The Value of Music Playlists for Self-Discovery and a More Adventurous Life – Ep031

Great music playlists, curated with a specific purpose in mind, can help you get to know yourself better. You can use music consciously and powerfully for healing, resurrecting dreams, awakening confidence and accessing your creative core.

Transcript / Show Notes:
I’m Kimberly Cain. Welcome to the Naked Vibes Show. In this episode, I’ll discuss the value of music playlists for self-discovery and living a more adventurous life – getting back to your core Self. If you’re new to the show, you’ll find it’s a blend of music and personal development because I love both and I know we all learn better when we’re able to relax our minds and have some fun in the mix. Some episodes of the show contain provocative conversations with musicians for stimulating your core creativity and inspiring you into greater levels of energy, conscious productivity and joy. And other episodes are what I call Tune Your Vibes, where I deliver some ideas and inspiration, and often some fun exercises to help you shift gears when you’re stuck, to enlarge your world by helping you see from more angles than you might have otherwise considered, and to help you recognize how amazing you are – to see how much the addition of your particular energy at work in the world matters in the grand scheme of things. And there’s always music involved. This is one of those episodes.

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2:23 – I’ve was just listening to a playlist that swings from “No Quarter” (because a friend mentioned that song the other day and I hadn’t heard it in a while – awesome) to “Nina Cried Power” from Hozier (featuring the amazing Mavis Staples), to Midland with “Drinking Problem”, to a new one from Norwegian singer Sigrid, “It Gets Dark”, London Grammar’s “Missing”, which has some cool, interesting lyrics, and onto “Black Hole Sun” from Soundgarden. I wish I could play all of those for you…but, copyright issues. So, I have to stick to playing my own music and the music of those I know who have given me permission. But, I have other ways of getting those lists to you, so you can access them on your own. When I was a rock ’n roll DJ, I loved it, but I was constrained by corporate playlists. Now, I can mix up whatever I want to fit the mood I’m in or create the one I want to be in. Stick around and I’ll tell you how you can access some very cool, curated playlists later in the show.

3:30 – Music is the most mysterious, amazing, rapid form of healing. It has these energetic properties that are so powerful and unique and it touches us in places and ways where nothing else can. It travels across great distances and through time and gives us complete connection to one another, to the natural world and to the Divine. I love hearing stories about the way it transforms people.

As I mentioned in Episode 29, I’ll be getting back to bringing you conversations with musicians to take you deeper into their creative processes and inspire you to dive into your own, so you can continue to get to know yourself better and better.

Making yourself your own best friend has immeasurable benefits. I’ve always enjoyed personal growth and have delved into a lot of methods of self-discovery. It’s interesting how it has a way of deepening my compassion for others. As I understand more about myself, I understand more about you. And I grow to care for you even more. We’re human and we go through many of the same joys and pains, even though they come wrapped in different packages.

I’m hearing a common thread from people in regard to their feelings about life on this side of the pandemic.

A lot of people have experienced, and are still experiencing, a great deal of hardship in a lot of different areas. I’ve experienced my own and even though it can feel very isolating – I’m very aware of the high degree of similarity to other people’s experiences. It’s such a different place to be in this world at this time – where people feel isolated and yet we have so much in common in the journey!

So, it feels like we need to be at work to create community – to connect with our tribe – very intentionally.

5:42 – I’ve been thinking about this for quite a while – years, in fact. I’ve brought guys together in coaching groups to help them move beyond barriers they were facing, to access more joy and fun, so they could remember how powerful and courageous they are, and performed in music concert settings to create experiences of freedom, release, joy, laughter, and communion with others. The idea of creating a space where you can tap into the fun, stress relief and release, and the exhilaration  provided by music, coupled with resources for personal growth, and a tribe of others who desire to live in the consciousness of their highest potential is very exciting to me. So, I’m diving into that idea and making that space available. It’s hard and messy because it involves hooking up this piece of tech to that piece, yadda, yadda. Not my favorite part. But…at the same time, I’m amazed at what’s possible. The tribe part is really up to you. You have to show up and let me know you’re here and tell me what you want to hear, learn and talk about, what inspires you and what challenges you, so I can provide resources to help you do and be your best. 

