Several months ago I wrote an article which was posted on www.mindbeautyspirit.com - now www.michellephillips.com. It was very well received there and I want to share it here as well! It is NOT about fish, but it is about having a positive approach to life - which is really the message of all of the Treasure-Hunt Fish books!
So here goes - enjoy!
Sing! Sing Your Song! Make it Simple to Keep Your Spirit Strong!
Way back in 1973 when I was too young to do much of anything legally, Joni Mitchell released one of her biggest hits: Big Yellow Taxi. My friends and I loved singing that song, which was really a piece about dealing with seemingly unnecessary ecological losses, and very little about a yellow taxi. The chorus that everyone loved to sing went like this:
“Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got ‘til it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
In fact, until today when I Googled the song in the course of writing this commentary, I thought the name of that song was You Don’t Know What You’ve Got ‘Til It’s Gone.
Many times over the years when I experienced a personal loss, I have found myself singing those lyrics. Singing has always been a source of comfort to me, especially when going through troubled times. And as I have aged, I have found myself utilizing song even more. There is something about the sound of a familiar and friendly voice (even your own) that soothes my soul, and I am sure I am not alone in this experience.
But songs are not just for difficult times. Disney’s 1937 classic film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs featured the very popular song: Whistle While You Work, and in 1964, Disney again brought the positive impact of a song to light when Mary Poppins introduced the following lyrics to the world in “A Spoonful of Sugar:
“A robin feathering his nest
Has very little time to rest
While gathering his bits of twine and twig
Though quite intent in his pursuit
He has a merry tune to toot
He knows a song will move the job along - for
A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way”
The power of song to make an ordinary day seem special has never been more significant than in these difficult times. There is so much uncertainty in the world today – virtually the ENTIRE world, not just our own personal piece of it – and it is very easy to get caught up in the day to day frets and worries that bombard us from every direction. It is more important than ever to find the melody in your heart and sing yourself daily lullabies so that you do not lose your own “joie de vivre.” Music helps you define your purpose, and gives you the ability to positively pursue your dreams, even in the face of pervasive fear.
We each have our special musical memories – songs that literally take us back to certain times, places and events in our lives. We remember our high school class song (mine was We’ve Only Just Begun by the Carpenters); the song we associate with our first sweetheart or later, with our ultimate life partner; or sadly, a song that was playing on the radio when a loved one died. They all come together to serve as the soundtrack for our lives.
I challenge you all to think about your own personal theme song. What song in your past do you think sums up your life – past, present and FUTURE? Are you happy with the song you have been dancing to or would you like to make a change? If you don’t like what you have been doing, I heartily recommend you listen to and adopt Patti Labelle’s New Attitude:
“I'm feelin' good from my head to my shoes
Know where I'm goin' and I know what to do
I tidied up my point of view
I got a new attitude
Runnin' hot, runnin' cold
I was runnin' into overload
It was extreme, ex-ex-ex-ex-ex-extreme
It took it so high, so low
So low, there was nowhere to go
Like a dream
Somehow the wires uncrossed, the tables were turned
Never knew I had such a lesson to learn
I'm feelin' good from my head to my shoes
Know where I'm goin' and I know what to do
I tidied up my point of view
I got a new attitude.”
Until next time, I will sign off with the title of the personal theme song of an old Hollywood couple, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans: Happy Trails to You!!!
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