Have you ever pulled up to a stop light and see someone in the car next to you that has the music blaring, singing at the top of their lungs, and probably not well?

I have an confession to make…that is me! I have loved music from a very early age thanks to my father. My father liked all kinds of different music and sang to it loud and proud. I remember my dad, mother, brother and me all gathered in the living room around the record player, playing all his favorite songs off the old vinyl records. We even had an old microphone that didn’t work that we took turns singing into. At Christmas time I can remember making the trek out to my great aunt and uncle’s farm as we looked at the twinkling Christmas lights, singing our hearts out.

So, why you might ask other the nostalgic reasons that I find music so powerful? I have found over the years that music and singing is one sure fire way to raise my vibration level, if I have a hard time getting going in the morning or am in a sour mood, singing to my favorite songs can help me turn it all around. Music therapy has been used in hospitals to:

“alleviate pain in conjunction with anesthesia or pain medication: elevate patients’ mood and counteract depression; promote movement for physical rehabilitation; calm or sedate, often to induce sleep; counteract apprehension or fear; and lesson muscle tension for the purpose of relaxation, including the autonomic nervous system.” (American Music Therapy Association)

It has also been use to help children overcome emotional problems and helped children with learning disabilities. Music therapy has been beneficial in psychiartic facilities helping people:

“explore personal feelings, make positive changes in mood and emotional states, have a sense of control over life through successful experiences, practice problem solving, and resolve conflicts leading to stronger family and peer relationships.” (American Music Therapy Association)

The AMTA (American Music Therapy Association) states that music therapy has also been beneficial in reducing stress, promoting physical exercise, and has been used during childbirth.

The next time that you need a little more pep or want to raise your vibration, put on some of your favorite music and SING!

We all have our own Mental Models, which are the organizations of related ideas in our memory, representing a person, object, idea, groups, etc.  These mental models that we have are what makes you, you.

Our mental models are created through our own life experiences, however, there is a difference between what we actually experience and what we tell ourselves what happened.

In psychology we call what we believe to be true in an experiment an hypothesis, then the hypothesis is tested through different experiments.  Some, times it is the hypothesis is proven and it is disproven. Sometimes there are things that we come to believe about ourselves that we never test to see if they are accurate.

A big part of changing how we view ourselves is to connect with our mental models and test them.

Can you really not do what you have told yourself all these years?

Are those negative things that you believe about yourself, really true?

Here is an exercise to help you figure out what are your mental models about yourself.

On a piece of paper number it 1-20, then on each line write “I am”, after you have written I am on all 20 lines then fill in the blanks.  After you are done, review the list.

What does it tell you about how you see yourself?

What model should you test to see if it is true?