Tag: music

One of the best Law of Attraction books you could read today was first published in 1913.

Let me tell you about it…

Recently we watched the PBS television remake of the classic children’s book, Pollyanna.

I absolutely loved the new movie.

The acting, scenery, editing and story were virtually perfect.

There have been other movies of Pollyanna, going way back to 1920 with famous silent film star Mary Pickford. And of course Disney did their version in 1960 with Hayley Mills.

But this recent version is fresh and timely.

And I loved being reminded of the message in it.

At the core of Pollyanna’s sunny personality is “the glad game.”

In short, it’s the ability to find something to be glad about in any situation.

“There is something about everything that you can be glad about, if you keep hunting long enough to find it.” ― Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna

As Porter’s books reveal, this is at first something you have to train yourself to do. Even Pollyanna wasn’t born knowing it. Her father taught it to her.

It reminds me of the art I bought a few months ago:

“Train your mind to see the good in every situation”

In short, you can train your mind to see the good.

It’s what recent neuroscience is telling us.

You are not your brain; you are the operator of it.

You can teach your mind how to look for the “glad” in life.

And once you “get it,” looking for the glad in any situation becomes a fun challenge.

But the payoff is happiness.

And isn’t that what you want?

On my forthcoming new album, I plan to record a song called “Look for the Light.” It’s a reminder that there is light in everything.

But after seeing this remake of Pollyanna, I also wrote a song called “The Glad Game.”

I’m dedicating my forthcoming sixth singer-songwriter album to Melissa Etheridge. It’ll have a “glad” song on it.

I’m using what I learned from my private lesson with rock icon Melissa Etheridge to write something memorable.

And all of this got me wondering where the glad game came from.

Did Eleanor Porter invent it?

“What men and women need is encouragement. Their natural resisting powers should be strengthened, not weakened…. Instead of always harping on a man’s faults, tell him of his virtues. Try to pull him out of his rut of bad habits. Hold up to him his better self, his REAL self that can dare and do and win out! … The influence of a beautiful, helpful, hopeful character is contagious, and may revolutionize a whole town…. People radiate what is in their minds and in their hearts. If a man feels kindly and obliging, his neighbors will feel that way, too, before long. But if he scolds and scowls and criticizes—his neighbors will return scowl for scowl, and add interest! … When you look for the bad, expecting it, you will get it. When you know you will find the good—you will get that…” – Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna

In my new book, The Miracle: Six Steps to Enlightenment, I mention a little book called Just Be Glad.

My latest book mentions a 1912 book called “Just Be Glad”

I went looking for it and found it.

It’s by Christian D. Larson, a popular New Thought author of such books as Your Forces and How to Use Them. He also penned the famous Optimist Creed, which I’ve reprinted in a book or two of my own.

Larson’s glad book came out in 1912.

Porter’s glad novel came out in 1913.

I can’t find any references to any “glad game” before 1913, when Pollyanna: The Glad Book was first published.

Certainly after the book became a bestseller, it triggered more books, a board game, a play, movies, and rumors have it there were glad game mastermind meetings.

Pollyanna became a huge bestseller in 1914, became a publishing phenomena, ignited a joyous, glad-hunting following around the world, and is still regarded as a classic of children’s literature today.

Maybe Larson’s little book gave Porter the idea for her novel. I can’t say. It’s not likely, though.

Porter was probably finishing her novel and sending it to the publisher in 1912, when Larson’s book arrived.

Eleanor Porter author of Pollyanna and many other books

So I think Porter deserves full credit for creating the idea of The Glad Game.

But I was also curious why the glad game isn’t talked about much these days.

Considering how much stress is reported in the world, and how much “fake news” is triggering unsettling emotions in people, learning to play the glad game would be welcome relief.

It could even be healing.

It could even help us return to a clarity of mind where we could better see our choices.

In fact, the glad game could be a wonderful way to change your inner vibration to one that is higher, brighter, and even wiser.

As you know, you get what you radiate.

Change the dial inside, using the glad game, and you can attract happier results.

So, why don’t more of us play the game?

