
Or jog,
Or whatever,
Create a playlist that helps shift your energy.
By all means,
Go out there and create three different playlists,
One for motivation,
One for happiness,
Joy,
And love,
And one for concentration or relaxation.
But get those playlists that truly reflect songs that really resonate with you.
Music is an energy,
And it also has healing properties.
But feeling into the music that resonates closest with your soul is a beautiful practice in itself.
Number two,
Sing or dance without caring who's watching.
Turn music into your motivator.
Put it on in the bedroom,
Or the bathroom,
Or wherever you like,
Out in the forest,
And just move to the music.
Number three,
Explore something new.
Let your ears travel.
And we're going to end with a quote by Hans Christian Andersen.
Where words fail,
Music speaks.
