Why You Need To Write A Song About Your Life

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I don’t care if you’re a professional songwriter, part time musician, someone who dabbles, or someone with NO musical inclination whatsoever, you need to write a song about your life. There is no more engaging, cathartic, spiritual or inspirational experience you can have then to put words together that symbolize your very existence and then set them to music. Here are the Top 5 reasons why:

1) Nothing creates an emotional experience quite like music.

Is there anything that stirs our soul, evokes emotion, or brings us together like music? It’s not called the universal language for nothing. Music has a way of touching each of us like nothing else can. Using it’s most basic definition, music is nothing more than a vibration that resonates with our own vibrational nature. We may appear to be solid, but in actuality our bodies and minds are just vibrating energy, so we are tapping into the root of our own existence by creating music. We shape and form the very stuff that life consists of.


2) What better legacy to leave for your kids, grandkids, and their children?

We are only here for a short while. Even if you live 100 years, your stay is brief in the grand scheme of things. Wouldn’t it be nice to leave your children and everyone that comes after you something as simple and meaningful as a song?  Amid the hustle and bustle of modern life, paying the bills, going to work, and repeating the process over and over again, most people feel a need for something deeper—something they want to leave behind.  Wouldn’t it be nice to encapsulate your own thoughts and emotions and leave them for future generations?

3) The process itself will be something you never forget.

You will never feel more alive then when you are creating something that comes from your heart and soul. It stirs within you dormant energy and inspiration, and makes you view life on a completely different level. What’s even better than the finished song is the act of creating, shaping, and molding it into a piece of art. When it is complete, you will have an immense amount of pride and satisfaction, but the process itself can be life changing.


4) Writing about your life gives you clarity.

Most of us are too busy (so we think) to sit down and truly define our own thoughts, feelings, and emotions about life. We have a vague and blurry concept about our own existence that rifles through our minds on a daily basis, but it’s sort of like a film reel speeding by at hyper speed that we can’t quite put our finger on. Writing a song about your own life forces you to choose specific words and ideas that allow you to glimpse into your own mind. You may even be shocked at some of the things you uncover. We get so caught up in surface thinking—picking up the kids, finishing things at work, running errands—that we spend precious little time crystalizing our own thoughts, which gives life meaning and depth. The more clarity you have, the more you start each day with purpose and passion.


5) You don’t have to be a musician or songwriter to write a song.

You might be thinking, “All of this sounds wonderful Dave, but I have no musical or lyrical talent whatsoever!” That’s completely okay, and here’s why:

At some point in the near future I’d like to build a deck onto the back of my house.
I’m not very handy, and I have no idea how to build one or even how to get started.
So what will I do? I will reach out to someone who’s already built a deck or had one built for them. I will check out designs that I like, talk to some professionals, and most importantly—confer with my wife. Right now, the only thing I know for certain is that eventually a deck will be built onto my house, and when it’s complete I will enjoy it, and that’s all I need to know. You can use this same process to write a song.

Talk to a musical friend, or a friend of a friend, someone with some experience, and ask them how they write songs and ask them to give you a hand. For someone who has the experience and knows what they’re doing, it’s not a difficult process. You might want to start by thinking of places, people, words, ideas, or emotions that mean a lot to you. Write them down on a piece of paper or a Word document and add to it as more ideas come. Next, think about what type of emotion you’d like to convey, and what type of music is best suited for that. Would your life be a country song? A slow song? A psychedelic jam? A heavy metal tune? A ballad? Reggae? Pop? Jazz?


What type of music or genre resonates most with your life?



Once you have discovered these things you are already half way home. If you still think this is impossible, feel free to email me and I will help you get started. I know the profound impact that music has had on my life, and I want you to feel that too, if that’s something that you truly want. I don’t believe that musicians are the only people that can write songs about their lives any more than I believe carpenters are the only people that can have their own decks. Start thinking about your life and how you could set it all to music. It’s an experience that you will never forget or regret, and I would be happy to help you do it.    


Email me at dtieff@gmail.com

I'm Welcoming the "End of the World"

   Dear fellow humans and citizens of Earth,


December 21st is almost here, the end is nigh! Have you made your provisions? Have you planned  for the inevitable? The signs are everywhere, they can no longer be denied! If the Orioles winning 93 games and the Redskins making a playoff push aren't proof enough for you--how do you explain the Wizards beating the Lebron James and the Miami Heat!? Go ahead, bury your head in the sand!

Who am I kidding? My wife Meghan won't even take this seriously. With no regard for the impending cataclysm, she's busy buying Christmas gifts, humming Christmas songs, and decorating the house in a festive decor with nary a hint of the apocalypse. I even overheard her making beach plans for the summer of 2013! Yea right, like there's going to be a beach left. Hopefully she won't mind sunbathing in front of the lava flows at the bottom of a 10,000 ft crevasse. I wonder if Banana Boat makes a PF 7000?