My guess is that critical, skeptical, wounded, or cautious people think being a “Pollyanna” is not being a realist.

Over the decades, the term “Pollyanna” has come to be an insult; used to tell someone they are foolish, not in touch with reality, and possibly even dangerous to themselves.

But being a Pollyanna is making a choice on how to see the world.

You can still see the challenges, and still see the good in them, and still act to change them.

Letting situations or other people steal your happiness is being a victim.

Choosing to see the good/glad in situations or other people is being empowered.

You have a choice, of course.

For me, life is an optical illusion.

You see what you unconsciously expect and believe.

Like Pollyanna, you can consciously choose to look for and find the good/the glad/the light.

It’s your choice.

“Be glad. Be good. Be brave.” – Eleanor H. Porter

Remember, if you see the good but just sit there, you aren’t co-creating your reality.

You want to see the good, see the actions you need to take next, and do them.

After all, when Pollyanna was injured by a car, she didn’t give up. (She did briefly, but she pulled out of it.)

Instead, she got treatment and she got better.

Eleanor Porter, the author of Pollyanna: The Glad Book, explained it this way:

“Pollyanna did not pretend that everything was sugar-coated goodness, instead Pollyanna was positively determined to find the good in every situation.”

Note the difference?

Just looking at the world with blind eyes to objective reality is not what the author meant; it was looking at the world and finding the good in it.

Eleanor Porter once told an interviewer –

“People have thought that Pollyanna chirped that she was ‘glad’ at everything … I have never believed that we ought to deny discomfort and pain and evil; I have merely thought that it is far better to ‘greet the unknown with a cheer.'”

I believe the 1913 book was an unrecognized Law of Attraction resource.

Maybe it’s time for all of us to read it again, or at least go see the movie.

I think you’ll find something glad in it. 🙂

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – Learn about the recent PBS TV version of Pollyanna here:

https://www.amazon.com/Pollyanna-Sarah-Harding/dp/B01N67733P/

I think Eleanor Porter would love my latest book, or at least my new colored glasses

Ever since my personal songwriting lesson with rock icon Melissa Etheridge in November, my conversations have changed. Now I refer to Melissa in almost everything I say:

“According to Melissa…”

“When I was with Melissa…”

“Melissa told me…”

“What I learned from Melissa…”

“Melissa puts it this way…”

My two hours with her were so impactful that I think about it every day.

The legend: Melissa Etheridge. And, oh yea, me. I’m acting like I’m 6 years old.

I’ve listened to the audios (Melissa was kind enough to let me record my time with her) several times. I even transcribed the audios so I can get the information visually and not just audibly.

Apparently, life changed forever when I sat with Melissa in her home.

Since so many people liked my “Attracting Melissa Etheridge Part Two” post, I thought you might enjoy this third installment. If nothing else, it’ll give me a chance to say Melissa’s name a few more times.

When I sat with Melissa and her loving spouse in their kitchen, she wanted to know about my life in music.

“Music is sacred,” she said.

“Music is life. Music is nature. When you break reality down, and the dimensions down, it’s all music,” she said. “Tell me about you and music.”

So I told her about growing up hearing the crooners, from Frank Sinatra to Perry Como. But that was mostly because my father played their music. The breakout music for me was Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond.

Melissa loves them all and added she is a huge Neil Diamond fan.

One of my albums I gave Melissa

I gave her copies of several of my albums, including One More Day and Invoking Divinity.

She held each one as if it were a blessed gift from above.

She studied the photos of my band and wanted to know about each musician.

She was impressed that my drummer has the same name as me.

I was really touched that she was so interested and present with my music and me.

And then she wanted to know about my current music.

“Let me see your journal with your song ideas,” Melissa said.

I handed it to her, which I’ve never shown to anyone.

“This is your safe place to write any ideas,” she said.

“You have to throw just anything in there,” she explained. “Believe me, I didn’t think my song ‘Somebody Bring Me Some Water’ was a good thing. And I almost didn’t put ‘Come to My Window’ on the album. I didn’t think anyone would understand it. We are the worst critics of our own ideas.”

I found that fascinating, shocking, revealing and encouraging.

