How Songs Can Change Your Life with Ruth Wishengrad

[00:00:00] Welcome all you light makers. Thank you so much for joining The Laughter Project. The Laughter Project. Well it is all about laughter and humor and play and lightening up and everything else.

[00:00:17] But the podcast is called The Lighten Up Project and I am called Malcolm Grissom, the stand-up CEO and founder of the World Laughter Organization and you are not called that. You're not. Sorry. No, that's not what I'm called. No. Nobody else is called that but me. That's us too. Yes. Just me. Sorry.

[00:00:44] Hey, but today on The Lighten Up Project we are going to be talking about something very, very powerful. We're going to be talking about words you repeat because voice. We're going to be talking about the power of voice and the power of speech.

[00:01:13] Yes. But even more importantly we're going to be talking about that in music and song and all that. My guest today is a good friend of mine, Ruth Weisingard. Wish I'm glad. Wish I'm glad. What did I do? What did I do? I'm not Weisingard. You said that. Weising. You Weisinger. You were.

[00:01:42] Wise and cracks. Wise cracks. Yes. Wise and cracks. No. Oh, okay. Oh, my goodness. Okay. Wise and cracks. Wise and I am. Wish I'm glad. Wish I'm glad. Yes. Ruth Wish I'm glad. She is the founder of Happy Heart Songs.

[00:02:09] It's blending music, emotion, and neuroscience to help people turn encouraging words into something they can actually feel and remember. And as part of our episode today, so yo, you're going to share from me, you're going to share from Ruth, but guess what? You're going to share from one of Ruth's clients.

[00:02:39] She's going to tell you the power of one of Ruth's songs. So, love. Songs specially created for her, so it's not really my song, it's her song. Her song, but you created her. Right. Thank you. Thank you for that correction, yes. Very important correction as well.

[00:03:03] So, with over 30 years of experience in teaching and coaching, Ruth helps people feel seen, supported, and celebrated. Often something, often was something as simple and powerful as a song, as words. Words that we use every day. We overlook that power at times. But not today.

[00:03:32] Because if you've ever had that tune stuck in your head, imagine that it's actually happening to you. I wish, I wish, I wish. Well, today we're going to lighten up, we're going to change that soundtrack, and we're going to welcome Ruth Weisenheimer. Weisenheimer.

[00:04:04] Weisingrad. Ruth Weisingrad. Thank you. Well, you know, laughing wouldn't be the same if I wasn't laughing with you. Oh, gosh. Yes. So, I usually begin this with 20 seconds of spontaneous laughter. But, hey, since we've had that throughout our introduction,

[00:04:32] and, you know, and we laugh so easily, let's just get right into what, Ruth, is your relationship with laughter? Oh, my relationship with laughter is, oh, that's a really good question. So, I just love to laugh. And, you know, my, my, growing up, it was all about laughter.

[00:04:59] And, you know, this is the first thing that popped up when you asked me that, and it doesn't sound like something to laugh about, although it's what happened at the moment. My mother was, was, was ailing. She was sick. And she said to me, okay, I'm sick. We got to start laughing. We just got to start laughing. Laughing is going to heal everything. So, that, that just reminded me of that. It was a very, very sweet time.

[00:05:29] And, and so I just would go, I would go over and visit her. Okay, this is laugh time. Let's laugh. And so we would laugh together. And when I moved across country, a few years later, many years later, actually, I, I actually became a laughter yoga leader. And I got certified as a laughter. I'm a certified laughter. You said laughter. I'm certified to laugh. Oh. I'm certified to laugh, Malcolm.

[00:05:59] Very important. Very important, Tad. Be certified for that. That is great. I love that story because there's so many people that I've talked to in this podcast and elsewhere that when they think of laughter, they think of laughter as a reaction. You know, we're, we're going to a comedy show. We're watching comedy movies.

[00:06:27] We're watching, we're watching something in order to make us laugh. And so that story, it's laugh time is wonderful. And, and look at you now, you are certified to laugh. Well, I mean, you know, the certification about laughter is it's, it's all about put a smile on your face. Yes. Put a smile on your face and laugh for no reason. Yeah.

