In my very first blog post, I mentioned that I used to be a pretty negative person. Unsurprisingly, I was also a fairly unhappy person. If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you’ve probably figured out that Amanda 2.0 is very, very different. One of the ways I stay positive these days is with what I call my “Happy Mix”: a playlist full of songs that never fail to lift my spirits.

I listen to it every single morning, without fail, and it always sets the right tone for the day. I also put it on when I catch myself feeling cranky, stressed, or depressed. Nothing turns my mood around faster.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Change Your Mind by Sister Hazel

This song became a personal anthem about ten years ago. It was a definite low point in my life. My fiance and I called off our wedding (the right decision, but it hurt more than I can begin to describe), I was unhappy with my job, I wasn’t in good physical shape, and I was generally feeling miserable the vast majority of the time. Finally, I realized I needed to do some serious soul searching, and came to the decision that some things had to change, and that only I could change them. Some were tangible changes (graduate school, gym membership, getting serious about saving for a house), and the others, the most important, were changes in my attitude. This song really sums up a lot of the ideas I embraced so I could become the person I wanted to be.

Favorite lines: “Did you ever think there might be another way to just feel better, just feel better about today?”

No Such Thing as a Broken Heart by Old Dominion

Speaking of the person I want to be, the first time I heard this song something in me started screaming “Exactly!” It’s such a great reminder about the importance of taking chances and giving life your all. I love the message here, and the gloriously upbeat melody usually has me bopping around my kitchen (or at my desk, or in the car…).

Favorite lines: “Cry when it hurts, laugh when it’s funny, chase after the dream, don’t chase after the money”.

St. Elmo’s Fire by John Parr

This song is most often associated with the film of the same name, but it was inspired by a true story, not a fictional one. From 1985 to 1987, Canadian athlete Rick Hansen completed the “Man in Motion World Tour”, circling the globe in his wheelchair to raise money and awareness for individual with disabilities. His amazing journey raised $26 million, caught the attention of the entire world, and is the basis for one of my very favorite songs.

Favorite lines: “I can climb the highest mountain, cross the widest sea, I can feel St. Elmo’s fire burning in me”.

Best Day of My Life by American Authors

If my life was a sitcom, this would totally be the theme song. It’s another song that’s so much fun to listen to that I can’t possibly stay still, and reminds me that every day can be the best day…it’s all up to me.

Favorite lines: “But all the possibilities, no limits, just epiphanies”.

What are your favorite feel good songs?