One thing I used to do years ago for the holidays was hand out themed compilation CDs of music people couldn’t buy anywhere to give them something special and unique and wonderful to listen to over the holiday season (and beyond). They did not contain holiday music or anything which, for me, tends to get old after a short while – just unique music that is nice to listen to for something different. I was always particular and intentional about the themes I came up with and always ordered the tracks in such a way to ensure they created a wonderful musical experience and a smooth flow from one track to the next.
I used to do this year-after-year up until the widespread use of I-tunes, media players, Spotify and such. So, I started to realize CDs were probably a waste of time and effort. Well, the last couple of years I decided to recreate some of those CDs as Playlists on Spotify.
I might continue the above practice next year, but for this year I decided to create a new 1950s/1960s playlist. I heard some old music on a radio station a few months ago when driving around in New Smyrna Beach and I loved it so much that, for something different, I made a whole playlist to share with everyone. So, check it out when you get the chance:
Smooth Sailing 50s & 60s: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3x0UnPJDMQqXcgxDIemCep…
I hope you will enjoy this as much as I do. Some of the lyrics are outdated for these modern times but the music is Wonderful. Also, the Sue Raney version of the second song (Till There Was You – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEoG1TYLBWI) is much better than the Peggy Lee version but Spotify didn’t have the Sue Raney version. I encourage you to check that out and replace the Peggy Lee version with the Sue Raney version if you create your own playlist outside of Spotify. It’s so much better than the Peggy Lee version and fits in well with this playlist. Also, feel free to modify the playlist to make it your own including adding some of your favorites.
Below are the five playlists I provided in previous years so feel free to check these out as well over the holidays (and beyond):
1. Classical Gems (nice and soothing classical music): Classical Gems – playlist by Joe Brennan | Spotify
2. Candlelight Classic Jazz I (mainly old classic vocal jazz): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1R0tZBB8MOZUJgA01LrK2C…
3. Candlelight Classic Jazz II (mainly old classic instrumental jazz): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/10ZO5Mrv5fF2Uns7QEzWVT…
4. New Age (Morningtide-Eveningtide): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5S0Re0yHvQma9WMai20w36…
People really seemed to love this one for helping them to relax and even sleep. One song (What a Beautiful Sunset by Angelwing) was not available on Spotify but I encourage you to check out this excellent song as well: https://youtu.be/pXgjQPgh4bM?si=ovRvGhgp3V_G47JI . You can add this wonderful track if you create your own playlist outside of Spotify.
5. Acoustic Tracks: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4rjwsNOCPfWZJFK72cKvji… This is a playlist that I love to listen to around the start of Autumn. For some reason the music really seems to fit at that time. None of the Joni Mitchell songs were on Spotify but tracks such as: the acoustic live version of “People’s Parties” (my very favorite:
https://youtu.be/NktbeZiMYfA?si=dV0LcJEL6uo1aTbJ), “Urge for Going” (https://youtu.be/ZvSvTRhAJxg?si=hKeMtJUa95dTLGUk), “Little Green” (https://youtu.be/HTxUrDtoPP0?si=fo0yREfcqCIxaznn), “A Case of You” (https://youtu.be/0YuaZcylk_o?si=hwbPrgdwdmxUYHlM), “Court and Spark” (https://youtu.be/_1Z6I62yvfg?si=irKLbee4rBS5evAI), and “That Song About the Midway” (https://youtu.be/O9R82TThjdw?si=jA4wsRNPDVaNUJXo) are excellent. So add the above tracks if you create your own playlist outside of Spotify.
Enjoy this music over the holiday season (and beyond) and feel free to share with anyone else who might enjoy these or could use a positive thought and a smile to brighten up their day.
Lastly, just in case it might be helpful to you (or others in your life):
As a first step when I take on new life coaching clients, I usually assign the following as a homework assignment: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/how-to-defeat-any…/
Why? Because this is the entry level step for putting them into a more positive place and ensuring we are working towards actual, instead of perceived, problems. It can be a substantial waste of time, effort, and energy working towards solving non-problems and taking this step (and Step 2 below) can be instrumental in avoiding that. After 3-4 weeks of consistently addressing the external factors indicated in the post above, many people feel much better about themselves and about their lives and are better able to focus on what they really want in life instead of spending time, money, and energy trying to solve problems which are really not problems at all.
After Step 1 has been completed, Step 2 is here which offers a guaranteed way to live increasingly happier : https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/happiness-tip-clear…/
I hope the above will be helpful to you or to others in your life.
Happy Holidays everyone! May 2024 be the best year of our lives EVER! 
#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #mindfulness #peace #joy #positivethinking #balance