[00:06:57] What it's all about. And the benefits of laughter is, are amazing. I think it was, was it Norman Cousins? Is that who? Yes. Who, who let himself healthy? That's what my mother pointed to. She goes, well, if he can do it, I can do it. So we, we left. Interesting. So Ruth and people watching, if you haven't done so, you might want to check out.

[00:07:25] So last month was international humor month, all April, you know, starting with April Fool's. Right. Right. I think so. Right. And so on April 2nd, which happened to be a Thursday, Steve Wilson, who was actually the person who certified me as the laughter leader, he was interviewed. He is the,

[00:07:54] he's the psychologist. He's very, very done a lot of research throughout his life on laughter and, and Norman Cousins and the relationship there and all that. So that would be a very interesting episode for y'all to check out. Okay. Mm hmm. Yeah. So Ruth,

[00:08:22] so we talked about laughter. Let's talk about songs for a moment. So what song has shaped you and how you see yourself and how you move through life? Oh, I don't think there's just one song. I think songs for me, at least, well, I could tell you a story.

[00:08:51] I didn't understand that songs were actually helping me, helping guide me through my life. I didn't know that. And I would get songs stuck in my head when I was sleeping and they would get stuck in my head so, so much so that I would repeat and repeat them. And I would stay awake repeating them all night long, just one or two lines of a song. And I couldn't understand it. And it was also taking away my sleep. Right.

[00:09:21] So that was not so good. And so finally, it took me years. Okay. Sometimes I'm a little thick, but it took me years to realize, okay, well, if you wake up and you're singing the song, write it down, get up, get a piece of paper. So I ended up putting paper by my bed and I write it down. And I would write, scribble it down, trying not to turn the light on, you know, scribble down the lyric. And then the more, and that was enough to say, okay,

[00:09:51] it's, it's been captured. It's remembered. Now you can go back to sleep. And in the morning I would, I would be able to, sometimes I could read by chicken scratching and I could look at it. And nine times out of 10, it was a message I needed to hear. It was something that was telling, guiding through whatever I was going through. And it was, it was putting me on a path. Um, and I like for me to come up with one particular song is hard.

[00:10:20] Although the one song that helped me on my journey to get here to Santa Barbara from Massachusetts was the song breakaway by Kelly Clarkson. And that song for whatever reason was my, my guide to say, you know, whatever, whatever you need right now. And, and it just allowed me to, you know, to break away. I guess I was breaking away from my family and breaking away from some safety, but I wasn't leaving.

[00:10:50] I wasn't trying to leave. I was trying to move forward to something else. If that, does that make sense? Yeah, sure does. Yeah. Is, is there a song now that, now that you've broken away, now that you are in Santa Barbara, you are, you have your, your, um, uh, you have spit. I have what?

[00:11:19] You have your spit. I have my spit. Okay. Um, I, I'm sorry. I just, the word just left me. I got your, your company. Now, now that you have, um, founded the happy heart songs. And now that you are, um, you are on another step on the entrepreneurial ladder.

[00:11:46] Do you have a song now that guides you? Well, um, I was actually telling a client this the other day. All of these songs are pieces of me because it's from my heart to theirs. Right. And so, each one of the songs show up at different times for me, different parts of the lyrics will show up to,

[00:12:14] to keep me on my path. And these are songs of encouragement, empowerment, of, um, of joy, of, of honoring where you are at the moment and, and lifting you up to where you want to be. And so, even though these are specifically for other people, they're all, they all feel like part of me. Hmm. And so, that's, that's, that's what's, um, showing up. And, you know, to,

[00:12:42] to jump back a little bit to that story about when these songs, these different songs used to show up in my, um, you know, while I was sleeping, um, I all of a sudden went, you know, Hey, if I could get other people's songs stuck in my head, what if I got my own songs stuck in my head to help me feel better from the inside out and help me move to where I want to go. And that's,

[00:13:09] that's when this whole idea showed up for me. And that was probably about 14 years ago. Um, and I've done different things, um, between that time and, and now. And I have created a whole curriculum around this in terms of empowering you to the thoughts that you repeat. Have those, the good thoughts, the ones you want to repeat. Let's repeat them over and over again. Let's repeat them over and over again to anchor them in the body.

