Who needs DRUGS when there's MUSIC

When your day (week, year) seems to be going from bad to worse it is often difficult to find that saviour source of hope & joy to pull you out of your rut. But why mope about feeling like the world is laughing at you when you could be singing, dancing and laughing along with it? Music is kind of like having a best friend that is constantly on call; it can be your comfort, your commiseration, your celebration. Some people describe music as their life and this is because music encompasses so many emotions and styles that there is something available for everyone to make some sort of connection to. It can bring together like minded souls and allow you to feel a little less alone in this big wide world. The lyrics can connect you to a million others who have felt the way you feel right and the melody has the ability to decipher or alter your mood - to take you from a place of misery to one of hope & elation!

With music as an on tap resource of creative energy with the potential to reinvigorate your tired soul, why not use it to your advantage? Let music help you make the most of your day by creating a play list of great songs that take you to your happy place! Why trawl through your mp3 library or CD collection to find your favourite happy songs every time you need a pick me up? Pull them all together to create a super joyous & exciting collaborative mix of your favourite musicians and songs so that when you feel yourself in a rut of self-loathing or in a spot of feel-sorry-for-selfitis - you have all your favourite stuff, right there and ready to get you on your feet and emotionally equipped to face the world and be your fabulous self once more.

How to choose you Happy Place Playlist

First things first, no songs that have any negative memories attached (ie. a song that made you happy because it was you and your ex partners "song" is NOT a song that will make you happy now. Capiche?).

Commiseration songs are struck off - stuff that comforts your emo state of mind is not for this play list!

Remember that this is for your benefit. If it is the sugary pop stylings of Aqua that help you get your happy on then that is great! Likewise if you are more of a rock chick or perhaps power ballads are what get you going. This playlist needs to make you happy, not your mum, sister, boyfriend, girlfriend, boss! From Ozzy Osbourne to Celine Dion - this is about YOU!

Don't be too strict with regard to lyrical content of the songs. For example, the inclusion of Semi Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind would not make sense if you were to reason that it was for sake of the lyrics (they are not exactly joyous!) but the melody is quite uplifting. This is about what makes YOU happy - don't limit your choice with silly trivialities.

How to make your Playlist
While mp3 is the format of choice for most these days, why not broaden your creative horizons a little and divvy up a mix tape or CD too? Have fun designing cover art to go with your mix! By all means be sure to have an mp3 version of your playlist too. Accessibility is important - pop it on your mp3 player so you can access a happy hit on the run. Listen on the tube and smile to the world like you have a secret that you are just dieing to share!

Some TL Favourites To Get You Started
Most of the sugary pop persuasion, these songs are fantastic for an instant hit of fabulous:

Mika - Grace Kelly (We wanna be like Grace Kelly!)

R. Kelly - The Worlds Greatest (YOU ARE that star up in the sky! It is rather difficult to not feel good listening to this one.)

KT Tunstall - Suddenly I See (KT is singing about YOU, for some Devil Wears Prada style confidence & glee)

Scissor Sisters - Don't Feel Like Dancing (It WILL make you feel like dancing & you know it)

John Lennon - Imagine (Classic. For an whole bucket of optimism & hope)

Presidents of the USA - Peaches (Funny funny funny. That is all.)

Hillsong - All Things Are Possible (One for the Christians - hows this one for whole hearted hope & joy!?)

Elemeno P - Bacan actually put On (Some good Kiwi stuff, an anthem for any disillusioned office worker)

Daniel Powter - Bad Day (This one can put you in a so-what-if-today-sucked-i-AM-FAB! sort of a mood.)


Time to share - What songs make you happy when nothing else can?