Sunshine on a rainy day: ‘Shine’ is a blogging favourite to chase the blues away. Check out the video here – guaranteed to bring you some inner sunshine!

Slow down you move too fast: Do you ever feel like you’re hurtling through life? Tune into these lyrics from Simon & Garfunkel and you’ll find yourself slowing down (and yes, feeling groovy)

Search for the hero: my choice of songs that make your heart sing

I’m gonna do it all:

It was one of those songs that made you sing out loud. Made you feel fired up and passionate and angry. Made me think of people I knew who had that fire in their belly to do it all. People who’d got set back, knocked back by fate, by ill health, by circumstance. Who were still fighting, struggling, demanding with every breath to do it all.

So it’s a big thanks to Hilda Carroll for her amazing effort to compile the ultimate "feel good" playlist.  With uplifting songs from some great blog writers and positive thinking experts this list is guaranteed to blast through the gloom.

She hasn’t done a top 10 but I’m pretty sure the first song on the list, and Hilda’s own first choice, would be on it.  The song is Shine by Take That – and while I’d normally shy away from calling myself a Take That fan this is an amazing song to lift your spirits, and chase away the blues.

Enjoy!

The study is based on the speed that pedestrians walk at – which they say is a good measure of the pace of life in a city. Going so much faster is not good news.  They reckon that people in fast moving cities are less likely to help other people and have higher rates of coronary heart disease.  The fastest moving city is Singapore – where they take 10.55 seconds to walk 60ft.  New York comes in at number 8 – slower than Dublin would you believe.  Edinburgh was reassuringly slow at 13.29 seconds.  You can find out the pace of life in your city here.

If you think you might be going too fast you can take the Quirkology test (by the guys that did the pace of life project).

And if you want to slow down… well it might be old-fashioned but why not try a remedy from Simon and Garfunkel.  The 59th Bridge Street Song’s been running through my head all day, ever since I read the story.  Guaranteed to make you slow down and smile… feeling groovy.

Slow down, you move too fast
You got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobblestones
Looking for fun and feeling groovy
Ba da da da da da da, feeling groovy…

I got no deeds to do
No promises to keep
I’m dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me
Life I love you, all is groovy