Here are the winning entries to the “What’s Your Theme Song?” Competition. Enjoy!
First Place: Christina Leo
“What a Wonderful World”
This one is a tough one to choose as I enjoy listening to a variety of music and in different languages.
However, a song does stand out when I am down and need to step back from life’s challenges. It’s a song that puts things in perspective for me that no matter how hard life seems at times, there are always people less fortunate than I am. It makes me appreciate my life.
And that song is “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong and here it goes:
I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They’re really saying I love you.
I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more than I’ll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world.
2nd Place: Kim Steadman
I’ve thought about the subject before, but never enough to really journal or write about it. This challenge (and contest) encouraged me to really think about it just a little bit more.
A song to describe me.
Well, you see, music and songs are something I enjoy LOVE. I learned to play the piano at age 11. I’ve always had interests in music. I judge a movie by it’s musical score. When my daddy would go and preach in Rescue Missions in downtown Dallas, my mom would play the piano and I would sing a gospel song. (Rules at the Rescue Missions – you had to go to the church service before you got the free meal and the shower).
I always have a radio on playing music. I’m usually always whistling a tune (a habit inherited from my great-grandmother who used to whistle and tap her foot while rocking in her rocker while up in the hills of Arkansas watching all the grand-kids play).
My husband and I usually have one conversation a day about something related to music (what’s the words to?, what is that song?, hey did you hear that song?) We raised a son who has an uncanny ability to pick up a musical instrument and somehow learn how to play it (with no formal instruction).
So, to be challenged to think about ONE song and apply it as a theme song to my life – WOW. That’s HARD.
BUT, I think my life has had different theme songs during different stages of my life.
My early years would have to be characterized by the theme song from Sesame Street (at least the OLD Sesame Street – I haven’t watched the show in years!).
Remember the tune?
I had a carefree childhood. Everything was perfect. It was full of love, laughter, friends, family – sweet memories!
Sunny Day
Sweepin’ the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet
Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Sesame Street
Come and play
Everything’s A-OK
Friendly neighbors there
That’s where we meet
Can you tell me how to get
How to get to Sesame Street
It’s a magic carpet ride
Every door will open wide
To happy people like you–
Happy people like
What a beautiful
Sunny Day
Sweepin’ the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet
Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Sesame Street..
And then I fell in love with the love of my life.
Our whirlwind romance (6 months from first day met to wedding bells!) he wasn’t my “best friend”- YET.
But I knew he was the LOVE of my LIFE! (tune “Love and Marriage” by Frank Sinatra) We were blessed with one child who NOW is an Aggie (que music to Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck)
I would have to say now that my life as of now reflects the song “Eight Days a Week” by the Beatles.
I’m not much of a Beatles fan (please don’t throw stones!) but this is a song that I find myself whistling frequently!
I love my husband with all my heart – “Eight Days a Week”.
I have a new found energy that enables me to live, love and work to the equivalent of “Eight Days a Week”. I have enough plans and thoughts that I WANT “Eight Days a Week”!
But, perhaps the most fitting of the lyrics are the words:
“Hold me, love me, hold me, love me
Aint’ got nothin’ but love babe.
Eight days a week!”
3rd Place: Kevin Bullard
(www.Twitter.com/KevinBullard) (He’s working on his blog!)
“I’m Still Standing” (Elton John) — particularly the chorus (below)
Why: It’s a song about perseverance, grit, determination, and survival.
4 Discoveries:
(1) Talk to Your Opposition.
While not being a jerk about it, there’s a certain bit of importance tied to staring your opposition in the eyes (animate or inanimate), and declaring that you’re still on the scene and making progress.
(2) Talk Out Loud.
It’s good to declare your survival OUT LOUD. Our faith or belief comes by what we here. We must train our brains to believe what we expect to be our expected end — not our current, temporary existence.
(3) Treat Failures as an Opportunity.
After surviving a loss or failure, life is not over. In the words of Henry Ford, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
(4) Unleash Your Inner Kid.
As an adult, approach life with the imagination, pluck, and limitless framework of a kid. Kids dream up crazy ideas all the time, then try to find a way to make them happen. This quality should be stirred up vs. sequestered as an adult.