Truthfully, I'm pretty pumped for December 21st. If you check your facts, the Mayans didn't predict 12.21.12 would be the end of the world, but the beginning of a new "cycle." There are some pretty cool astrological occurrences that also coincide with this date; some of which only happen every few thousand years. More importantly, this date is a symbol. Not of the end of the world, but the end of the world as we know it, and to quote Michael Stipe, "I feel fine" about that. I think we can all agree the old world could use an overhaul.

In a nutshell, we are about to enter a time where the feminine energy of the world will start to balance with the masculine energy. Don't worry men, you're not about to grow breasts and start menstruating--at least I don't think. It just means that, as human beings, we are going to cultivate the part of ourselves that is more compassionate, more nurturing, more spiritual, and more understanding. As an added bonus, we might even stop drinking out of milk containers and leaving the toilet seat up. Of course giving up football is not an option, but as we've all seen on Facebook, the women have become just as good at insulting your team and your mother as the men. Yet another sign that the Mayans knew what they were talking about. The masculine and feminine energy is balancing before our very eyes.

The planet has been tilted in favor of the male dominated ego for so long that we think of it as normal, but personally, I welcome a shift to the other side. Not all the way mind you, as I would look terrible in heels, but I'd like to see the pendulum settle somewhere in the middle. It's been stuck at 11 o' clock for a long time. It's time to let the women have some fun for a change.

Things rarely change in one day here on Planet Earth, but that's why December 21st is more of a symbol--much like Woodstock was a symbol the the 1960s. The perfect storm of events that took place in the 60s--with war and equal rights being the centerpiece--is not totally unlike what's going on today. I can't remember a time in my life when people were so polarized by politics, religion, and current events. But I see this as growth, not deterioration. The information age has provided us all with different perspectives to life's greatest questions in a nanosecond, and this is changing everything rapidly; faster than any time in history. Old ideologies that used to take generations just to evolve are now changing overnight, as the sharing of ideas and points of view from around the globe chips away at the concrete block of human thought. Finally the light is getting in.

All growth is not without struggle. Humans don't usually embrace change, and the ones who are the most entrenched into the old ways of seeing and doing things will struggle the most. But I've learned from my own experience that hardship can sometimes produce miracles. As I watched my wife during 16 hours of a rough labor I couldn't help but think, "Does it really have to be this painful for her?" I realized that every aspect of life has it's yin and it's yang, and as painful and violent as childbirth can be, there is nothing more beautiful than the birth of that child and holding it for the first time. This is the ultimate symbol of duality, the beginning of life itself.

So think of 12.21 as the birth of something, not the end of something. We may be having a few collective contractions right now, and after the recent election some of you might even be calling for an epidural, but it's time to settle in and get comfy. A new age is about to be born and we're the ones who are going to have to raise it. It's time to treat all humans beings from all over the planet with more love, compassion, and understanding, because we're all in this together. We're each like individual cells in the great human body, and if we don't work together the body will succumb to disease and whither away. It's not about us and them, there's only us.


 Enjoy the holidays everyone! Happy New Year to all of you, and have a Very Merry End of the World!!

You can have "something" from every age

   Have the imagination of a child,
   the possibilities of a teenager,
   the spirit of a 20 something,
   the self discovery of a 30 something,
   the confidence of a 40 something,
   the fortitude of a 50 something,
   the experience of a 60 something,
   the wisdom of a 70 something,
   the reverence of an 80 something,
   the perserverance of a 90 something,
   and the luck of anyone over 100.
 

Why all kids are "home schooled," for better or for worse

     Having two small children, I've seen some debate on whether home schooling is the right thing to do for your child. This is definitely a subject that I don't think there's a Yes or No answer to. There are valid arguments for both sides, but in the end I think it comes down to the teacher--i.e. the parent. If the parent is engaged, dedicated, enthusiastic and completely qualified, then I think home schooling is a great option. I know there are concerns about how the child will progress socially, but there is a growing network of home schoolers that make sure their kids get plenty of interaction with other kids. There seems to be an emerging "hybrid" model that attempts to give the kids the best of both worlds.

     My children won't be home schooled, at least not in the traditional sense; but don't all children get most of their real life education at home? When it comes to the impact that a child's upbringing and values have on their adult life--aren't we all "home schooled" to a significant degree, for better or for worse? What kids learn in school, while valuable and essential, will never have more bearing on their lives than what they learn, witness, and model at home. As parents, we are all teachers, and whenever your kids are in your presence they are being "schooled." As adults we begin to exhibit many of the same characteristics that our parents did--not the characteristics of our 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Applebottom. This is why I think the home school debate completely depends on the individual situation.


     Whether your child is home schooled or not, they will learn much more than academics just by watching you. As parents, we should all put on the teaching cap when it comes to our kids. We are constantly teaching them anyway, whether we are aware of it or not. Providing a healthy model for your kids to follow is the best education they can get, and even if they go to public or private school, the most important teacher of their lives will always be you.

