Welcome to the first installment of our Creator Resolutions Blog series. With the new year ushering in a wave of creative energy, we're invited to dream with infinite optimism and real intention! To kick off 2023, we asked Tongal Creators to share with us tips to help you hit the ground running in the upcoming year. Enjoy!
Most of us have likely found some sort of solace or camaraderie in music in both the trenches and triumphs of life.
For many, music is a reflection of our own experiences that shows us we are never alone. It speaks our own experiences back to us in the words of another, telling tales of those who have been where we are and survived to see better days, and of those who meet us right where we are.
I know I speak for myself as well as many of my friends when I say that one of the best ways to dig out of a slump is through great music. So, as we start a new year, a time when we all try to find the motivation to meet our goals and then try to make that motivation last for more than a month, I set out to find some great music that embodies that idea. I asked around to get a variety of great hype songs to get us going this year.
When I initially started this project, I expected to get a lot of answers along the lines of The Score’s “Born For This” or AC/DC’s “For Those About to Rock”, but as I received responses, I found the article turned into something much different. People weren’t choosing the most obvious songs. They actually let me into their hearts and minds, and I think it turned out much more beautiful than a list of songs everyone already knows that athletes run out of the tunnel to.
With each submission I felt like each person was giving me a tiny piece of their heart and that really touched me. So, the following reflects how beautifully and deeply music really affects us as people, and it speaks to how a song has a unique meaning to each person. It’s as if any given song lives a thousand lives in the minds of as many people that hear it. So, I hope some of you discover inspiration in these songs, but if nothing else, I hope that each submission strikes you as beautiful the same way it did me. Happy New Year folks!
“Why Worry” by Set It Off
“It’s obviously easier said than done, but it’s a really nice reminder to breathe and keep going. It’s also got a very happy-mood-inducing vibe. I have what I call my ‘ugh’ playlist, for days when my mood is really funky. This song was actually the first song I added to that playlist that was a positive vibe. I decided that I really should incorporate more positive music into my funky moods, instead of kind of digging myself into a deeper “funk” by listening to kind of depressing songs. I’m all about a good cry-my-eyes-out song, but I also found it easier to pull myself up when I got something as simple as happy music playing. It’s all about baby steps.” - Sarah Badon
“Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
“When I was in the Navy and we had to do our final timed run to qualify (or have remedial exercise until you pass lol) the Chief monitoring the run put that song, Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood on the p.a. I had no idea what it meant then. I just enjoyed the music and energy. It gave me the drive to complete the run and want to do more, and I wasn’t even tired. Still 33 years later, it gets me going when I hear it.” - Matt Swayne
“Mister Glassman” by Scotty Sire
“My song is Mister Glassman. It’s an unusual combination of jazz and rap that tells a story of struggle and the growth that comes with it. I find it motivational because I can relate to the shy quiet narrator, and the song gives me hope that one day I can live my dreams similar to how the narrator does. It encourages me to work hard for my dreams and keep pushing through. 'Hard to get by when you’re feeling so shy, (good part) you got to keep on moving just a step at a time'.” - Casey Laviolette
“Where The Streets Have No Name” by U2
“I first heard this song in 1987. This song inspired me to be the best I can be in anything I do in life. To this day I still listen to this song to motivate me to move forward and take each day one day at a time and to stay positive and to excel at anything I do.” - Phillip Burch
“Don’t I Make it Look Easy” by Megan Trainor
“Not only does it talk about how hard it is to have a normal life, but it also talks about how we seem to be ok, but often we aren’t. It’s encouraging to me because I often help others so much that I forget about myself or hide how I feel. But this song shows me I don’t have to. I should be able to talk about my feelings, and do what I need to do to make my life healthier and easier! It’s definitely a good pick-me-up song and one I listen to daily for support!” - Christen Naylor
“Keep Pushin’” by REO Speedwagon and “Unstoppable” by Sia
“My 2 faves would have to be “Keep Pushin’" by REO Speedwagon and "Unstoppable" by Sia. Each hypes me up, lifts my mood, and makes me feel empowered in a way. I want to get off my behind and dance in my kitchen, sing really loud (and a little off key), work harder, love stronger, feel depressions and anxieties lifted, like there's nothing else in that moment to do but to celebrate.” - Joy Lea
“Imagine” by John Lennon
“I was 6 years old when this wonderful, time-stood song was released. Having known it all my life, it draws me back to my childhood when anything was possible. Anything. Even peace on earth, we love and accept humans as they are, we try to leave a very good footprint in every step we take in life. It’s how I try to live my life, love others and treat them well, this life isn’t about only ourselves. It's about each other. Strangers too.” - Jackie Laurindine
“Amarillo Sky” by Jason Aldean
“I listened to this song nonstop when I was studying for a French final once and every time he’d 'take the tractor another round,' I’d take a deep breath and take another round at my study guide. Reminds you not to complain.” - Ava Borsky
“They Grow Up Too Fast” by Jimmy Charles
“This song takes my heart back through so many memories and milestones of my son’s childhood and my mom life. It hits different when I listen to it now as he is on the verge of closing a big door and opening an even bigger one. Give me a replay, give me a rewind if there’s a way to turn back time someone show me how, and make it right now. This song tugs at my heartstrings. It motivates me to treasure all the memories we’ve made and reminds me to live in the moment. Even though one door is closing, another one is opening with lots of new memories to be made.” - Sandy Morgan
“Could Have Been Me” by The Struts
Although I can think of a multitude of great songs, this has been one of my favorites lately. To me, it is a story of refusing to let naysayers or fear stop you from trying, with the knowledge that if you don’t attempt to follow your dreams you’ll always look back and wonder what would have happened if you had, or look at others who did and say “it could have been me.” The lyric “I can’t hear you, I don’t fear you” really stands out to me as yelling those words to all of my anxiety. - Avery Lea
Thank you to everyone who submitted a song, I couldn’t have done it without you each. With that, I hope everyone has a year filled with successes and growth, even in the low times: which each year has, and that in those lows you each are able to find the hope to move forward in the face of whatever comes your way.
Want to keep listening? Check out our Spotify playlist featuring music from this article.
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Note From Tongal: This blog is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tongal Blog Open Call Project. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Tongal. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here!