[00:13:39] And when you're doing it with joy and song and laughter and you're, you're creating that emotion around it, it, it's there. And it, and it, and it anchors much deeper than just a plain flat kind of a statement saying over and over again. And so what that does is when you need it most, it will be there. Mm-hmm. I have a story around that if you'd like to hear it.

[00:14:10] Um, just, just a minute. I did want to point out, um, and riff on that per second. Um, and, um, um, not only is it powerful to, you know, to repeat those words, um, and everything that come in that song, but connected with that music,

[00:14:38] because music is so emotional. Um, there's, um, so right now, my, um, one, one of my power songs, one of my power songs is, uh, Bird Sepery, uh, by Sia. Mm-hmm. Are you familiar? Um, you'd have to sing a little bit of it, because I'm, I'm more, I'm more, um, um,

[00:15:06] and maybe you don't want to see a little bit of it, but. No, I don't actually. I, um. Wait, I'll, I'll write it down so I can open it up. Bird Sepery. I, I don't know the words, really. I, I repeated some of the words, um, in an episode that I did last March. Um, but I don't, so I don't,

[00:15:36] I don't really know the words, but. Every time that I hear it, every time that I hear it, it's, it's very emotional. It's very emotional. It strikes a chord. So. Now going back to what you said, um, it, now you're having, you're having these words or your clients are having these words. And because the,

[00:16:06] it's attached to the music, they have that extra emotional connection. And at, like you pointed out, you have the same thing because not, not only did you create it, but you also have that stuck in your head. Absolutely. As something you created. Right. Right.

[00:16:36] It's always going to be there. And it's not, I don't feel like it's necessarily stuck in the head. I feel like it's stuck in the heart. Cause. Yeah. Now it's far out. Realer wants, yeah. The heart wants to be heard. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So yeah, you, when you were writing it, when you're creating it, I guess that's why I said head. Right. Right. Right. Now that it's created and you've given it away, these,

[00:17:06] now it lives within you. Now it's, yeah, now it's in your heart as a creation that you've done. As I tell all of my clients, I say from my heart to yours. Yeah. Cause it really is. Yes. Maybe I did. Yes. I created it. Some of it here, but, and I also created a lot from my heart too. So it, it's, it, it, it just kind of came through me and I don't,

[00:17:35] I don't fully feel like it's just Ruth Wishingrad that's doing this. I feel like there is some higher power that's, that's helping me to help others. And that's, that's what I'm here for. Great calling. Great calling. Can I get back to that other story? Yeah. You were going to, you were going to tell us another story. Go ahead. So many years ago when I had created some of these songs for kids and inner kids,

[00:18:04] um, they were, they were fun, fun, very repetitive songs. And, uh, I had this one woman who was 90 years old and she loved the songs and she wanted to, to tell me stuff about it, but I, she didn't have anything specific to say. So I invited her to listen to the songs for two months and dance and sing with them and, and, and just get silly with them. And at two months and two days later, Malcolm,

[00:18:33] I get a phone call. I mean, I get a text from this 90 year old, a text, not a phone call, a text. Can you please meet me at the rehab? I fell and fractured my hip. And I was like, okay. And she said, please get a, you know, put your phone out and take the testimonial right then, right here now. So I did. And basically the story was that in the middle of the night, she'd gotten up to go to the bathroom. When she went to sit back down again,

[00:19:01] she didn't land on the bed. She went crack. And she heard her hip crack. And she was in excruciating pain. She thought, well, you know, I just saw the kids tonight and my phone is six and a half feet away. It feels like 10 miles. I'm done. She was about to give up. And she heard the song, one of his three songs in her head.

