6 Songs to Motivate and Inspire You
do you ever have those days when it’s hard to feel motivated to do anything? zero motivation to even take a shower let alone trying to chase your dreams? i have those days and i’ve been having a lot more of them lately as i prepare to revamp and restructure what i want ‘the new wifestyle’ to be. if you need a reminder, let’s recall that doing big things and chasing after dreams (and even exercise) isn’t supposed to be comfortable.
remember when ben folds and i became bffs and i remembered that music has a large impact on me? well it does. music can make feel deep emotions, bring me to tears, make me dance like in the middle of the street or scream sing at the top of my lungs. it can even even motivate me to do things that i’m not that excited about-it’s true.
i created a playlist of power songs that i’m currently listening to and they inspire me to keep believing in my dreams, goals and pursuit of capabilities.
these are songs that i currently run to, sing to, dance to, and listen to so that i may find inspiration to take the next step (in running and in chasing these dreams). they instill that extra boost of confidence that allows me to believe i can take on the world.
here they are:
sara bareilles “uncharted”
[blockquote source=”sara b”]i’m already out of foolproof ideas
so don’t ask me how to get started,
it’s all uncharted…
[/blockquote]
who doesn’t love sara bareilles? she’s so amazing and inspiring and this music video includes some other solid artists that makes me happy to watch and see them all be friends!
taylor swift, “shake it off”
[blockquote source=”t. swift”]and the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate…
baby, i’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
i shake it off, i shake it off[/blockquote]
maybe it’s starting to be overplayed but this song quite literally makes me shake off my bad mood and dance furiously. did anyone else think she said “and the bakers gonna bake bake bake bake bake” at 0:57 in? i 100% did until my husband said “i think she’s saying fakers.” whatever, i say bake because those bakers should bake. bake. bake…me things.
lenka, “everything’s okay” (no music video just song)
[blockquote source=”lenka”]keep giving me hope for a better day
keep giving me love to find a way
through this heaviness I feel
i just need someone to say, everything’s okay[/blockquote]
my friend beki (who also inspired me to put these songs together) put this song on our road trip album when we moved to texas for 6 months last year. it was amazing and i love it. sometimes you just need to hear everything is okay.
iggy azalea, “impossible is nothing”
[blockquote source=”iggy izzz”]keep on living, keep on breathing
even when you don’t believe it
keep on climbing, keep on reaching
even when this world can’t see it
no, impossible is nothing
got to hate to not have it more than you’d love to obtain[/blockquote]
while i don’t love all of her songs, i sure do like this one and it’s definitely gotten me through my last mile of a run. i love the line of “got to hate to not have it more than you’d love to obtain.” quite powerful and true!
ingrid michaelson, “girls chase boys”
[blockquote source=”ingrid michealson”]let’s not make it harder than it has to be
i got two hands, one beating heart
and i’ll be alright[/blockquote]
the beat to this makes me feel like i can do anything! i love that she’s flipped the gender roles from the ‘simply irresistible‘ music video. she also makes me want to wear bigger and cooler glasses. songs with clapping are always winners in my book.
sara bareilles “brave”
[blockquote source=”sara bareilles”]say what you wanna say
and let the words fall out
honestly I wanna see you be brave
everybody’s been there,
everybody’s been stared down by the enemy
fallen for the fear
and done some disappearing,
bow down to the mighty
don’t run, just stop holding your tongue[/blockquote]
yeah, sara gets to appear again because she’s a badass woman.
give these songs a listen when you need an extra boost of inspiration or motivation to accomplish those dreams and goals you have to take over the world.
question:
what songs make you feel this way? i’m always looking for more to add to my playlist so please share songs that make you feel inspired!
ps. check out my tips today on amanda’s blog for traveling with your spouse!
Dee Dee
September 25, 2014 at 8:40 am
Currently I love One Republic’s “I Lived” (it was played on Red Band Society on Fox last night-Love that new show!) & Beach Avenue’s “Coming your Way”
chelsea
September 25, 2014 at 12:54 pm
oh can’t wait to check out those songs, thanks dee dee! i love one republic so i’m excited to hear that one. hope you’re having a good day!