  

What Are You Grateful For?

    I ask that question a lot on Facebook, and I really enjoy the answers I get from all kinds of different people. Sometimes it's really big things like a new baby, a graduation, or a marriage. Other times it's comparatively small things like "another day above ground" or a morning cup of coffee. It really doesn't matter how big or small the thing is, the important thing is being in a state of gratitude. In every moment, we are given the choice of what to focus our attention on. Gratitude unlocks the deadbolt to happiness and puts the joy of living into proper perspective.


   I try to ask myself this same question everyday because it makes me focus on everything that's great with my life instead of everything that's "wrong" with it. We all have flaws, stress, obstacles, and things we'd like to improve about ourselves, but if you focus on everything that you are blessed to have, these other things lose the importance. You'll notice that the level of happiness in human beings is not determined by their race, age, education, or finances--but by there level of gratitude for life itself.

How To Kick Your Addiction

      What's your addiction?

    Is it over eating, drinking, smoking, shopping, gambling, bad relationships, narcotics, prescription drugs, hoarding, sex--or a combination of any of these?


    Maybe you don't consider yourself an addict. Maybe you've only reached the "bad habit" stage of your destructive behavior. But if you've decided on any level that you'd be better off without this behavior, the best way to kick the addiction is to replace it with a healthy habit. You need something positive to refocus your attention, take up your idle time, and counteract the behavior.

 Here are some examples of good habits that can help replace bad habits/addictions:

 Overeating -------> Exercise
 Drinking/Drugs-------> Meditation
 Smoking-------> Running
 Shopping------> Volunteering


 These are just some examples, and please keep in mind that there may be emotional issues at the root of your addiction, but incorporating a good habit can only help when dealing with them.

The Negativity Diet: Shedding Your Brain Fat

   With the presidential election only days away, we've all been subjected to a tidal wave of negative ads, negative news, negative comments on social media, and negative banter between co-workers, friends, and family. It's enough to make you go to bed in a foul mood and have no idea why, then all you have to do is wake up and turn on the TV or log onto Facebook, and there it is, staring at you in the face again. I suspect it will only increase until election day, but it certainly won't go away afterward, so it might just be time for a diet. The Negativity Diet.

   Many of us pay close attention to what we are feeding our bodies, but how much attention do we pay to what we're feeding our minds? Getting sucked into negative discussions, vicious rumors and smear campaigns is like eating at McDonald's for breakfast, lunch, and dinner--and it doesn't just hold true for politics. Engaging in gossip, watching certain reality TV, and reading the tabloids is more mind pollution, or what I call "brain fat," that's poisoning your life and your happiness. The problem is that most of the time you aren't even conscious of it.

  The brain is constantly processing billions of bits of information, sifting through data and making sense of the world around it. We may not realize that when we subject ourselves to an avalanche of negativity that we are gorging our brains on crap, and our moods and our lives will inevitably reflect that. It is always your choice what to feed your brain, and it's easy to tell if it's junk food. If it leaves you feeling drained, sluggish, moody, anxious, or angry for no reason, then you need to put it down or turn it off and start feeding your brain something that will supercharge it. It's easier than you think.

  Here are my personal Top 10 Super Foods to feed your brain:

  1) Meditation or deep breathing
  2) Make a list of what you're grateful for
  3) Read an uplifting or inspiring book
  4) Listen to relaxing music
  5) Go for a walk outside and focus on nature
  6) Turn off the news or talk radio
  7) Exercise, go for a run, or go lift weights
  8) Let go of resentment or mend an old relationship
  9) Tell someone you love them

 ...and #10 is my special bonus "Election 2012" Negativity Diet tip: We've all been inundated with Facebook messages from people who don't share our political beliefs, and because of this a lot of "de-friending" has been going on. If you just find their comments annoying, and not something worth de-friending them for, you can stop their comments from appearing in your news feed. Go to their page and click on the box on the right hand side that says "Friends," just under their cover photo. Then you'll see a check mark next to "show in newsfeed," and all you have to do is uncheck it.
 Simple as that.

  This works particularly well for family members who have differing political views. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it's really best not to de-friend your own kin. A little newsfeed censorship never hurt anyone, and it will eliminate any awkward moments while taking the coats to put on the bed or passing the cranberry sauce.

  Negativity isn't going to vanish after this election is over, but now is a great time to be conscious of what you're feeding your mind. Is it healthy, pure, inspiring, and energizing? Or is is negative, draining, and corrosive to your well being? If it's not serving you, you can always change it. Sure, it's great to be informed on worldly events, but that doesn't mean you have to be inundated with bad news, which is like feeding trans fat to your brain. Begin the Negativity Diet today, try my TOP 10 super foods, and in no time the brain fat will start melting away.