[00:19:29] And to the beat of the music and to the rhythm of my voice, she was able to move herself one inch. And she'd stop and she'd pant and rest. And then the song would come back again. And inch by inch by inch, she made it to her phone in two hours. Out of shadow of a doubt that she was going to, it was like a flow of energy that was moving her across the floor. Exactly two hours later. And when she got there, she didn't,

[00:19:59] she didn't even call 911. She had concocted this whole plan because she didn't want the two deadbolts on her doors to get beat down and cost her a thousand bucks. So she, so she called her neighbor to say, my kids are going to come with the ladder. Don't, don't go back to sleep. It's okay. The kids came, they came and, and then they called, called the ambulance, but they said, no sirens. We don't want to wait, wake the rest of the neighborhood. And not until all of that did the, did the pain come back?

[00:20:29] The rush of pain come back. Cause she had been singing the song for two hours, totally focused. Mm-hmm. Four months later, not only was she walking again, she was driving her car again. At 90 years old. Music. So the power of music is just absolutely incredible. And I have another story. If you want to hear right from the client's mouth this time. Uh, not yet. We're going to get.

[00:20:59] We're going to let our, our audience just. In the answers. Hate. Okay. Yeah. But I, so. Um, you just, that was a beautiful story about the power of music and the power of. words. Connected with music. So now where does joy or laughter fit in,

[00:21:26] into the way that music helps support healing? Uh, well, I feel that laughter, I mean, joy is part of, um, of, of the music. Joy. Cause music brings joy. Right. So that's, that's what for me, at least it does. And so the laughter part, um, I think it's the connection. I think it's connecting with others, connecting with yourself on it. Um, I, I, I think almost,

[00:21:54] it's probably more connecting with others. So when you share the song and others like, um, embrace it with you, um, then there's that human connection and we all need connection. And that's what, that's what has, that's where, why laughter can continue longer and longer. And then you've done, since you've been certified, you know, you know that you've done the laughter meditations, right? And even without looking at each other,

[00:22:23] you're still all connected when you're lying down and you're, you're laughing. I've had laughter yoga sessions like that, that went on for 10 to 20 minutes that we would just, everyone would be quiet. And then all of a sudden one would person would go, and we would just all be done again. Yep. Exactly. So yeah, that goes to my core phrase and you brought that up. Yes.

[00:22:52] Laughter is connection. That is my core truth. I w I want that on my gravestone. So, so have you seen, um, have you seen, so you've told us this story, um, that someone else told you about how,

[00:23:22] uh, the music and the songs shifted their entire emotional state in such a powerful way, but now have you actually seen it happen? Have I seen it happen? Yeah. Yeah. well, part of it is, is, um, one of the, one of the benefits is when, um, when I share the song with people, um, I, I,

[00:23:52] I, I share it with them for the first time. There are several people who, who've wanted me to wanted, because we were connected in other ways as well. And so they wanted me to be there when they, when they, when I share the song for the first time and I see the emotion and not only are they emoting, I, I emote from along, right along with them. so I have seen that. Um, yeah. And does that answer your question? It most certainly does. Yeah.

[00:24:22] And it leads me right into happy heart zone. So I want to talk about what inspired you to actually create it. And over years. Great question. Of course. Um, so I'm going to, I'm going to fall back on what you said at the beginning, what you repeat repeats. And when you're repeating things that don't, don't fit with who you are and what you want to be,

[00:24:51] then you don't feel so good. So why not repeat what you do want to feel and how you do want to feel and be and, and that and repeat, repeat those things. And so that's kind of how this whole thing started, started. Um, it's not about the song. It's a, it's about what happens because of it. It's who you end up becoming. Okay. Okay.

