feel good friday: you're beautiful

finally! feel good friday is upon us!

i don't know about your week folks, but, boy am i glad it's friday!

this week's feel good friday tune is by the one, the only, and the incredibly talented carole king!

her album "tapestry" is definitely on my list of all time favorites. it's so good that there are literally no words to describe how fantastic the album is.

tiny history lesson: carole king's album "tapestry" was released in 1971, the album has sold over 25 million copies worldwide, in 1995 it went certified diamond in the u.s., and to this day it is the longest charting album by a female solo artist.

ok, tiny history lesson over.

for this week's feel good friday tune, i chose track number five off of "tapestry," the song is called "beautiful."

this is one of my personal favorite songs to walk around and bop along to. even if i'm having the most terrible of days. i just play this song and i begin to feel like i'm walking on clouds and rays of sunshine start beaming from my heart. i know that's super cheesy, but, watch out, that grilled cheese is about to get a few extra slices! what i love most about that feeling (y'know the walking on clouds, rays of sunshine beaming from my heart, etc) is that i know no one can take that from me. because it started from within me.

so, listen to this song-don't walk on clouds, strut if ya like! let those big bright rays of sunshine beam from your heart. no one can take those things away from you.

if you're reading this, unsure about how its possible to feel that way by listening to a song,

check these lyrics out,

i have often asked myself the reason for the sadness
in a world where tears are just a lullaby
if there's any answer, maybe love can end the madness
maybe not, oh, but we can only try

you've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
and show the world all the love in your heart
then people gonna treat you better

you're gonna find, yes, you will

that you're beautiful as you feel

still unsure? here, have a listen:

hope you have a wonderful day!

and if you have halloween plans that you have a fab (and SAFE) time!

what are you going to be?!

i want to know! :]

take care, and remember, you're beautiful!

xoxo

(p.s. if you have any suggestions for feel good friday tunes- leave 'em in the comments or get at me on twitter- @mrolla)

feel good friday: then you stand

salutations folks!

i am just so thrilled with this week's feel good friday tune! (and i hope you will be too!)

though, i must admit i myself am not well versed in the world of song and story-telling that is country music, but that doesn't mean i don't appreciate it or the people who are!

this week's tune was a request from an avid reader of the blog, and after taking a listen, i couldn't help but oblige- so reader, i thank you!

even if you don't dabble into the realm of country music, i'm sure you've heard of this band, they have their own branch of the sound bite/music card collection from hallmark, (and i would know, because when it comes to greeting cards, i am an expert. i even have one of those greeting-card-organizer-boxes, and it's FULL.)

anywho, the band is the rascal flatts, and the feel good friday song is, "stand."

while watching the music video, i got the goosebumps.

the message in this song is clear: the hard times are a test. a test of your strength, your endurance, and your limits. but the most powerful part of the message is this, in the end, the courage to stand comes from within you. and every time you stand after a fall, you get a little stronger.

here's a lyric sample (and my personal favorite lyrics from the song)

cause when push comes to shove
you taste what you're made of
you might bend till you break
cause it's all you can take
on your knees you look up
decide you've had enough
you get mad, you get strong
wipe your hands, shake it off
then you stand, then you stand

every time you get up
and get back in the race
one more small piece of you
starts to fall into place

and that, my friends, is this week's feel good friday tune.

here's the video!

ENJOY!

also, this friday i have a most special treat for all of you!

last night i stumbled across an "it gets better" video, from none other than the president of the united states!

that's right! president obama made a video. so, listen to the president folks. :]

(here's the link: http://youtu.be/geyAFbSDPVk)

have a lovely weekend everyone!

thanks for reading, and remember to feel good today! (and everyday)

much love!

xoxo

feel good friday: sunshine, lollipops and rainbows

happy friday folks!

since it is friday- you know what that means! (it's feel good friday a'course!)

for this week's tune i did a lot of pondering over which song i thought would be best.

and after much consideration and careful deliberation i finally decided on one.

i know life isn't always sunshine, lollipops and rainbows. (believe you me.)

but sometimes, with the perfect melody, accompanied by the perfect voice on one of those darker days its nice to pretend it is.

this week's feel good friday tune is: sunshine, lollipops and rainbows by lesley gore.

who is lesley gore? she is often best known for her 1963 hit, "it's my party," (and i'll cry if i want to, cry if i want to.) that one.

my favorite lyrics from "sunshine, lollipops and rainbows" are:

sunshine, lollipops and rainbows,
everything that's wonderful is sure to come your way!
'cause you're in love, you're in love,
and love is here to stay!

(here's the video!)

so, hold on folks, no matter where you are in the journey of life- know wonderful things are on their way!

and most importantly, know that love is here to stay. and i'm talking about any kind of love, love from a parent or guardian, love from a sister or brother, love from a friend or love from a partner. (or any other type of love i missed!)

just know there are people out there who love you and want to help you make it through the gloomy days, and those people want to be there when the wonderful things make their way to you.

know this and hold onto it tight!

also, here's a virtual hug from me to YOU!

have a wonderful friday! and an absolutely fantabulous weekend, you all deserve it!

much love!

xoxo

feel good friday: wait til they see your smile

this is my very first installment of feel good friday!

i'm quite excited, but also a little nervous, so, please excuse the awkward introduction above...

for this first friday i thought it only made sense i choose the song that inspired this thought.

alicia keys' "wait til you see my smile" off of "the element of freedom."

i bought this album shortly after i heard the first single, "have you ever tried sleeping with a broken heart." i immediately fell inlove with the entirety of the album. (and no, "inlove" is not a typo. its quite intentional. its supposed to symbolize how "in" "love" i am, and that there's no room for space between the words. i think.)

