How many Mondays, how many days, how many weeks of our lives do we waste wishing we were anywhere but here?  Heart sinking, spirits low, forcing ourselves to do something we no longer ‘want’ to do.

I often turn to some words of Maya Angelou when I’m in that state of wishing I was somewhere else.  She reminds us that we always have a choice of how to view our Mondays.

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

Worth a try?  See how it changes your Monday… and then the rest of the week.

I’ve come across some great blogging contributions and I am really looking forward to seeing – then hearing – the final playlist.  (If you haven’t added yours yet it’s not too late to play).  I’ve been reminded by readers of one of my own all time favourite pieces of music: the soundtrack to Last of the Mohicans.

And every so often I hear other people talking about the songs that make their heart sing.  Stumbled across another one this morning, listening to the ‘Inheritance Tracks’ feature on BBC Radio 4′s ‘Saturday Live’ programme (the only way to start the weekend!).  The idea of the slot is to identify the one track that you’ve inherited from your family or someone important in your past, and the one track that you’d like to pass on.

Today’s guest was Simon Weston, Falklands War veteran well known in the UK for the horrific burns that he suffered to his face – and his courage in rebuilding his life after the war.  The track he chose to pass on was Free Bird by Lynard Skynard.

With remarkable honesty he talks about the times when he’s been in dark places, when this song has helped lift his spirits.  The time when he was finally released from hospital, after 11 months chained up and wrapped in bandages, wondering if he would ever get out, ever go out with his friends again.  Then finding himself free, once again, "able to go out, able to spread your wings, to fly off and do things with your life again".

And dark times when it was hard to see the way forward, when the challenges he faced took him downwards into despondency and depression.  Times when even in that heart of darkness a song like this could lift his spirit, lighten his heart, lift his energy "stopping you sink so deep into yourself".

He describes the song as a reminder: to feel that freedom, to get up and go, to let your spirit fly.

Not just existing, but living out loud.

ask others what their number one energy-raising song of choice would be, and compile the lot into the ultimate spirit-lifting play list!

She’s only looking for one song which makes the task easier and more difficult at the same time… My first choice might well have been ‘Shine’ but that’s got Hilda’s vote so I had to think again.  There’s other music that fires my spirit – like the soundtrack to ‘Last of the Mohicans’ – but for music and lyrics I’m going to plump for M People’s ‘Search for the Hero’.

As you’ll see from the lyrics the song is a fantastic reminder of the power within.  Being a hero isn’t about success and achievement, about wealth and prosperity.  It’s about the way you choose to deal with the stuff that happens to you.  The choices we make, each and every day, to shape and define the narratives of our lives.  And the decision, whatever happens, to keep on looking up, to keep on aiming high.

In this life, long and hard though it may seem,
Live it as you’d live a dream.
Aim so high.
Just keep the flame of truth burning bright.
The missing treasure you must find
Because you and only you alone
Can build a bridge across the stream.

I can hear it in my head as I type these lyrics but if you want to hear it ‘out loud’ you’ll get a snippet by clicking the button below.

That’s mine – what’s yours?  I’m tagging three bloggers, Emma at How to Italy, Nick at Life 2.0 and Adam at Monk At Work but consider yourself invited if you want to add to the playlist.

The rules are simple,

1. Post about the one song that makes your heart sing, and uplifts your spirit every time you hear it.  If you can provide a link to lyrics and/or audio that would be fabulous.  But it’s not essential, so don’t worry about it if you can’t.

2.  Include a trackback to both this and Hilda’s original post

3.  Feel free to tag three others or invite contributions and ask them to include a trackback to your post and Hilda’s when they post.