[00:25:22] And then more than a song, it's an experience. And what, another part of what you said that, uh, hopefully didn't go over, um, people's heads, but just in case. So let me point it out. Um, finding that thing to repeat takes a whole lot of experimentation. And, you know, because that thing that you repeat,

[00:25:52] you might find it when you're a child. And then again, when you're a teenager or, you know, a young adult, but you would still need to, to experiment with other things, because every little thing that you do in between, everything that you do in between,

[00:26:19] it leads you to really use everything that you have at the end to create the song or whatever, whatever it is that you want. And so what, what I'm saying in my awkward way is, um, what, what's your experiment? So you have, you have a gift,

[00:26:49] you have something that you love. You might want to leave it for a while. Don't, don't stick with it. Don't say, okay, I've made up my mind. This is my gift. This is what I love. This is what I'm going to focus all my time and attention on. And become a, uh, uh, uh, Ruth Weisinger that just,

[00:27:18] all she does is create songs for people. That's all she does. She hasn't had all the other experiences in between. She hasn't had all the other, you know, business ventures and whatnot in between. Um, that's all she does. She's a one sided person. Well, you could do that.

[00:27:46] I wouldn't suggest it. You could do that. Or you could do what you've done, which is you've had this gift. You've played around with other gifts. You've done other things. You've followed other business ventures and business ideas. And now you've come back to, you know, what you've loved, even though it might, it's probably,

[00:28:15] it was always still there. I mean, it's not like it went away, but it wasn't your main focus. Now you've come back to that love with a more, with a richer point of view on life, more things that you can add to songs and help people out. And it's just, it, it,

[00:28:44] that itself is what personal development is really all about. Absolutely. Really all about exploring. And it has definitely, you know, had its true, you know, changes and, and my experiences help shape the new experiences for others and all of that. Absolutely. Sure. Sure. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. So what, um,

[00:29:13] or let's, what, what makes a good happy heart song? What makes it different from, um, a feel good playlist? Or even now, you know, in Silmar, you can go in and create music. Mm-hmm. AI. So what, what makes what you do even different than all of that stuff? Well,

[00:29:42] it's the emotion and the repetition that makes it stick. So it's really the questions that I ask to really tap into people's individual, where they are now places. And one of the things that I do, um, one of the things that I offer is, yes, I have a, a survey that you can, you know, fill out this whole long survey and, um, um, and you can do it on your own. And then even if you do it on your own, um, and you, and I,

[00:30:12] and I have questions when I read it, I will email back and forth to you. However, there are some people who have a very hard time, um, just writing down the, the things that really mean the most to them. So I have what's called a helper session. Um, and we, it's a happy helper session, but short helper session. And, um, and it's, and, and in that session, it's a very focused one-on-one time where I kind of,

[00:30:41] I ask you the same questions, but I'm helping pull out the, the, the gems, the pieces of you that are the most important. And I'm, and having you help me paint a picture, you're painting a picture of what is important to you. So we take you from here to where you want to go. And the repetition, the, the lines of repetition are the things. So I really feel like it's an, in the song writing and, and, and it's the, the, the specific,

[00:31:11] it's the neuroscience that wraps it all together to anchor it deeper in the body. And it's the neuroscience and the things that are going to affect you, not the things that are going to affect me, but my listening to you or, or looking at your survey and, and the way that I've structured this, it's taking those pieces. That's going to really wrap the song in, in your heart, in,

[00:31:39] in what's pointing to you at the moment. Does that make sense? Yes. Yes. Yes. So how can, this song, how, our music itself, how can it really help people express, or access, not express necessarily, well, express and access. So access emotions that they don't normally express.

[00:32:09] Um, well, yeah. So I think, I think it's all in the words. So I'm bringing you back to the very, very beginning of what we talked about. It's all in the words. It's what are the words that mean something to you that are going to, um, trigger that emotion, that expression of you. And then you share those words with me and I lace them and craft them into

[00:32:36] something that is just beautiful. Right. So that, that's beautiful. That, that really, now this is a, now you get time. Yes. This is, I get it. Now I want our listeners to get it. And this, and what better way to get our listeners to get it,

[00:33:02] but to have you share your story along with your clients. Um, response. Right. Yeah. Okay. Yes. So I will share the story. Um, and then, yeah, I'll just share it and we'll go from there. How's that? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Please. All right. So this is a woman who I wrote a song for, and the name of the song was called breathe and believe.

