Music sooths the soul.

“Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought.”
E.Y. Harburg

“Music is the shorthand of emotion”
Leo Tolstoy

“Music has the power to move a person between different realities: from a broken body into a soaring spirit, from a broken heart into the connection of shared love, from death into the memory and movement of life. Music has the power to touch the heart of a child with God."
Dr. Deforia Lane

I know I have posted about how much music means to me before. There is something about it that just lifts my mood in a way nothing else does. When I get in one of my funks (and this is pretty heavy one) I have learned there are certain things I can do to help myself out of it. For that I am grateful to the one doctor I saw whom I didn't like. That is kind of ironic really. He is the only doctor have seen that I wouldn't go back to but in reality he probably gave me the best advice. 

He told me read a book. "Yes," he said "You suffer from a type of depression called Dysthymic Disorder. It doesn't go away. It is chemical not situational. That is why you can think your life is great and still feel this way. Now go read this book. Oh and take these pills. You are dismissed."  Okay maybe it wasn't exactly like that but it felt that way at the time. Anyway the book he told me to get is called Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by Dr.David Burns.  So I went and bought the book and put it on a shelf. I had it for about 3 years before I read it. I wish I hadn't of waited.

I knew some of what he said. When you have that feeling that you just can't. Can't get up and get dressed. Can't get anything done. Can't solve your problems. Can't take even one more thing. Can't be around people. You do. You get up, get dressed, and go meet a friend for lunch, go to the store, go walk around the mall, go do something. The one thing you DON"T do is stay at home in your pjs all day. Good solid common sense advice that is easier said then done. But then he gives you the key. Find that thing that gives you joy. Whatever it is and do it FIRST. For along time I would have told you for me that was reading. I was wrong. Oh man I was so so wrong. I love books. I truly do. Just like I love my bed and my pillow and my blankets. Books are my way of withdrawing from the world around me. They don't bring me joy. They bring me escape. Important distinction don't you think?

So I searched. I tried shopping (at thrift stores cause there is no cure for being cheap LOL), I tried various crafts, I tried exercise (NO joy there), I tried chickens, I bought a fish tank, I set up a space that was just for me, I did all kinds of things and nothing seemed like the thing. Until I realized I felt the best when I was driving around in the car. Is it driving around? Nope I hate to drive. Then I realized it was the music. I play wonderful, fun, blaringly loud music in the car when I am driving.

I realized I was on to something. I searched for funny songs, uplifting songs, soothing songs, and created a wonderful playlist. Then Apple made my day and released the Beatles songs. WOO HOO.

Here are some of the songs in my playlist:

Funky Jesus Music by TobyMac

Your Love is a Song by Switchfoot

Powerful Stuff by Sean Hayes

It's Good to Be Alive by Babbie Mason

Come Together by The Beatles

The Bob Song by Big and Rich

Amazing Grace by Chris Tomlin

Fast as you by Dwight Yoakam

I Love Rainy Night by Eddie Rabbit

Be Still, My Soul by Ginny Owens

Forgiven and Loved by Jummy Needham

I Play Chicken with the Train by Cowboy Troy

Trading My Sorrows by Jubilee Christian Center

I am the Walrus by The Beatles

I Feel Lucky by Mary Chapin Carpenter

Trying to Love Two Women by The Oak Ridge Boys

A Testimony by Rodnie Bryant

Revolution by The Beatles

In My Own Mind by Lyle Lovett

My Baby Don't Tolerate by Lyle Lovett

If I Had Boat by Lyle Lovett

She's No Lady by Lyle Lovett

There is a Way by NewWorldSon

Big Time by Big and Rich

Flowers on the Wall by The Statler Brothers

I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Weird mix huh? I love them all though. And yes I especially love Lyle Lovett. Other songs have been on there and some of these come and go but what a crazy bunch of songs.  I have a list of songs I want to buy and a list of songs to add a lot of them are ones I have on disk and I just haven't had time to transfer them to my ipod. A buck a song is pretty cheap therapy in my opinion.

I love sad wallowy type songs as well but I had to put them in a special playlist on my ipod. They can make things worse if I am not careful.

I tell you music is truly powerful stuff.

Shell