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Sound is energy that vibrates at a decibel we can hear; because it’s energy, it can be used to shift a mood, or perhaps even more.
So, how can you best use sound to facilitate increased joy, love, gratitude, and compassion?
For starters, you can be deliberate. Many people walk through life ‘reacting’ rather than being proactive. When you make a decision to choose what you listen to and when, you begin taking control of your own state of mind. Instead of letting the DJ on the radio decide, you may want to make a decision on your own.
Often times, you might find yourself shifting through stations on the radio, listening to the same ones, letting a tool like Pandora or Spotify choose for you, or downloading tracks on iTunes and sticking to those. I get it. It’s super convenient, takes thought out of the picture and allows you to focus on other activities. All the while, your conscious brain is occupied with whatever else you’re doing, so your subconscious mind is being influenced by the music and lyrics to which you’re listening.
This means music — as an energy source — affects your body and — at a level of subconscious programming — affects your belief systems and mind.
Powerful, right?
I suggest you make a list of your favorite songs, and in a column next to them, write down the emotional state they invoke. Then, in a third column write down if the lyrics are good or bad for your subconscious mind. In other words, write down if the lyrics are contributing to a better belief system that improves your life, or if they stand potential to lead towards more skepticism of the world around you, scarcity, sadness, or anger and frustration.
Once you have a detailed spreadsheet, you can use it to build a playlist. And, whenever you hear a song you really like, you’ll be able to add it to the list and become even more empowered.
- Do I like the sound of this song?
- Is this song helping me feel better or making me feel worse?
- Assuming this song is successful with implanting a belief system into my mind, am I happy with my new belief system?
I remember many years ago talking to a friend who listened to Adele for hours when sad. At the time, I thought it was neat she was choosing music that matched her mood. Nowadays, I reflect upon that memory and recognize choosing a melody and set of lyrics that gradually enhance her mood would be an improved strategy to feel better and get past the emotion. Perhaps a song that starts out slowly, softly, and builds in progression to a climax that is exciting, joyful, and full of love.
Can you tell how deliberately choosing music would be a great way to help you get out of a funk and improve your mood? Does it make sense that sadness paired with sadness leads to more sadness?
Sometimes, jumping to a song like ‘Celebrate’ may be a tough transition from a lousy mood, which is why a crescendo of music might be a better fit. Instead of seeking a complete opposite emotion immediately, it’s sensible to honor how you feel, choose a song or portion of a song that matches, then pace yourself out of the mood with a playlist that automatically guides you.
Instead of taking sound — and music — for granted, can you be more deliberate in your efforts and use music to feel bliss?
Sent to you with love, compassion, and gratitude,