If Melissa Etheridge can doubt her songs, then it’s okay if I do, too.

We just can’t let the doubt stop us.

Melissa’s latest album, signed

“You need a safe book and a safe place and a good pen,” she said.

“I regard the connection to the Universe when you write as a sacred place,” she added. “And Divinity is only going to come when you are lined up with it.”

That’s when she told me to only write from inspiration.

“Get excited. Look forward to writing. I walk, read poetry, and I believe greatly in the power of cannabis connecting us to the Divinity,” she explained.

Well, she lost me there.

Cannabis isn’t legal in Texas.

I had given her a copy of my newest book, The Miracle.

I still kick myself for not taking a photo of her holding the book. I still see her in my mind, smiling bright, congratulating me on the new book.

Why didn’t I take a photo of that?

I gave a copy to Melissa but forgot to take a photo of her holding it

I told her I wanted to write a song about miracles.

“Miracles is your big overall subject,” she said. “What is it about miracles? You have to break that down to get to your core message.”

I showed her a few lyrics in my sacred book.

“Ohhhh, nice!” she said, clearly impressed. “Do you have any music for it?”

Not yet.

“You get to choose what you do next,” she explained.

“You can work on melody, chords, more lyrics,” she advised. “You get to choose.”

She urged writing from the first person, like I do in most of my blog posts and books.

“When you come from your personal space, the music is super powerful,” she explained. “So stay away from ‘you’ in your songs. Write from your own perspective.”

That was a big takeaway for me.

As a copywriter, I was trained to write about you, not me.

But as a songwriter, Melissa suggests I write from my view.

Melissa signed her book to me

Writing from the first person is what I am now doing with the songs for my forthcoming new album.

“Our job as artists is to help people to ascension and a wakefulness,” she explained. “Thus we contribute to the societal reality that becomes better.”

She explained how she wrote the song ‘Pulse’ about the Florida nightclub shooting.

“What I’m trying to show, and the chorus is, you know, I am human, I am loved, and my heart beats in my blood, love will always win, underneath the skin, everybody’s got a pulse. So how simply can I say this big old thought that I’m trying to get out is yes, a man came in and shot 49 people, killed them all with a gun, and do you know why? Because he is in so much pain.

“And if I don’t look at him and feel as much sorrow and sadness for him as I do for everyone who died and everyone who went through that experience, then I’m losing out, then I can’t get past this. If I believe in the duality, if I believe in the good and evil and that there’s evil, well, then I give all my power to that. So how can I gather energy to forgiveness and even understanding beyond the forgiveness? Because forgiveness still implies good and bad.”

“Forgiveness still implies good and bad.”

Whew.

I didn’t realize how deeply Melissa dug into her own thinking and her own soul to create such masterpieces as ‘Pulse.’ It made me reflect on my own songs and songwriting.

I decided right there I had to be even more focused on my messages.

My new rock star sunglasses

“As a songwriter, you’re always coming up against cliché,” Melissa explained. “So I always dance around the simple, the cliché even, yet sometimes the simple is right on, and then take the thought one level deeper.

“My junior year English teacher gave me the best advice I’ve ever, ever had. She said, ‘As a writer, you want to write just above the masses, just above. ‘ You want the masses to be able to understand, but you want them to reach up.”

That was more food for thought.

Make listeners “reach up” to fully understand.

We talked more about my idea to write a song about miracles. She wanted me to brainstorm and ad-lib and free associate. As I did, she kept urging me to write it all down in my sacred book.

“Editing is the fun part. You can do that later. That’s where the craft of songwriting comes in.”

When I said I used the phrase “The Great Something” as a way to hint at God, Divinity, or the Universe, without alienating anyone, Melissa lit up.

Thanks to Melissa, my new album will have a captivating new title

“Oh, that’s good. The Great Something. Write that down,” she said, pointing at my sacred book.

I did.

And it’s going to be the title of my forthcoming album.

“Miracle is a little weak just from overuse,” she told me. “People say it was a miracle their car started. Well, not really. This is why I use a thesaurus. You want to dig deeper, find other words.”

She added, “Be as specific in your writing as you are in your writing.”

