Musings: Part 2- Music heals the soul

Yes folks it does. Well you might have noticed that I have not been posting much reviews these days. It's just that I've been in a reading slump and was busy with my thesis. Thus my blog was abandoned for quite some time. Yesterday i received a kind comment on my book review and that revved me up to write again. That's the power of positive reinforcement. Keep the comments coming.

Coming to the topic about music, when you are so focused into something that pleases you a lot, you tend to ignore something that is so focused in tormenting you. Simply put, you ignore whats troubling you. So, there  I was, mulling my problems and spinning downwards successfully into S-A-D syndrome. But work must go on, and I had weekly extra classes that I teach for primary 5 kids. I was supposed to teach grammar for the kids and I thought lets give the kids a break and have a game instead. So, off I went searching songs for them, so called learning English through songs. I practically looked high and low for a suitable song with inspiring lyrics  with equally catchy tunes for the boys. Yup, all boys in my class and  my choices were somewhat limited to boybands and song by male singers. I was pretty sure that the boys wouldn't dance along to Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift.

I remembered the song from my lecturer's inaugural lecture, a song called world behind my wall by Tokio Hotel. The lyrics were good and the music was equally good. That night after allowing the boys to sing their hearts out to the song and giving them homework based on the song lyrics I sat down in front of my pc and googled Tokio Hotel. They are a German band comprising of 4 members, Bill Kaulitz (lead singer), Tom Kaulitz, Gustav and Georg. Impressed with their beginning and record sales of their albums I you-tubed their videos. I was hooked. I adored their song called monsoon, then sang along to the futuristic dark side of the sun and automatic and loved their soulful rendition of don't jump. Besides loving their songs, I loved Bill Kaulitz style.

To sum it all up, this post was written just to say that I've become a Tokio Hotel fan. Cheers to all book lovers, I'm off to listen to their song again.

Musings: Part 1- Combating sadness

Hi there book lovers. It has been a long while since my last post. I wrote this post when I was down and out, which was a long while ago and completed it yesterday.  I was thinking about what should I do to banish the dark gloomy feeling of sadness. I'm very sure all of you would say curling up with a book helps to forget and fight sadness. That's what I normally do. What are other creative ways to combat sadness? Here are my own solutions to SOS (shaking off sadness).

1. Read motivational blogs or books.                                                          

2. Go shopping (retail therapy)

3. Go out with friends

4. Listen to  favourite music (Oh this really helps, see post on music heals the soul)

5. Sing out loud

6. Get a listening ear, literally, which means pour it all out on a unsuspecting good friend (helps a lot too) =)

7. Write  a journal (gets it off the chest and when you flip the page long after that, you'd be surprised at how far you've come)

8. Think about the cause and effects till it wears you down (Some say you ought not keep thinking about what makes you sad, I say its not up to you, your brain does that, so just allow yourself to wallow for a while).

9. Cry your heart out.

10. Sleep early and get up stronger physically and mentally.

So when you are down and out, just do one of the above or better still write your own fighting sadness list and tick it off daily till you are feeling happy as a lark. Have a great day everybody.

Quote: Life will bring you pain all by itself. Your responsibility is to create joy-Milton Erickson

Cheers!!