Jennifer Haston
September 25, 2014 at 8:43 am
Hey Chelsea! Great post! I was totally feeling that way yesterday-
Top 6 movies that inspire me (but have the double edged sword of possibly having me procrastinate more so be careful
1. Strictly Ballroom – “a life lived in fear, is a life half-lived”
2. Morning Glory- “Are you going to sing?” “why does everyone always ask me that?”
3. Centerstage- just love all the dancing and auditioning and dancing
4. Legally Blonde- inspires me to go for it, like Elle does over and over again
5. Tootsie- “George Fields: You’re insane Michael.
Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels:
No I’m not. I’m employed
6. Goodbye Girl – “Elliot Garfield: Words are the canvas of an actor. His lips are his brushes, and his tongue – the colors of the spectrum. And when he speaks, he paints portraits.
And because you asked for songs-
Natasha Bedingfield- “Strip Me”
Pharrell – “Happy”
Cowboy Mouth – “Get out of my Way”
Blackeyed Peas- “Let’s Get it Started”
Peach Union- “On My Own”
CeCe Music Factory- Everybody Dance Now
Keep going Chelsea, you CAN DO IT!
Jennifer Haston recently posted…Love is laundry
chelsea
September 25, 2014 at 12:57 pm
heeeeyo! thanks for all those suggestions, jennifer! i hope your day is better today! i haven’t seen all of those movies so i’ll have to add some to my list (legally blonde…always funny).
thanks for sharing the music too-you are a wealth of great suggestions! thanks also for the encouragement…WE got this!
chelsea recently posted…6 Songs to Motivate and Inspire You
Amanda
September 25, 2014 at 9:02 am
I love me some Iggy, but unfortunately I can’t even stand “Brave” anymore since it was soo overplayed on the radio for awhile. Another song I love and listen to feel better and happy is the Used & MCR cover of Under Pressure. MCR’s I’m not Okay and Na Na Na always pump me up too. Oh, and Beyonce’s Girls Run the World.
Amanda recently posted…5 Tips for Traveling with Your Spouse
chelsea
September 25, 2014 at 1:00 pm
haha i feel you amanda! i loved the song ‘brave’ so much when it first came out that i made a conscious effort to change the channel or not listen unless i really needed it so i can understand the burn out!
those are great suggestions too, i will have to check out MCR! i almost added beyonce’s ‘girls…’ on there too! it’s a catchy one and i like it but i think it can give a false impression that women are ‘running the world’ when indeed we are grossly underrepresented in politics and leadership. making strides though, aren’t we ladies 🙂
Debra
September 25, 2014 at 11:10 am
I am going to give Sara Bareilles one more shout out as I love “King of Anything”. Great message to anyone. Love the lyrics!
chelsea
September 25, 2014 at 1:01 pm
ohhh i totally forgot about that one, debra! thanks for the reminder. was like one of her first singles? i remember really loving it and still do so thank you!
Ashley @ Saving Money in your Twenties
September 25, 2014 at 1:13 pm
…. aaaand now every time I hear shake it off I’m going to think of bakers and cookies and cupcakes… dang you!
I agree with Debra, King of Anything is such a good song!!!
Ashley @ Saving Money in your Twenties recently posted…Deals that seem too good to be trueâ¦
chelsea
September 25, 2014 at 1:59 pm
hahah YES ashley! i can also teach you my dance moves of pretending to crack an egg and then it’s 1-2-3 stir the pot, repeat 🙂
Alison
September 25, 2014 at 8:32 pm
I’m currently addicted to:
All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor – YAY positive body image!
and
Girl In a Country Song by Maddie and Tae – YAY rejecting typical roles of women!
chelsea
September 25, 2014 at 10:21 pm
yay alison! thanks for your comment 🙂 and those are SUCH good songs. i’ve worn myself out on ‘all about that bass’ and i watched the version with jimmy falon and her 4xs. ‘girl in a country song’ is also solid-hope you’ve seen the video because it’s hilarious.