[00:33:31] And I'm going to just now listen to her words. That was in labor for 12 hours. And now full time, all I had to do was sing that song just over and over again, uh, because they'd really gave me something to come back to and something to hold on to. And, um, it really grounded me on every time I felt like it was just, to my style was an explode and die. I, it just popped in my head and it was like, all right, we're getting, we got this. My body knows exactly what to do. And I,

[00:34:00] I trust it while leading completely. And then I'd have like the contraction and I, and, and like, Oh, there's a part. Oh, there's a part. Oh, there's this part. And they're just like, all came together. Just, you know, and then, you know, and then I had to have this horrible experience, um, after that. But I'm asking about, um, you know, when I woke up, I was still singing the song. And I, uh, like,

[00:34:26] because I was so unconscious and not able to really form a thought or like really know where it was or what was going on. The song had kept me in like this really cool psychedelics. It's just like music. I don't know. It was, it was really hard to explain, but it was, it really was. I don't know. If I even had that song, I don't know how I would have thought through what it had to go through. Every time I get a song, I get shows. Everybody has,

[00:34:55] I have showed the song to also. It's like super emotional about it. Really just depends on the day, what's going on. But the song is so, I don't know. It's just, I feel so connected to it for the second. I live for the first time I listened to it. It was just, wow. Instantly. Like it says my song. This is my jam. But this is my life. So I've got a fan. Wow. My aunt. So would you like to hear a little piece of the song? Yes, please. Okay. I'm just going to do just a little,

[00:35:25] little chunk so you can get a sense of what it was. Trust my body to know what to do. Every way brings me closer, closer to me and closer to you.

[00:36:07] Marvellous. I love, I love that, that, that actually, that piece that you just played, that, that answers part of the next question I was going to ask. Okay. Yeah. So we don't even have to ask it. No, I'm kidding. But, okay. So, so that was a, a playful,

[00:36:35] a lighthearted type of song. Um, what about the deeper emotional signs? Do they, do they have the same impact? Almost even more impact. Even more impact. Okay. Now I have some, that are, I have a couple of songs, um, so far that I've written and I'm, um, I'm working on another one right now that are acoustic, um,

[00:37:04] that are just guitar, um, just very soft music, but they are just, they really pack a punch too. because they get, they get, they get to a different part. Right? So there's, there's the high energy, high beat, upbeat songs that can really like, she needed that as a, as her birth pant, you know, you know, to keep, to keep, to keep going. You know, where some of these other people have asked for it to be something kind of a very soothing thing, so it becomes a soothing mantra that,

[00:37:34] you know, mantra-esque because it's, you know, not quite, a mantra is usually pretty short, but this is, this has that constant repetition, that constant feel. And that's, that actually, from what you just described, then it actually goes back to, what, to that power song that I mentioned, because, and the, I guess the, um, I,

[00:38:04] I've lost the word, the word song. The word's gone. The, Kokumbug. Irony. The, you know, I guess the irony, uh, the dichotomy of, my being so upbeat, and performance-like sometimes, and very engaging, and this is me, this is my personality. However, when you listen to, like, A Bird Set Free,

[00:38:33] it is a very slow, um, moving, very moving, very deeply emotional song. And so, people don't, wouldn't necessarily think that I would go for a song like that, or as much. But, so, so, so, so what you just said is, yeah,

[00:39:02] it's so right on point. So right on point. Yeah, and, and that's why it's custom. Because a song that works for you, and for works for you in one moment, might not work for you in another moment. So if you needed, um, in fact, my newest client right now, um, wants, um, wants two songs. She wants one right now for, for really calming and really grounding. And then she wants another one that's kind of her, you know, I got,

[00:39:32] you know, like her, her, her upbeat dance type music kind of a song to, to help her, you know, amp it up, you know? And so it's, it's all about what feels right to you. And you could have more than one song because we are, we're, we're not, we're not flat people. We are multi multi dimensional, multi, multi feeling type people, right? Oh, you know, at one time,

[00:40:01] at different times, different things resonate. Would you like to hear another mother who wanted the song? This one's more of just really quick, but this one is, uh, this one is, is the more acoustic version. Okay. Here we go.