I’ve been connecting, in seemingly random ways lately, with a lot of successful, creative men…note seemingly random. I’m paying attention to this call; to what they’re sharing with me. They have a desire to reconnect to their courage, confidence, strength, vitality and joy. And I’m hearing stories that remind me of a song I wrote years ago about a friend of mine. I want to play that for you here and I just want you to listen to the lyrics. See if you can relate to it. Don’t let the fact that it’s about a woman or a particular circumstance get in your way. In other words, don’t put it in a “chick song” category. We all have plans that go awry and leave us feeling vulnerable and like “This is not what I signed up for!”

I’ll tell you more about this tribal gathering spot a little later in the show. I’m excited about it and I think you will be to, if you’re a fan of this podcast. We all need music! We need it for taking a mental break, for remembering our desires and our strength, for connecting with each other, for amping up our energy and for having pure fun. I’m gonna give you more ways to enjoy the healing power of music. Right now, take a listen. This was recorded by my former band, Frankly Scarlet (the duo of my sister, Kelly and me). It’s called “Beautiful”.

8:32 – SONG: “Beautiful” – from Oh Yeah by Frankly Scarlet. Words and Music ©KB Cain. Here’s the link for you to get it on Apple Music. (Apple Music can be finicky – if it doesn’t readily connect, search Frankly Scarlet, Oh Yeah)

12:06 – Do you ever feel like you’re living someone else’s life? Like this is not what you had planned!

Maybe you’ve gone through divorce, feel lost in trying to make a career transition, bored in your marriage, wishing you had more energy to engage in a more adventurous life, dreaming of something “new”, “different”, “better”, but don’t really know what that is, you’re recovering from injury or dealing with lingering health issues that are concerning. There are SO many things that can cause us to feel like we’re standing outside of our own lives.

And, it doesn’t matter how successful we become. These issues touch people in different ways at different times. Especially when making some kind of life transition. And, I’ve gotta say, we’ve all been going through transition in this world over the last couple of years in a big way.

13:15 – Here’s something I want you to play with. Make a list of 5 of your favorite songs. Pull them together in whatever way you like – a playlist, CDs if you still use them, whatever works for you. Give yourself permission to do nothing but listen to those 5 songs in your own private space. When I say “do nothing” but that, I mean it – no walking the dog or working out with earbuds, playing it in the background while you’re checking email, or anything else. Just listen. This will be a different experience for some of you. But, it’s super important – because, as you listen, I want you to really pay attention to how you feel. Notice if your feelings change as the songs change or if your playlist puts you in one particular mood. Let your imagination inform you about your choices and why you resonate with the messages, grooves, rhythms, or melodies of these specific songs. This will be a meditation. It will take you on a journey. When you’re finished listening, write down what you noticed. It doesn’t have to be a thesis – just whatever observations floated to the surface for you. It’s all about getting to know yourself better, what your desires are, your hopes, dreams, and challenges. The more you know, the better you can move through this world and create the life you want to live.

This exercise just scratches the surface – yet, it can lead to deep and profound places and feelings within you. That’s the beauty of music. It can take you to where you need to go when you learn to use it intentionally.

15:43 – I’ve got a lot more ways to help you connect with your inner power through music. And I’ll be sharing them with you over the next few episodes. As I said, I’m building the space for our tribe to gather right now. You can tap into as much or as little as you want. Curated playlists, guided meditations, and premium audio and video content that I don’t share anywhere else. Live music from the artists you’ll be hearing on the podcast, with opportunities to connect with them personally. And monthly live connection with me, so I can get to know the best ways to serve you and provide content that helps you to really thrive. The coolest part is that we’ll be able to connect for conversations in small group settings over video and you’ll be able to discuss topics of interest to you in a private, respectful, and energetic setting with like-minded people off of social media. And some Zoom-style drum circles are in order! Yes to that for amping up your energy!

This tribe is called The REALM and if you’d like to get a notification when it’s open to join, sign up for the mailing list right here on this page. You’ll also get an immediate free download of my Instant Ignition Ebook.

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Take good care.