SPONTANEOUS ABANDON! Sound Good?
Some of the best memories of my life happened spontaneously. One, in particular, repeatedly comes to mind. It took place on a crispy cool, Colorado day. The brisk breeze had intimidated every cloud into hiding, so there was nothing but blue sky infinity capping off our world.
A dear friend had joined me on a mountain hike outside Telluride…to a place called Hope Lake. Even the name of our destination seemed part of the bigger picture. Truly, this was a Rocky Mountain "high” having nothing whatsoever to do with drugs. We were “ten feet off the ground” with the sheer joy of being surrounded by every glorious thing nature had to offer. When we got in the car for the ride home, it hit me. TURN ON THE TUNES! ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS! And, LET IT RIP! We only had a radio in the car but wouldn’t you know, the first song to come on was U2, singing…
IT’s A BEAUTIFUL DAY!
Exactly So! Hair flying. Eyes..150watts bright. Wind in our faces, singing off-key, at the very top of our lungs…exhilarated…as we “flew” down the mountain that day. Life in overdrive. Laughing. Singing. Loving being alive with every heartbeat.
The last couple of years, in particular, have found us wanting more of that, right?
Being on this mission of propelling positivity in the world requires me to aid in your pursuit of positive spontaneity and utter YES!-NESS! What could provide more reasons to be spontaneous than a carefully curated playlist (linked at the bottom of the page) guaranteed to automatically push all your jump-up-and-dance buttons?
It could also ignite your too-long-on-the-back-burner, need to sing…really, really earplugs loud. A quickie disclaimer here: Singing only, is preferred in the car, (if you are the designated driver) but those windows can come down as your spirits rise along with your voice.
DON'T LIKE ALL THE SELECTIONS? No Worries. Playlists can and should be very personal things. This one is designed so you can edit with abandon just for your tastes, as well. Just over 10 hours of the best singing and dancing music you could ever imagine…….is headed your way.
Here are just a smattering of the artists included, in no particular order:
U2, Pharrell Williams, Steve Winwood, TOTO, The Beatles, Kelly Clarkson, James Brown, Whitney Houston, Robert Palmer, Marvin Gaye & Tammy Tyrell, Sheryl Crow, Lionel Richie, Beyonce, Journey, Kenny Loggins, Cher, Pitbull, Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, Simon & Garfunkel, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart, Florence + the Machine, Wang Chung, Lady Gaga, The Police, Pink, Aretha Franklin, ZZ Top, Cyndi Lauper, Dionne Warwick, Elton John, BonnieTyler, The Beach Boys, Donna Summer, The Monkees, Huey Lewis and the News, Kiki Dee, Gloria Gaynor, Van Halen, Prince, Ricky Martin, Bon Jovi, Kylie Minogue, The B-52’s, Celine Dion, The Commitments, Natalie Cole, Gloria Estefan, DeBarge, Adele, John Mellencamp, Taylor Swift, Fine Young Cannibals, Stevie Nicks, Bee Gees, Phil Collins, ABBA, Billy Joel, Bruno Mars, Bananarama, Annie Lenox, Queen, Sister Sledge, Pat Benatar, The Go-Go’s, The Rolling Stones,
The Village People…
And…….guess who this is?….You’ll l be hearing a lot from her too…
Anna Mae Bullock. She’s got legs and knows how to use them!
(find out who she is at the very end!)
By the way, DID YOU KNOW…heavily researched science backs up the fun?
YES. Research, conducted around the world, about the emotional and physical benefits of singing and dancing, has concluded a majority of the same positive findings:
1. They both release endorphins which are considered the “up-llft” chemicals in the brain. Singing and dancing also strengthen the immune system.
2. Singing & Dancing release stored muscle tension and reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol.
3. They also release oxytocin, which is known as “the love hormone”. It activates the pleasure center in the brain and alleviates anxiety & stress.
4. Dancing and Singing, especially singing at the top of our lungs, requires deeper breathing which oxygenates the bloodstream, causing more oxygen to reach the brain…which then improves mental alertness, concentration, and memory.
5. Singing and dancing snap us into the present moment and help reduce worry.
BUT, DO WE REALLY NEED RESEARCH to know that jumping for joy, singing till we’re hoarse, and dancing till we drop is not doing us a world of good?
HERE SHE IS: Anna Mae Bullock became...
Could your “inner Tina” be waiting on you to
GET UP & DANCE??
This playlist is hosted by Spotify, one of the world's most popular audio streaming services. If you don’t have Spotify, not to worry (be happy), you can download Spotify from your phone's App Store, sign up with your email, and play, edit, & rearrange this playlist at no cost to you.
Just click on the link below to access the playlist!
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