[00:40:18] Feel the joy.

[00:40:57] So interesting. There's both breathe and believe in these, but they're totally different. They're totally different. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Not, and, and, um, they're totally, and they're custom. Like, like you just said. So like the, um, the mother in labor wouldn't have gotten as much out of that second,

[00:41:27] version. Probably. And this mother, this, right. This mother, this was her second child and she needed a different kind of anchoring. Okay. Yeah. And so, I, I mean, I don't do, I do, I don't only do for, for mothers who are pregnant, but I have other songs too. Um, but, uh, you know, I've, I've helped people who are going through cancer treatments. I've helped people who are just about to go into surgery. I've helped, um, some, um,

[00:41:57] a teenager who was feeling, um, I was very anxious and needing some, some grounding in, in a different way. Um, and, um, so I've done a variety of different songs and I meet you where you are and lift you to where you want to go. Wow. Yeah. Okay. Okay. So let's talk, um, let's talk action.

[00:42:25] How can someone tomorrow, right after this podcast or today, right after this podcast, how can someone start using music more intentionally to support their mindset? Um, that's a great question. So I would say find a song that, that, that soothes you, that comforts you, that lifts you up,

[00:42:54] whatever it is that you're needing and use that song as your go-to, as your way to, when you're not feeling the way you want to feel, use that song to bring you to where you want to feel. Okay. Mm-hmm. Okay. So that's, and, um, okay. So that is sort of rewriting that inner dialogues using music. Yep.

[00:43:22] what is a, so do you have a specific, um, action that someone, if they want to rewrite that inner dialogue, if they want to find that music that, um, that helps rewrite that dialogue, do you have an actual step for them? Oh,

[00:43:52] so you're suggesting, um, how could I help you find your song that somebody else has written? Yeah. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Just, yeah. Let's say for, before they come to you, because obviously anybody, um, to you, if they want to rewrite their inner dialogue, well, Hey, go see Ruth and, um, and the heart, heart, um, happy heart songs.com. Right.

[00:44:22] Right. But, but for tomorrow, then, so something someone can do, right away. They, they know in this, while we're just in this discussion, they say, I really need to change my inner dialogue. And I want to find, I want to find a different song, um,

[00:44:48] or a different piece of music to help me do this. Okay. So in that mean, in the interim, before they actually come to you and, you know, actually talk to you and get some, uh, questions, some Ruth power, um, then what would you suggest that they do? Well, um, um,

[00:45:17] I actually created a short gratitude song as a gift for your audience. That's one thing. But before, but before that, I think what you're asking is what I would say is tap into the songs that, that have an emotional, um, pull for you. So I, I was actually throughout this conversation, I was thinking, and is there another song other than breakaway that was a very, um, that, that would make me cry,

[00:45:45] that would make me cry in a good way, not in a sad way. And, and, um, the song was music of the heart. It always brought me back to, see, his heart seems to be a theme for me. Um, but it always brought me back to like, really believing in myself. And so I would find a song that, you know what? Here's the answer.

[00:46:15] A song from your childhood or a song from when you were, um, a teenager are songs that, that can bring you back to the place that you once remembered in a good way. I mean, they might also, there are also songs that could bring you back and not so, so wonderful memories, but, um, there's been science and research done for people who are, um, there's a movie called, um,

[00:46:45] Alive Inside. Have you heard of it? No. It's about a man who went around to, um, nursing homes all around the United States. And this was back in the day of a Walkman. So he put, he put, um, a Walkman on, on these people in the nursing home. Some of the, who were, were catatonic and were not speaking. And he put their favorite music. He found out from their loved ones, what their favorite music was when they were 17, 18 years old.