I loved that line, even though I had to think about it more than once.

“Be as specific in your writing as you are in your writing.”

As you can see, Melissa and I covered a lot of ground in just two hours.

At another time I might share her singing advice, which I also found profound, but let’s stop here for today.

Again, thank you, Melissa!

Come to my window!

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – My other posts about Melissa Etheridge are at:

https://www.mrfire.com/law-of-attraction/attracting-melissa-etheridge-part-2/

https://www.mrfire.com/law-of-attraction/attracting-melissa-etheridge/

Note: You can watch Melissa Etheridge sing her song ‘Pulse’ here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsKbk4A1FWo

I’ve had this photo of Melissa Etheridge over 20 years

Whenever I want to improve in any area, I get a coach.

I know this to be so powerful, that it’s the reason I created my own Miracles Coaching program almost a decade ago. I had learned that whenever I got a coach, my skills accelerated.

For example:

Receiving a fitness award from Bill Phillips

When I wanted to get healthier, I went and studied directly with Bill Phillips, the legendary fitness guru behind the Body-for-Life movement. I received five honorable mentions for my success way back in 2004-2005. I received three medals for my transformation a few years ago, too, one of them presented to me by Bill Phillips himself. (!)

With Grammy nominated sax player Mindi Abair

When I wanted to learn how to play the saxophone, I studied with Grammy nominated legend Mindi Abair. We turned my fanship into a friendship. And I went on to play sax on several of my songs, and even created an entire album of my own baritone saxophone music. (!)

With famed bodybuilder Frank Zane

When I was interested in bodybuilding, I went and studied in person with a great winner, Frank Zane. While that was more than ten years ago, I still call up in memory what I learned in person from Frank and apply it today – over 10 years later. (!)

With rock icon Melissa Etheridge

When I wanted to dramatically improve my skills as a musician, I went and studied in the home of rock legend Melissa Etheridge. That coaching experience transformed my life. I began to apply what I learned directly from Melissa to my songwriting. My new album, to be recorded in January, will be dedicated to her for all her influence. I’m even drafting a song about her called (of course) “Melissa.” (!)

Why is it so important to get coaching?

Because I know I don’t know it all.

Because I know learning on my own takes time.

Because I know the best can show me shortcuts.

Because I know this is an investment in my growth.

Because I know once I delete limiting beliefs, I accelerate my success.

Because I know it’s the number one way to transform my life forever.

In every case when I sought out coaching, my skills made a quantum leap forward.

And this is why you need to consider my Miracles Coaching program.

The evidence is overwhelming that it works.

It doesn’t matter what you are trying to attract or achieve.

What matters is that you “get clear” of any limiting beliefs in the way of what you desire.

Coaching can help you clear your path.

With every person mentioned above, I found limiting beliefs in myself that I had to change.

I still remember Melissa Etheridge pointing out a belief she heard me say that I didn’t hear. A coach can be a mirror and relay back to you what you aren’t even aware you are saying.

I still remember working out with Frank Zane and him saying he listens to what people say as they exercise. Their self-talk, spoken out loud, reveals their limitations.

Again, coaching is powerful.

To get more information about my Miracles Coaching program, and to arrange for a complimentary consultation to see if it’s right for you, just go see http://www.MiraclesCoaching.com

Expect Miracles.

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – I wrote about my coaching experience with singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge right here on my blog. Get a sense of the power of it. Go see https://www.mrfire.com/law-of-attraction/attracting-melissa-etheridge-part-2/

PPS – If you want coaching with *me* personally, consider a private mastermind. Details at http://www.MiraclesMastermind.com

Dr. Joe Vitale Member BBB 2003-2017

Back on September 1st I wrote about how I used the Law of Attraction and the Law of Right Action to attract legendary singer-songwriter-guitarist Melissa Etheridge.

At that time I hadn’t met her yet or had my songwriting lesson with her.

Well, now I have.

With Melissa Etheridge (!)

As I write this in Los Angeles, I had my session with her yesterday, at her home.

She met me outside her door, hugged me, gave me that Melissa million dollar smile, and said, “I didn’t know you were a fan.”

