The power of the playlist

Hello Ladies!

 
When I told one of my closest girlfriends about this blog one of her first questions was, "Are you gonna do a post about your playlists?" If you know me then you know,  I'm playlist obsessed. I have a playlist for my morning routine, which gets updated and changed frequently. I have a playlist for cooking in the kitchen. There's a playlist for going out, cheering up and calming down I have several for road tripping and nights in with a lover. If there's a moment you can bet I have a playlist for it. Why am I so playlist obsessed? Because music has healing properties and can transform our mindset. Music is also a communicative medium and has the power to connect people.

  In my prior post about kindness I mentioned my support system for how I deal with challenges I confront. One on the supports I've put into my system is music, but not just random songs or artists. I've specifically leaned towards playlists. This is where I have to give a shameless plug to Spotify, I love this platform. I love that I can share music with friends and see what they're listening to.
  My playlists tend to be my first source for motivation be it getting out of bed in the morning or celebrating a Friday at 5 o'clock. I have a playlist for the resistance and couple for going out. My playlists are my own personal soundtracks for my life that keep me empowered. They help me celebrate my victories, comfort me when I'm sad and help to keep me resilient during tough times. My playlists tend to be my secret ally that I've programed to play on command.

  Playlists allow me to access my inner super hero, diva, seductress, rock star and leader. I'm very conscious about my song choices. I pick songs I LOVE and because I have wide musical taste, my playlists tend to be eclectic. I have songs that make me want to take on the world and songs that I can cry to when I want to be a little sad and process harder things. I'm unapologetic in my cheese factor and unashamed in proclaiming my love for certain songs. Anything that makes me feel stronger, taller, resilient or capable gets added... this can include sad or corny songs. These playlist aren't made for a cool or hip factor, in fact many songs are silly and when I play them for friends I often get a few surprised looks, but that's ok because the songs make me feel great. When people ask me what things I do to stay positive one of the things I always mention are my playlists.

  The best way to get started is to think about activities you'd like to have a soundtrack too. For me this is pretty much every moment of my life. Waking up a hot mess, running late for work still needing to shower so you can get your shit together and adult like a normal human being? Make a playlist. Run or hike but need that extra motivation when you want to vomit your lungs ups because you're not in the shape you though you were when you decided to run 18 sets of stairs? Create a playlist, Rocky.  Super psyched that you and your co-workers survived another week with no one going off the rails? There's playlist for that.

  Fill your playlists with songs that tell you how much you kick ass, I love Beyonce and Sia for these moments. These artists may not be my normal go-to for just casual listening but playlist's offer a chance to go beyond what I tend to routinely listen to. Need some shower music? Make a playlist and includes songs that you love singing along to, just watch out about how much they make you want dance. I had to limit my James Brown do to a slip and I'm now banned from shower dancing. I'm pretty sure that's the closest I'll ever come to being James Brown, and by that I mean I needed an assistant to pick me up and help me exit the stage, (which in this case was my bathroom).

  Put songs on these lists that don't just make you feel great but that also tell you you're great. One of my favorite songs is Kate because it's my name, and the girl in the song sounds like an amazing chic to be friends with. And when I'm listening to it I think, "Hey! That's me! I'm that kick ass girl!" Again, spotify is great for this because it has the "related artist" feature that suggests similar artists. I've really expanded my library as a result of this feature and it introduced me to a lot more female artists then get promoted by the industry.

  But the truth is ladies, I really have these playlists because I need them. There are times when the world can make us feel like we don't matter or that our contributions are insignificant (which is total BS but it happens). Usually at some point at least once a week, I have to pick myself from a set back, challenge or upset. Being resilient these days isn't easy and sometimes it takes all the energy I have just to stay focused and not give up. My playlists are my allies and cheerleaders when I need a pick up. When I'm a little bogged down my playlists are the easiest way for me to give the finger to my haters and show myself some self love.

  Yes, I have friends and family who are supportive, kind and loving but sometimes you gotta find your own motivation. We are all deserving of a theme song or two. We all deserve to feel like we own at least one moment each day to shine, even if it's just for ourselves. When thinking about what might help with motivation, try a playlist. Give yourself some montage music to kick-ass to, you're worthy of it. Be the Nike ad. Be the Beyonce video. Be the boss and own your life. You're a rockstar in the shower, a goddess in the bedroom or a CEO at your desk. Sometimes it just helps to have a playlist to remind you about how much ass you actually kick. Happy listening ladies, you got this.