Gotta Get Up

Twins were as fine an excuse as any, but this is me every morning.

I'm the sort of lady who can really use a push to get going in the morning. That's why I have a FIVE HOUR play list on my computer of songs that help me do just that.

Yeah, that's not a joke. I don't function without the right tunes.

Of course a lot of them are show tunes. And of course a lot of them are Flogging Molly. But I've pulled out the creme de la creme of the five hours of motivational music that keeps me going to give you this little list.

Yeah, show tune and Flogging Molly free.

I hope you're not too disappointed.

On to the music!!!




First and foremost, nobody seems to get me like Jill Scott when it comes to a lack of motivation. She understands. I just want to stay in and play video games. I don't want to do anything. But...

And, thanks to her most excellent music, it's a little easier to deal. And to come up with the energy.



Waking up isn't the only thing I need to be motivated to do. Sometimes, working hard at being BETTER at something seems like an impossible task. That's when I sit around and stare into space and listen to Rahzel beatbox and sing at the same time. Seriously, if you have never heard him accomplish this feat, start the video at 2:40 and place a cushion underneath you for when your jaw hits the floor.

Watching (or listening to) people being absolutely amazing at something kind of wondrous makes me want to be kind of amazing at absolutely anything. And that's a pretty good motivator.



This is a song for those middle of the day doldrums. When you need a pick-me-up because all your motivation has dwindled down to a little below nothing. When you, ahem, stutter out. Plus it's a totally pleasant earworm.



But if I just need a sort of adrenaline shot to the brain, I put on this song. Why? Because I can't hear it and not sing it. And I can't sing it and not perform it. So that stuff you see Freddie Mercury doing? That's me, in the car, every time the classic rock station decides to throw me a bone. Or whenever M wants to make me super happy on long car drives. Or when I've got five baskets of clean laundry to fold.



Sometimes it's hard to be motivated about doing the same thing you do every single day, over and over again. For me, this song helps me out. Sort of a happy mantra and a little reminder- I do really want to do pretty much everything I do. I'm incredibly lucky. It's just easy to forget that when you're tired and/or under-motivated.



Last but not least, general life motivation. I know, I know, this is hokey and dated and cheesy and everybody who graduated from high school in the latter half of the nineties put this on a mix tape for all their friends to take to college blah blah blah shuddup. This song is awesome. It makes me feel good about absolutely everything in my life, and reminds me that this is just a tiny piece of the whole. So who cares how hokey it is? Not me. Even if now I'm nodding along and smiling with totally different parts than I was fifteen years ago.

Maybe in another fifteen years it will be a different collection of pearls of wisdom from this gem that will make me feel motivated and happy on bad days.



Okay, you got me. One more.

I sing this as a lullaby to my kids. And I sing it to myself when I'm down in the dumps. Because of all of it.

Hang on, little tomato. Hang on.