I remember sitting on the railway ties, bawling my eyes out like a little baby in my front yard, looking at all the pictures of us over the years and ripping them to shreds while Big Rex Mistake chimed in to validate my feelings about my first big sad breakup. Sarah. Staying in that lane, my first girlfriend, Here's to the night by Eve Six. That reminds me of Caitlin. And going over to her place up by Delacore and stumbling down, sneaking off down to the creek where there was the bridge, and uh we could steal some kisses. And then there was my first dance with my first huge crush, Natasha. The song that comes to mind with that is Hangin by a Moment by Life House. And then my first hockey warm-up song, Big Leagues, by Tom Cochran. I mean, that song still gets me all fired up before a lift and reminds me of my dad just driving to every single barn across southern Alberta. Before anything happens, something is already happening. The body is deciding whether it's safe, rushed, guarded, open. Music sets the tone. That's what I'm gonna yap about here today. Because sound tells the nervous system what kind of day it's gonna be. It's kind of like your thermometer, the weather, which here in Calgary could be completely accurate and completely not. Let's let's assume it's more accurate than the Calgary weather.

Okay.

Um key points I want to bring up here today are sound and how it regulates us, and often subconsciously, how that is directly tied to our breathing. Our breathing mechanics are often to blame for being uh super stressed or not stressed enough. It also lets us know if we're safe or if we're in danger, all of that. Sound also invites us either to open up or throw up the shield and play defense. Um something to think about, if you're still sitting on the fence on this, is think about like the last movie you watched, like your favorite movie scenes. That atmosphere was created by the soundscape. And if you don't believe me, just go watch a scary movie with the lights on. All right, on in the morning, right, while eating pancakes. Um, one of my favorite scenes that comes to mind, I saw this uh on social media a long time ago. It was uh the Matilda scene where all these kids are dancing to Rob Zombie. It's absolutely hilarious. Um, and it goes to show how powerful sound really is and how it creates an environment. And that environment is what your nervous system responds to. So, what's this got to do with wellness, right? Well, the first thing that I talk about with folks when we sit down isn't goals, it's not the plan, it's not the strategy, it's not how many days I want to come in and lift, it's not the best exercises or anything. It's all about the importance of recovery and capacity. Now, capacity being the amount of stuff that you can do on a given day, and recovery being the sleep, diet, and stress management tools that you have available to you in order to help increase your capacity and simultaneously decrease the load or the stress during the day. Okay, this gives you more room for error on things like injuries, illness, and irritability, the three eyes that I like to label. It's it's more about landing and getting a clear getting a clear about landing and getting clear about what's really going on. And the you need the safety before you can really get honest, right? And the music is what creates that safe environment, creates the conditions to get honest with reality. And that is how you move forward. You what I've seen, anyways, is that you're simply unable to behold reality if your nervous system is on red alert, if you're always kind of on guard. It's really, really tough for you to get honest with yourself, which is the number one thing you need to do in order to move forward with whatever you want to do. Now, think about it this way: would you listen to a bunch of loud music, like death metal? We're talking crazy loud music, right before trying to go to sleep. And I know there are some people out there, and there that's a different conversation. There's something deeper there. Or how about when you're a kid? You probably heard your mother say your name, only a mother could say, and that likely changed your execution, right? Came running after you heard, Michael. I know I did. Uh, you know you're in trouble, right? Do you ever notice the silence between the sets and how it changes your awareness or your perspective? Maybe there's been a problem and you go out for a walk or you go uh you go lift and then wham, it totally hits you, and you're like, whoa, I got it, or you have a shower. That silence, that silence is critical because most breakthroughs happen in the silence between the sets, per se. Once the sound drops. Then once the system lands, patterns become more visible. Then the memory comes back online. Your desire becomes accessible. So the things that you want, you can then attain. Decisions get cleaner, clearer, you know, oftentimes quicker. And action becomes intentional. Not just intentional, inevitable even. To be clear, I want to say this. Sound negation acknowledged doesn't solve the problem. It creates the conditions where truth can actually show up. And in order to move forward, no matter what you're trying to do, you gotta be honest. I was just talking about this uh earlier this week with my my dear friend and mentor. In order to move forward, no matter what you're doing, you gotta be honest. He said, Mike, stop lying. Stop lying to others, stop lying to yourself. The only way forward is inside, and you must tell the truth. That's that's it. You do that, you're made. All right, and it starts with sound. Create the conditions to get honest. Okay, that's it. That's all here today. I'll be sure to post a link to my first playlist for y'all, all the music that brings back memories for me. Um, I'm sure that'll be interesting for you. And uh, as well as the Rob Zombie Meets Matilda video. I'll be sure it's in the show notes as well. And to close things down today, here is my challenge for you. This week, I challenge you to notice the sound that you choose and the sound that you tolerate. Because both are shaping you. Till next time. Y'all stay sweet. Peace.