A “fan” is an understatement.

I’m a fan-atic.

I’ve been in awe of her performing and her music since around 1995.

To be standing with her was surreal.

As it turns out, Melissa is a fan of my work, as well as the work of the rest of the teachers from the movie The Secret. She’s personal friends with Tony Robbins. (Tony introduced ho’oponopono to her and her sweet spouse.)

She reads all the deep-end metaphysical books. She says she began around 2003 by picking up Ken Wilber’s The Theory of Everything, which is like learning how to swim by being dropped in the Atlantic ocean.

Her spirituality and understanding of manifestation has helped her awaken and achieve even greater levels of success in more recent years.

She told me that laying on her back, with cancer, and watching the movie The Secret, forced her to think about what she wanted in her life.

“If I am this powerful being who gave myself cancer and can create whatever I want, then I want healed, I want to make more music, and I want to win an Oscar.”

Of course, she went on and did all of that.

My time with Melissa was about songwriting, but she began it by asking about my life in music, my books, and then showing me her guitar collection.

Her favorite guitars are in the trailer that goes on the road with her. But she has a guitar room with them lining the walls like playable art.

And she has a studio with old and new and prototype guitars. (Ovation is releasing a ME electric in January). She also has more guitars in storage.

In Melissa’s guitar room in her home

Of course, I related, understood, and told her of my own collection, which she says she wants to see one day.

We went in her home studio to focus on my actual lesson.

We each had a guitar. I had my songbook, where I jot ideas and snippets and songs. She said the songbook is sacred. (Later, I had her sign mine, making it even more priceless to me.)

Melissa wrote this in my sacred songwriting notebook

From there she had me pick a song idea. She wanted to know the why for writing a song.

“What’s important to say in the song? Why do you want to write it? What’s the intention for it?”

She told me how she wrote some of her own songs, first thinking about why she wanted to write them.

She explained that for her song, Pulse, she wanted people to know that the person who went into a nightclub and shot dozens of people did so because he was in pain.

She also explained that for the Al Gore slide show about global warning, she wanted people to know that “I have to change,” not anyone else.

I found her to be a deep thinker, cutting to the core with her messages.

I told her about wanting to tell people how they could be happy now, and manifest their lives using the Law of Attraction, and more.

She nodded, accepting my reasons.

From there, for Melissa, it all begins with what I call a brain dump.

“Just write words,” she said. “Let it be okay whatever comes.”

She also advised to “fall in love with words.”

She uses a paperback thesaurus to look up other words, so she isn’t using too common or too cliche of words.

While I had been using Masterwriter, a popular software for songwriters, I found using a printed thesaurus slower but more enlightening.

The time spent looking up a word gave my mind time to think, and the alternate words were often surprising and triggered other thoughts.

We began with me wanting to write a song about Miracles, since my new book is titled The Miracle.

Melissa and some of her guitars

But within minutes the song became about The Great Something, a concept I write about in my book The Secret Prayer.

Instead of saying God, or Divine, or Universe, I refer to the super power behind all of life as “The Great Something.”

Melissa loved “The Great Something”‘ because it made you want to know more.

In a song, it would make you want to listen.

I got excited watching the song unfold with Melissa’s help.

Melissa often writes pages of words and phrases, knowing that later she will edit them.

“Editing is the fun part,” she told me.

She pointed to the back cover of my album, One More Day, to the line, “Self-help messages in 3 minutes or so.”

“That’s the challenge,” she said, smiling bright. “To condense pages of ideas into a three minute song.”

“That’s why I’m here,” I said. 🙂

Her songwriting template, more often than not, is to write a verse, then go right to the chorus, then to a versus, chorus, bridge, and chorus again.

“It’s stating the problem in the verse, and often a solution in the chorus,” she explained. “The next verse might spell out the problem more, and the chorus will again offer the upbeat solution.”

One of the biggest insights for me was the idea of writing in the first person.

Melissa says that first person songs are more personal and hit home with people.

Second person, or ‘you’ oriented songs, are one step removed from the listener and have less impact.

More often than not, she writes in the first person.

