I Believe in You (#BOTB)

Author, life coach, and motivational speaker Tony Robbins. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

         Listening to a motivational speaker is a great way to seriously start thinking about doing something.  Now if only I could just get one of those guys to shut up and just show me what I need to do instead of telling me about it...

   









          Need some motivation?   Have you tried listening to motivational speakers?   I've got success program recordings by Napoleon Hill, Tony Robbins, and a few others that I used to listen to when I was driving.  Whether it was for my fifteen minute commute to and from work or some extended trip, I would listen to these tapes over and over and over.  Now I don't have a cassette player in my vehicle so I don't listen to them. 

           At the time I supposed that listening to the content enough would make it stick with me and maybe it did.   Probably so.  Still, there are those times when I need a healthy dose of motivation, part of which is reassurance. The guy doing most of the talking these days is me talking to myself.  If I'm not hearing something on the computer or seeing something on television that pushes me to action, then it's up to me to do the prodding.   I know it's all worth it in the end.  At least I think it is.  I hope it is.

        By the way, for those who are shilly-shallying about doing the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge--go head and do it.  Push yourself.  Give yourself a hearty pep talk.  And if you want a theme song to go along with your kick in the pants, you can sing along with my song pick for....

Battle of the Bands

Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and now hosted by StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   This event happens each month on the 15th and on some blogs there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month.  My blog is one of those with a second Battle on the 1st of the month.   The premise is simple:  Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it.  Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this post for more Battle action.

"I Believe in You"

            As a first reaction to this song title you might have been expecting a Christian song--there are a few with this title.  Or maybe that great song by Neil Young with the same title.  You might even have thought of any number of other songs with the title "I Believe in You."   In the case of this Battle I'm using the hit song from the 1961 Frank Loesser musical How to Succeed at Business without Really Trying,

          This song popped into my conscious mind within the past couple of months--not sure how or why, but it just did.  Since then it has been my obsession to use it in an upcoming Battle and today is the day.  The message in the song is a motivational one:  Have confidence in yourself if you want to succeed.  That speaks to my own self perception of late.  I guess that's why I've had the song on mental replay for several weeks now.  When I'm leading up to a Battle, the song I'm going to use next tends to overtake my musical mind.  This one has done so probably more than any song I've used so far.

          I recall seeing the song performed by How to Succeed star Robert Morse on television back in the sixties and hearing versions by many other artists during that era.  It's not a song I've heard in recent years although maybe I did hear it not so song ago and it planted the song seed then.  For some reason I've been thinking about this great song and now you can think about it...

Frank Sinatra with Count Basie  "I Believe in You" (1964)

         Let's start this Battle off in a big way with the brash flashy sound of Count Basie and his orchestra and an energetic delivery by the legendary Frank Sinatra.  Can any recorded version of this motivational song be bigger and better?   Give it a listen to see if it gives you a wallop...




Bobby Darin  "I Believe in You"  (1966)

         Can Sinatra and Basie be outdone?   Or maybe you prefer the slowed down cool version by Bobby Darin.  It's not the frantic sound like the previous version, but it's a showy version nevertheless and you can focus on the lyrics with a more meditative approach.   This is a darn good version of "I Believe in You," but is it as good as Sinatra's.    You be the judge...





Time to Vote!

        Come readers!  I believe in you.   Please vote.   What's your preference between these two choices?   Which song version do you like best?   You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.  
       
        Please vote on your favorites by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours.


Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

 ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ 

 'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

Angel's Bark  

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Cherdo on the Flipside 


Winner of this Battle Announced on Wednesday March 7th

           Do come back next Wednesday to find out who won this Battle.   That will also be the day of the Insecure Writer's Support Group so you might want to drop in for that post as well.    If you have not yet completed the survey at the Blogging from A to Z Blog site, please visit and help us with your input.  A to Z sign ups open on March 5th. 

            Do you need any particular motivation right now?   Do you ever listen to motivational gurus?  Have self-help books ever been helpful to you?

Surprise, Surprise! (#IWSG)

       
           I think I'm a pretty good writer.   Some people have told me that before.  And I've told myself that before too.   I tend to trust what I tell myself more than what other people tell me.   But it's my world after all and who knows, I might be dreaming all of this and what anyone says is really an extension of my own mind...

The Insecure Writer's Suppport Group

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog. 

The co-hosts for the September posting of the IWSG are Tyrean Martinson,Tara Tyler, Raimey Gallant, and Beverly Stowe McClure!

Sept 6th question:

Have you ever surprised yourself with your writing? For example, by trying a new genre you didn't think you'd be comfortable in??

Surprising Myself    

        Tucked in my office closet is a box of writing going as far back as high school.  It seemed like I wrote a lot more back then than I do now.  There are short stories, poems, songs, and other miscellaneous scribblings.  On occasion I have looked into this trove of writing and read some of the work of younger days.   I'm impressed by much of that writing.

        Even looking back over some of my older posts on any of my blogs I feel a certain satisfaction with my writing.  It should come as no surprise that I think my writing is often pretty good since otherwise I wouldn't have written it.  I tend to like what I write and, to a degree, fall in love with my writing.          

        What has been lost over the years might amaze me even more than the writing samples I have on hand.  Thinking of written work that has been lost on old computers, writing that I've turned in as test essays, and other examples that are no longer in my possession for one reason or another, I seem to remember some of that writing as having been pretty good.  Too bad I can't get all of that writing back so I could reevaluate it.  Too bad...

        I am among my top ten favorite writers.  Yes, I know it sounds a bit egotistical, but why not.  Liking what I write gives me incentive to write more.  That attitude doesn't surprise me because I see great logic in thinking that way.   What surprises me is how damn good I can write!  (Yes, I keep telling myself that.)

          Delusional?  Perhaps.  But why not.   We all create our own fantasies about who we are--who we want to be.   And even who we've been.  The writer is the main character of the book that continues to be written.  If I am writing my own story then I want it to be good.  The best story that I've ever read.

           Are you aware of your own attempts to build yourself up?     Does insecurity blind you to your own abilities?    Where would you rank yourself in your list of favorite writers?