[00:47:15] And they woke up. there's a specific video of a guy named Henry, who, when he listened to music from when he was a young kid, he woke up and he started to talk. He, he woke up out of his catatonic state and he was laughing and crying and talking because he was listening to his favorite music.

[00:47:41] That documentary does sound vaguely familiar. Live? Live. Yeah. Live Inside. Live Inside. Yes. Love it. Do you know where people can get it? Uh, just Google it. Just Google it. Um, and, and if you look for Henry, um, you will see this very dramatic man that it's, it's, it, it, it will get at your heartstrings. Let me tell you.

[00:48:10] Mm hmm. Definitely. Definitely. Okay. So now you, you mentioned this, um, this giveaway. So could you tell us a little bit more about that? Yeah. Yeah. It's a song that I wrote for myself, um, of all around gratitude. And I, it's a, it's a way to come back to something to make you feel good inside, to just, um,

[00:48:40] be grateful for what you've got and to get you out of the stuck feeling of trying to like figure out how. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. All right. And I shared, I shared that link with you in the chat. So, yep. Share that link with others and my gift to you. All, all of these, every way to contact you. Um, it's in our show notes.

[00:49:10] Okay, great. Most definitely. Um, so as we, um, as we finish here, what is one, what is one thing that you would like our listeners to remember after this episode ends? Hmm. Listen to your heart. Your heart knows. Hmm. Hmm. Yes. Your heart knows.

[00:49:40] Your heart knows. Your heart knows. Listen to your heart. Your heart knows. And laugh. And laugh. Laugh and listen. Um, for, for those of you. So another callback. I don't, I don't do this a whole lot, but I'm calling back to a lot of episodes that I, um, just recorded that you're reminding me of. So at the beginning,

[00:50:09] so the episode at the beginning of this month, so we're, we're in, um, national, uh, mental health month. And the episode at the very beginning was a solo episode, um, about me and how laughter, uh, played such a big part in my, um, it actually, I, I was,

[00:50:39] so I was on the brink of suicide. I was on the brink of suicide. Um, actually, seriously, the only time in my life when I was actually moments away from suicide and laughter stopped me. And so laughter is, uh, part of my heart. And going back to what you were saying earlier,

[00:51:09] laughter is connection. Connection is part of the heart. Music is connection. Music is part of the heart. So it's, it's so lovely. This is just great. Well, I truly believe that, that both laughter and music hit a different part of your brain and it triggers something different to help you get out of that stuckness. And yeah,

[00:51:38] that it does. And it also goes right back to the heart. Yeah. Back to the heart to bring you joy. Mm hmm. Exactly. Up to the heart. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. So how would you finish this sentence? The words we repeat to ourselves become who we are. Right.

[00:52:08] So be careful about what works. Exactly. That's. I love it. Love it. Thank you. Yep. Ruth for being part of our episode for now joining us and being a part of the lighten up nation and for helping us just bring the laughter and play.

[00:52:36] Music is very playful and joyful. So there's a lot of that and you're bringing up that and you're helping us pass that around the world. Pass that around the world, which is exactly what the laughter, the world laughter organization is all about.

[00:53:01] Bringing that power to help people and especially our younger generation who are going to then take these habits that they're building. Now they're going to take them to create even a better world someday. That's the whole point. Mm hmm. Thank you so much for having you. Yes.

[00:53:28] And thank you audience for continuing to support us in this. Please. Tell your friends. Even if. Even if you didn't like this episode, even if you don't like those projects. Tell your friends that I don't like you. This. Oh, Malcolm, that guy, Malcolm, he is such a terrible interviewer.

[00:53:58] I don't like him at all. You should hear some of the crazy stuff he says. Really, really, you should hear it. Please hear it. So, keep sending people our way is what I'm asking. And remember every day that every smile can open a door. Every laugh can open a heart.

[00:54:27] so can music, not every music, but music in general can open a heart. And every step can be your next victory. So, until next time, take care.