- – – – -
I’m Still Standing
Chorus
Don’t you know I’m still standing better than I ever did
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid
I’m still standing after all this time
Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind
I’m still standing yeah yeah yeah
I’m still standing yeah yeah yeah
© 1983 Big Pig Music Limited
Honorable Mention- Stacia Hopkins
When The Sand Runs Out By Rascal Flatts
To my surprise, it didn’t take me long at all to decide which song was mine. It is on my “Favorites” playlist on my Zen and I listen to it quite often. =)
It’s called When The Sand Runs Out by Rascal Flatts.
(You can imagine me singing my lungs out while driving down the road with the volume one or two notches too loud =)…
___________________
I spent the morning at an old friend’s grave
Flowers and Amazing Grace, he was a good man
He spent his whole life spinnin’ his wheels
Never knowin’ how the real thing feels
He never took a chance or took the time to dance
And I stood there thinking as I said goodbye
Today is the first day of the rest of my life
I’m gonna stop lookin’ back and start movin’ on
And learn how to face my fears
Love with all of my heart, make my mark
I wanna leave something here
Go out on a ledge, with out any net
That’s what I’m gonna be about
Yeah I wanna be runnin’
When the sand runs out
‘Cause people do it everyday
Promise themselves they’re gonna change
I’ve been there, but I’m changin’ from the inside out
That was then and this is now
I’m a new man, yeah, I’m a brand new man
And when they carve my stone they’ll write these words
“Here lies a man who lived life for all that its worth”
And as the cold wind blows across the graveyard
I think I hear the voice of my old friend whisper in my ear
I’m gonna stop lookin’ back and start movin’ on
Learn how to face my fears
Love with all of my heart, make my mark
I wanna leave something here
Go out on a ledge, with out any net
That’s what I’m gonna be about
Yeah I wanna be runnin’
When the sand runs out
__________________
I absolutely love this song! My favorite part is the chorus “I’m gonna stop looking back and start movin’ on/ Learn how to face my fears / Love with all of my heart, make my mark/ I wanna leave something here.”
Those few lines encompass EVERTHING that I am working toward.
Let me tell you what I mean.
If you know my story, you know that I went through a rather dark period of life. I have always been a perfectionist and that combined with some choices I made, landed me in a place where I seriously didn’t want to live.
It was through my mentors and parents that I finally climbed out of that dismal hole and found out that life and loving was worth it.
As I was trying to turn my life around, the perfectionist in me was saying, “What makes you think you can change? This is the way you’ve been for quite a while now. And, you might as well give up because now that you have been in this state, you are most definitely NOT perfect.”
Funny.
I had to struggle to learn how to “Stop lookin’ back and start movin’ on!”
In fact, I found out just this weekend how this experience and the words of this song combine to create a skill that I can share with the world. A friend of mine was really having a difficult time accepting herself for who she is right now and not being critical of every tinsy thing that she might not like about herself.
It was so enlightening for me to be able to share with her my experience of learning to “Stop lookin’ back and start movin’ on.” It is truly and wonderfully freeing to let go of the past and turn to look forward.
It was after I began to let go of the past when I really started to discover that life was more than me. It was so much bigger. It was about others. It was about what I could do to help others.
And that is what made me fall in love with this industry.
I mean, isn’t that what network marketing is all about? Loving with all our hearts? Truly successful people love people with a deep and overwhelming love…
But, for me, this realization was coupled with a fear…
A fear of being hurt by putting my whole self out there. If I gave my whole soul, wouldn’t there be someone who would smash it?
Perhaps.
But that is a huge part of the equation. “Learn how to face my fears.”
And lastly is something that I truly believe each and every one of us want in our lives:
“Make my mark / I wanna leave something here .”
Isn’t that what every human being has ever wanted? We want to leave a legacy. We want to leave behind something bigger than ourselves. Something to be remembered by.
Ah…
I just adore that song.
So,
Stop lookin’ back and start movin’ on
Learn how to face your fears
Love with all of your heart, make your mark
You’re gonna leave something here
Let’s keep runnin’ till the sand runs out!
———————————————
Thanks again to all who participated! Keep an eye out for more contests and of course new tips and tricks for building your personal brand online 
To Your Success,
PS Show some love for the winners by Tweeting this post!
Other Posts You'll Enjoy:
August 17, 2010
Personal Branding, Promote Yourself