Monday Storytelling: Hope in times of hopelessness

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Today I wanted to share the story behind my song Things Will Change. I wrote it about a couple of months ago when I was just going through a rough patch. We all go through those, we all get through it, yet when we’re in that moment, it’s hard to think that things will change.

During that time, I believe I was just struggling getting through the everyday. I pride myself in being someone who is positive and let’s nothing get her down. I do allow myself moments to just let it all out when I need to, and then I try to get back to the swing of things. I let myself do that and then I needed to remember how to get back to things.

I realized that I just had to get up, go to work, and keep on going even if I didn’t feel like it. Feelings come and go, they don’t last, so they don’t have to have the last say. Another thing was I had to exercise my ability to have hope. I take things like having hope and faith for granted sometimes, and I realized I just needed to believe that things will change. So in the meantime, I wrote this song at that time to help me get through the moment, let my feelings out, and have hope at the same time. Hopefully this story can help anyone going through a rough patch.

Here are the lyrics:

If it means anything
I keep on going
Even if I don’t want to

If it means anything
I try to smile
Even when I don’t feel good

Cause I know
Things always turn around
When you least expect it to

Even when I doubt
Without a doubt
Things turn around eventually

If it means anything
I hold onto hope
When hopelessness sinks in

If it means anything
I find my hands together
Praying for a sign

Things will change
I’ll feel good

Monday Storytime: Magically Collide by Jamie Pennelly

I write a lot of songs. They are all based on an experience I’ve had whether it was an actual situation or just a feeling. I love that process. I’ve decided to start this thing called Monday Storytime to give me some space every Monday to share the story behind one of my songs.

The first story I want to share is how I came to write my song Magically Collide. I decided to share this one because just today, as I arrived home and got out of my car to go into my house, I caught a glimpse of the sky and the stars. They were so beautiful. In just that glimpse, a sense of peace came over me. I just got back from work and felt a bit stressed and my stress went away even for just a moment.

There have been so many instances where the sky was able to give me that feeling of healing. This song shares that experience. This specific song, “Magically Collide” was written on a day where the sky had colors I don’t see too often. It caught my attention because it was a mix of like a soft peach color on top and then it blended with some light purple, then ended with a nice darker purple. Those two colors are actually some of my favorite colors, so of course seeing it put a smile on my face. =)

Right when I had a break in between jobs, I penned “Magically Collide.” The first part of the chorus goes “Let the skies above light up. Put a show for us to see. Let us see the colors magically collide.” I went on an awesome month long road/camping trip with my husband and we stayed at a campground. One night, I woke up in the middle of the night and again caught a glimpse of the sky and was in awe. It was so clear, so blue, and filled with so many stars. I think of nature sometimes putting on a show for us.

Despite all the craziness that can go on in our world or in my life, pretty skies have the ability to bring me back to a good place. I like that.

Launch of Make The Switch Framework: From doing work to doing your life’s work

Yesterday, I launched my Make The Switch Framework. It’s a complete framework that teaches people how to make the switch from just getting a job to doing your life’s work. After 2 years of study, I learned what needed to be done to make the switch. This is important because it’s the new way of doing work. Each person has a specific body of work to do and crucial data for that work is found in what you truly desire.

I hope you enjoyed my music video. It’s my song “Not Today,” and it’s taking a stand against all the things that have prevented us from doing what we really want to do. Today you’re going to discover what you need to do and actually do it.

To learn more about the framework, read this post. To download a free copy of the complete framework, go to my online store here. To listen or purchase music to feed your soul, visit this site. Thanks!

Songlist for the Soul

Meant To Fly: “She doubted what she sensed cause no one else believed. But still the truth inside her heart just would not leave.”

You Belong: “You are loved, you belong, you are treasure found. You’ll be whole, you’ll know who you are.”

I Need A Moment: “Life is a struggle sometimes I just wanna take a break. Another moment and I worry I might just break. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way.”

The Antidote To Being Human: “I want a spell to make the pain go away. The antidote to all the ails of being human.”

Things Will Change: “Even when I doubt, without a doubt things turn around eventually.”

Lost Now Found: “You’re a masterpiece of the maker of the universe. That shows you just how great you are.”

My Spaceship Zooms: “No longer strange…just me.”

Hey Pain: “Hey pain, how about you and me be friends.”

I Smile: “I smile and my worries go.”

Changing Things Up

I just started singing and songwriting several months ago and I was already feeling unmotivated and bored. This didn’t make sense to me. I had such enthusiasm when I decided I wanted to learn how to play the guitar better and write inspirational songs about living your life to the fullest, being you, and all that good stuff. I was writing one song a day, day after day, I was so inspired, I was having a blast. Then a little over a month ago, I lost all the zest. When I would share my songs at open mics, I would just go through the motions. I wasn’t having fun anymore. I decided to pursue this passion because it made me come alive, so this was a problem I needed to understand and fix. 

I was skimming through The Artist’s Way which is a book I just finished on learning how to unleash your creativity, and I noticed something I underlined. The author was making a point about how it’s so easy to fall into the trap of following a formula including your own formula. I came to understand this as doing something a certain way because it worked in the past and continuing to do it because it worked in the past even if it’s not working in the present. Pretty much, sticking with what you know. When I saw that, the lightbulb went on. I was sticking to what I know and holding onto it and not wanting to let go. My formula was this: write songs about the inspiring experiences and lessons I was having at the moment. I was going through some major changes in my life just several months ago and I had a bunch of experiences like that to sing about. But now things are starting to settle down. The new life is setting in just fine and things are pretty stable at the moment. The old formula doesn’t apply.

I didn’t want to give up that formula because I felt I was giving up on the reason I decided to pursue my passion – to sing songs that call people to wake up and live. But at the same time, I would be giving up on my passion for singing and songwriting because I currently am experiencing something different at the moment. I decided to shake off the feeling of having to do something a certain way – having to follow the rules. I’ve never been fond of following rules. I’m not a typical rule breaker or law violater, but I’m just someone who doesn’t like to follow the crowd when it comes to doing what you know is right in your heart for you. I feel many people fall into conformity and don’t live the life they want to live, have the job they want, think what they want to think, or say what they want to say. In that way, I break cultural or personal norms.

So, I’ve decided to allow myself to change things up and write songs about whatever my heart wants to write. Over the past several days, I’ve written songs about sweet treats, singing in the morning, and also wrote a couple songs with a different style than I normally write in. The result, a happy budding artist. I’m letting my creativity run free. =)