Melissa showing me her all-time favorite guitar, a Fender Telecaster. “If there’s a fire and I can only grab one guitar, it’s this one.”

I started to play with the idea of writing The Great Something song in the first person. I instantly felt more connected to the song, and felt more power in the message.

I also saw myself get more excited and inspired.

“Always write from inspiration,” she had told me earlier.

“Get to that place where you have tingles of excitement for whatever you are about to write,”she added. “Never write without the tingles.”

She doesn’t meditate but often walks in nature, looks at trees and flowers, reads some poetry, reviews songs from people she admires, from Bruce Springsteen to Neil Diamond, all to ignite her inspiration.

I told her I smoke cigars.

She didn’t seem to relate to that.

Of course, she lives in a state where cannabis is legal.

Later she asked me to sing for her.

Now try to imagine that.

I’m a star-struck beginner at singing, sitting in the home studio of a rock and roll legend who has the most soaring voice of all time, and she says, “Sing for me.”

That’s like having Elvis ask you to sing.

Well, I did.

Melissa showing me her rare Rickenbacker “Cadillac”, an electric 12-string that can be turned into a 6-string with an awkward device

I played a snippet of my song One More Day, off my One More Day album, and a snippet of my song Today’s the Day, off my Strut album.

I also played a little instrumental, to give her a sense of what Guitar Monk Mathew Dixon and I create.

I was off key, out of step, and out of tune, but I did it anyway.

Melissa smiled big and said she bets the recorded versions with the band are stellar.

I then asked about singing advice.

Melissa took a breath and gave me a long, wise, hypnotic answer about watching the Ed Sullivan Show on TV and being influenced by Tom Jones, Janis Joplin, Robert Plant and others.

She noticed their joy in singing was what was so captivating.

Melissa showing a “Mustang” guitar given to her by the Ford Institute

She went on to say she wanted her music to be ballsy, not girlie.

She didn’t want to sing head voice, though she could.

She wanted something deeper and harder.

I related and told her I often felt more comfortable singing with a baritone guitar, which lowered my voice into my chest.

“That’s a good place for your voice,” she said. “It’s at home there.”

She also gave advice on performing.

“Never perform sitting down,” she said. “It cuts off your breathing.”

“And always eat, be hydrated, and get plenty of rest, so you can deliver your performance with full power.”

I’ll be processing my time with Melissa Etheridge for the rest of my life.

I found her open, loving, generous, spiritual, fearless, talented, present, friendly and wise.

Thanks to Melissa, my new album has a new title

She even invited me to speak on her next cruise ship concert. (!)

I was a fan (fanatic) before meeting her in person.

Today I’m in love.

Hey Melissa, I want to come over – again!

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – Please note that whenever you have an expert coach you, your experience and expertise leap in incalculable measures. Melissa Etheridge heard a limiting belief come out of my mouth that I didn’t hear and I was the one who said it. We all need a coach. Consider Miracles Coaching.

Motivational songs?

Yes.

Why?

Because everything programs you.

You don’t have to be consciously focused on conversations around you, or the media blaring news over TVs in a bar or restaurant, or billboards in your field of vision as you drive, or even the music playing in the background as you work, walk, rest, exercise or lounge.

It’s still all programming you.

Your mind is picking up around 40,000,000 bits of information in every second.

Even right now, as you read these words.

You’re not aware of it all, thank goodness, because another part of your mind is filtering it.

That other part lets you become aware of only what is necessary to your goals and survival.

But that other part is also receiving all that other programming.

My fifth and most recent singer-songwriter album

When it comes to attracting more of what you want using the Law of Attraction, you need to become aware of this hidden programming, and consciously surround yourself with what supports you.

And that’s where I want to talk about motivational songs.

Music can program you for lack and limitation.

I’ve written about this many times, explaining if you can’t seem to get what you want today, it could very well be due to the Rolling Stones singing “You can’t always get what you want” into your brain since the 1960s.

Great song.

Lousy affirmation.

What we need to do today is carefully choose what we allow into our heads.

We have choice.

