Songs Survivors Play to Survive Disaster

I Tried One day years ago I was trying to make it through a challenge. In order to get through it I came up with a solution. I was going to

I Tried

One day years ago I was trying to make it through a challenge.
In order to get through it I came up with a solution. I was going to flood my mind with positive words.

I chose to listen to my pastor’s sermons every time that I was in the car, which happened to be for long periods of time back then.

It wasn’t working.

The tears were flowing non-stop.

Help

This isn’t my style, but I called the associate pastor of our church.

Half crying, half talking I told him I was trying to fill my mind with positive information and it wasn’t working. I had the sermons memorized and I was still, a Niagra Falls of tears.

Assoc. Pastor: “Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Even I don’t always listen to sermons. You need music.”

He went on to talk about how music uplifts and girds you for the battle. He told me how traditionally before soldiers went to battle, they sang.

I thought more about that after that, after our call. The women in my family did sing and hummed often. Matter of fact, so did the men. It wasn’t always because they were happy either.

Preparing for Challenges

After that I decided I wasn’t going to get caught off guard anymore.

I changed my strategy.

I put together certain mashups on CD (‘playlists’ in today’s terms) especially for specific moods and challenges.

A LIST OF (some of) MY FAVORITES

Christian

He Saw the Best in Me

Marvin Sapp

Never Would Have Made It

Marvin Sapp

I Am Not Alone

Natalie Grant

Oh Happy Day
The Edwin Hawkins Singers

May the Work I’ve Done Speak for Me
Shirley Caesar

Victory IS Mine
soloist Dorothy Norwood

I’m Still Holding On
Luther Barnes & The Red Budd Gospel Choir (Deborah Barnes lead)

Let the Praise Begin
Fred Hampton

Precious Lord
Mahalia Jackson

Troubles of the World
Mahalia Jackson

EmPower UP Theory
These songs are about being gentle, kind, compassionate, patient, loving, and nurturing with yourself. Humans are not perfect. Sometimes we grow by way of mistakes.

Always remind yourself to see what you have become as a result of overcoming your challenges.

I know, other people like to see the fact that you made the mistakes in the first place. Who cares?

Let them go keep score in their own lives.

Meanwhile, in the space that you can control, remind yourself to see what you have become as a result of overcoming your challenges, the mistakes that you have taken accountability for, and every hardship that you encountered.

Whether you did it gracefully or not, you did it.

Challenges, mistakes, and even hardship can really bring out that inner beauty, greatness, and power in some people.

EmPower Up

No More Drama
Mary J Blige

If I Had to Do It All Again

Faith

Express Yourself

Salt and Pepa

I’m Every Woman
Chaka Khan

I AM Beautiful
Christina Aguilera

Fighter
Christina Aguilera

My Sunshine Has Come
Angie Stone

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill

U.N.I.T.Y.
Queen Latifah

Lose Yourself
Eminem

Hype Creation Theory
Often I have found that even when things are coming at you from all directions, for one reason or another sometimes whether you feel like it or not you just gotta be hype.

You have that presentation that requires you to be on it.
You have to lead a group for an organizing project and make the world a better place for more than just a few.
You have to rally children to do–anything.

Some people have coffee.

Music has never let me down. I don’t crash in the afternoon and it doesn’t tamper with my sleep later on.

There have been scientific studies to support my position.

But who needs science?

My Mama and my Aunt Lisa taught me in the days when I had more ponytails than hips how to create my own hype.

I was right there beside them shaking whatever I had to disco, funk, Motown, and Soul Train.

Hype Creation

Public Enemy
Fight the Power

Just Fine
Mary J Blige

September
Earth, Wind, & Fire

In the Stone
Earth, Wind, & Fire

Old Skool Hip-Hop
Just too many to name

Old Skool Go-Go
(Nearly the entire collection)

Sardines
Junkyard Band

Work the Walls
Rare Essence

Holy Ghost
Rare Essence

Let Me Clear My Throat
DJ Kool

Bustin Loose
Chuck Brown “The Godfather of Go-Go”

Okay, those are just a few of mine.
Maybe my personal choices have inspired you to think of your personal favorites.
Make your playlist/cd mix now.
Make several.
Understand that one very effective strategy Survivors use for making it through challenges in life is to be prepared for them.

Please feel free to discuss and share…..