on the ride home after purchasing the record, i got to song 5, which happens to be this week's feel good tune.

goosebumps formed almost immediately and throughout the course of the song not only was i feeling empowered, but i felt like someone really understood me and what i've gone through for the first time. i know, a song did that. but i guess that's the power of music.

here are a few verses from "wait til you see my smile" that are truly powerful:

don't they love to see you down

kick you while you are on the ground
don't let emotions show

people always speculate
don't let them get in your way
see they say things they don't know

wait till you see my smile
wait till they see your smile

So your doing better now
Everybody comes around
but you don't really need 'em
'Cause your stronger and your better and you're ready for whatever

lovely right?

so, if you're in a place where you're being bullied for who you are. especially if it's because of your sexuality or gender identity, i want you to know there is someone out there who cares. i care about you and your well being. please listen to this song noting the lyrics i've posted above.

and know you are not alone and that it does get better. even though it's tough right now, i want you to experience the "better" because you most certainly deserve it.

here's a video for "wait til you see my smile" :

peace, love and sunshine to wherever you are.

xoxo (time a billion)

thought: feel good fridays

last night after i tucked myself into bed, per usual i attempted to fall asleep. and per usual- i failed. not once, but several times. (this, is not usual.) eventually i gave up, because, clearly my mind wasn't done running for the day.

thought after thought floated through my brain on the stream of consciousness. most of them were quite boring or somewhat embarrassing, such as, "what time should i get up tomorrow," "what time will give me the most beauty sleep," "space dogs," and, "it took me an awfully long time to realize i wasn't terrible at cutting paper- i just needed left handed scissors."

but i did have somewhat of noteworthy thought: feel good fridays. and, what IS feel good fridays you ask? well, besides it being awesome purely due to the alliteration alone, from here on out i'm going dedicate each friday to posting a "feel good" song for all of you.

i want to send good vibes out into the atmosphere, and perhaps if some individual is having a rough day, they might somehow stumble upon this blog and find some kind words waiting for them.

william james once said, "act as if what you do makes a difference. it does."

(so, i mean, its possible right? you never know!)

i have a really fantastic song all picked out for tomorrow's very first installment of feel good friday!

until then, pleasant dreams! (or pleasant day! depending on location!)

xoxo

do whatever it takes to make life worth living, just don't be mean

watch out- it's about to get real here.

with the recent events of this past month, i haven't been able to stop thinking about the effects of bullying and what we can do to make a difference.

first, i want to share a personal story with you from my childhood.

(read with caution, i do type the "f" word, and i don't mean "f**k.")

i had a nickname when i was eleven. some clever kid decided to call me "maggot the faggot," and it caught like wildfire throughout my seventh grade classroom. (well actually the way everyone spelled it was "maget the faget," if you're gonna insult me, at least have the decency to spell it correctly.)

that year, on valentines day i received a hate valentine. the kid who gave it to me made me promise i would never show it to my parents. i didn't understand why, so i just agreed. a whole bunch of the class was watching and laughing. when i opened it, my little eleven year old heart broke. the valentine was sky dancer themed and it said, "you're sweet!" but the kid had written "NOT" in between the the kind words. as if that wasn't enough, there was an arrow that pointed to more hurtful scribbled words, "because u eat magets."

and on the reverse side was more, "maget the faget," "magee the loser," "ur a loser," "fag," "LOSER," (you get the picture.)

clearly this kid was really creative. anyways, that piece of paper hurt. i didn't cry at school. it devastated me- you're not supposed to receive a hate valentine, but i refused to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing me cry. but once i was home and safe in my room i laid on my bed, face into the pillow and cried.

this is just one small example of the cruelty which occurs in schools all over the united states. obviously there are much worse cases, but this particular one hurt me. those words hurt. though, since then, my life has gotten better. much better. i have been able to make choices and surround myself with fantastically amazing individuals that truly make me wonder how there ever was a time they weren't in my life.

i decided to write this blog because bullying is an extremely important issue and it needs to cease. when i was in seventh grade we didn't have facebook, myspace, twitter, skype or any other social network system. some of us didn't even have aol instant messenger then. when i left school and walked away from the bully, the bullying stopped. i was able to remove myself from the situation, and get a few bully free hours at home. i was able to feel safe.

clearly times have changed, and cyber bullying makes it harder for kids to feel like they can escape it. the bell rings and even though they leave school, the internet is everywhere- and they no longer have a space where they feel safe from the bullying.

this past month has been a wake up call- too many teens (specifically lgbt youth) are feeling trapped with no hope in sight. we need to show them it gets better, and while we're at it, lets make a promise to continue better-ing the "better."

dan savage created a youtube channel titled, "it gets better."

(if you haven't seen it, you should do yourself a favor and check it out. also, if you know any lgbt youth that may be struggling, gently point them in the direction of this youtube channel.)

here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/itgetsbetterproject

one of my favorite humans on the planet made a video for this project. who is that human you ask? why, its the one and only kate bornstein!

the video kate bornstein made for the "it gets better" project, is something i think every human should watch.

here's the video (please, please PLEASE watch.)

lets spread this message from kate to everyone you know-

"here's all you need to remember to know that life gets better: you can do whatever it takes to make your life more worth living. really! anything baby! you can do anything it takes to make your life more worth living. anything. there's only one rule you need to follow in order to make that kind of blanket permission work, only one rule in the whole frickin' book- don't be mean."

because if everyone used this as their mantra, bullying wouldn't exist.

and that's the kind of world i'd like to see someday.

xoxo