You can still listen to the Rolling Stones, or any other band you love, just with an awareness of the lyrics and the consciousness to prevent any limited thinking programming.

You can also search for more upbeat, positive music.

For example, more and more music is being called “healing music” and “self help” music. It’s music intentionally created to motivate you, inspire you, or even enlighten you.

A quick search brought up these top motivational songs:

• What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
• Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor
• Over The Rainbow – Judy Garland
• Beautiful Day – U2
• Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye
• Here Comes The Sun – The Beatles
• Imagine – John Lennon
• Walking On Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
• Don’t Give Up – Peter Gabriel
• Let It Be – The Beatles
• I Feel Good – James Brown
• Heroes – David Bowie
• Heal The World – Michael Jackson
• Get Up Stand Up – Bob Marley
• Walk – Foo Fighters
• Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
• Dream On – Aerosmith
• Perfect Day – Lou Reed
• Lovely Day – Bill Withers
• Smile – Nat King Cole

You can of course create your own playlist of self-help or motivational songs.

Meanwhile, let me share some of my own adventures in making motivational music:

Back in 2011, when I began recording my first album, I consciously decided to make it a “meditation meets the blues” recording.

I brought in my muse and support at the time, Sarah McSweeney, and together with producer Daniel Barrett, we created Blue Healer.

We also recorded it in record time (no pun intended), so I could be on the cover of Austin All Natural magazine announcing my first ever music album.

We succeeded, too.

My famous band

My next album in 2012, was my first singer-songwriter one.

I knew I wanted to create songs that helped me feel inspired and motivated. The album title track, Strut!, was a rally call for people to “strut around” when they felt down.

It’s the positive psychology principle that just smiling, even when you don’t feel like it, will change your internal state.

Fake a smile to feel a smile.

Strut to feel like strutting.

My first major music video from the Strut! album became, over the years, my all-time most watched video. You can still see “Everybody’s Going Through Something” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzT_yljj-SU

At this point I’ve recorded five singer-songwriter albums.

I’m going to record album six in January, after my private songwriting lesson with the legendary Melissa Etheridge next week. (!)

I’ll again attract my all-star band back into the studio:

• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer Joe Vitale (yes, same name as mine),
• legendary bass player Glenn Fukunaga,
• Guitar Monk Mathew Dixon,
• and of course my producer, Daniel Barrett.

Together we’ll make more motivational songs.

But I’m not the only one creating music to help people.

Free book at http://www.healingmusicbook.com

In the last few years of making music, I’ve met many other artists creating their own forms of motivational songs, or healing music, and self help music.

For example –

• Jana Stanfield, another great singer, told me about a group of singer-songwriters who were all making positive music. Called EmPower Music & Arts and it’s at https://www.empowerma.com/
• Bob Baker, well known for his books on how to market music, dropped by one day and gave me a copy of an album he created with Pooki Lee. I listened and loved it. Opening Up to the Good is all about feel-good music you feed your mind. Check it out at https://soulmassage.bandcamp.com/
• Ruthie Foster, a Grammy nominated blues singer I adore, made an album with me (!), and Daniel Barrett, called Stretch. We call it musical medicine. Details at http://www.transformingmusic.com/
• And of course Guitar Monk Mathew Dixon and I have recorded several instrumental albums, many of which are bestsellers for us. Almost all of them are inspired by the Hawaiian spiritual healing system called ho’oponopono. You can read about those albums and others at http://www.allhealingmusic.com

I could go on.

Obviously, you have choice in what you listen to.

The Jive Aces, a really cool swing-jump-jazz dance band from the UK, has a video that makes me smile whenever I watch it. Over 2,000,000 have seen it. It’s “Bring Me Sunshine” and you can watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXvJ8UquYoo 

The point of this post is to help you remember to consciously guard the roads into your mind.

Whether it’s audio or visual, you want to feed your brain what will nourish and support you.

Listening to the right music is one key way to do it.

Meanwhile, dance, sing and strut your stuff!

Ao Akua

Joe

PS- A list of my singer-songwriter albums is here at CDBaby and almost all of my albums so far are listed at http://www.allhealingmusic.com

Member BBB 2003 – 2017