Music, it's all in the tunes you play...even if it's in your head!

Music, that’s it!

 

Someone asked me the other day what it was that made me tick. Apparently music should have been my answer. Come to think of it, I’m not sure that I actually answered that question yet….maybe I should. 

Anyway, tonight was hockey night in the Bridge and my daughter and two of my girlfriends came to watch and as soon as I skated off the ice I got these words of advice: 

“You need music in your head, when the music is on you give it your all and skate like hell and when the music stops you straighten up, you get tense and you skate like shit!”  

So maybe that quote isn’t word for word, but it’s pretty damn close.  

Funny thing is, when I take my road bike or mountain bike out and I’m having a hard time keeping pace or making that next climb I tend to sing in my head to push through, so why wouldn’t it be any different for hockey? 

I’ll admit, I love hockey, just like I love my mountain bike and I’m sure if I tried any other sport I’d love it just as much. To be honest it’s the only time that I can ditch all the voices in my head; I can stop thinking or over thinking life and just be. Just be, in the moment 100%. That’s a hard thing to do these days, especially when we’re all so connected. Just be. It’s pretty simple really, yet sometimes it’s really hard to do. 

So, not only do I need to focus on keeping two hands on my stick, keep an eye on the defence player that I’m covering, keep my blades down, keep my stance wide, skate like hell but now I need to sing in my head in order to put it all together in a much better form!

Next question will be this:

What song will I sing? Which one will be my go to?  

Last year, every time I took my road bike out and every time I hit a gruelling climb, I automatically went to “Starships” by Nicki Minaj. It just doesn’t seem like a go to hockey song to be honest.  

My go to for spinning (not that I currently teach), regardless, if I want to get in “spin natzi” gear then it’s “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” by Nickelback and Kid Rock or “Burn It To The Ground” by Nickelback or “Better Off” by Theory of a Deadman.  

It’s amazing just what the right music will do for your mood. It can pump you up, it can bring you down or simply mellow you out. 

I have a week to figure out my hockey go to song.  Now I wonder just what it may be.

Why do we stress ourselves so?

Have you ever experienced that moment of panic, the one where you hold your breath for a brief second? You know, to the point where you realize you just stopped breathing? That moment when you didn’t expect the unexpected, where you were going along living life, happy in the moment and then that moment hit.  

They can hit at any given time, so why is it that we’re never prepared? We’re not ready, taken aback, panic stricken for that sheer moment, but why? 

To prolong the moment, if you’re anything like me, your mind starts racing in a billion directions over thinking everything up to that point in time. Trying to figure out why the panic, what is it that you are so afraid of? Then it comes to the debate in your mind of why am I thinking the worst? Especially when you know beyond a doubt that you have done absolutely nothing wrong and you know the worst possible thoughts are merely thoughts that are stuck in your head. 

I had that moment, minutes ago. At the mail box of all things! I opened it up, expecting bills because really what the hell else comes in the mail these days and even the bills really don’t ever need to hit paper copy anymore either, however some things I have yet to change. 

Anyway, I found an extra large envelope in the box and what did I do first? I looked at the return address! And then what happened? I held my breath and thought

WHAT THE HELL NOW?

Seriously that is exactly what I thought and honestly I think I probably even voiced those words out loud. I did, I’m pretty certain of it. 

So, then I decided that I should wait to open the envelope until I was inside my own home, until I was sitting down, until I was in a little bit more of a relaxed state of mind. But who am I kidding? Was I any more relaxed? NO. By the time I walked into my place, sat myself down at the table and ripped that envelope open I had gone thru every possible scenario with arguments as to why and how it could not be any of those terrible thoughts that I had just had. 

Then what happened? 

The first thing I saw in the envelope was a cheque, addressed to me (don’t kid yourself, it wasn’t anything exciting, but it was $67.50 that I didn’t have a moment before). And then I giggled and laughed and smiled and shook my head at the crazy thoughts that I had just put myself thru. The package was a complete package of goodness! It was a celebratory package, filled only with what brings me happy thoughts!

And that’s how we do it, that’s how we stress ourselves out every single day. We stress our selves out over thoughts, our own simple thoughts. Regardless of whether or not there’s any merit to it, anything backing up the possibility of the good, the bad, the ugly. We still do it, all by ourselves without the help of anyone else.  

This was not the blog post that I had anticipated writing considering it is my first in close to a year. However, you’ve got to start somewhere so why not here? 

Be well and keep smiling, life really does get better and everything does fall into place if you ensure you maintain your good character and never let yourself be changed by someone else’s words or actions.

 

Happy thoughts people…..HAPPY THOUGHTS!