When was the last time you heard music that made you dance? I don’t mean when you’ve got ants in your pants and you need to dance. Nor do I mean when you have squirrels in your pants. (Side note: If you can name both of those references without an online search, then I’ll give you 50 coolness points right now. [BTW, that’s a lot.] If you know just one of them, I’ll give you 20. I figure it’s a rare person who understands two generations of coolness. Most people only find one generations worth, although some find none. Oh, and if you have to search and you can stay focused enough to find both and still leave a comment, I’ll give you 10. I figure that’s somewhat rare too, given short attention spans these days, plus when you search the internet for cool stuff, it’s easy to follow a rabbit trail and forget where you started.) [Ed. note: That’s probably not a side note if it’s longer than the main text.]

Back to music… When was the last time you heard music that was so interesting to you that you started dancing? If the answer is not today, then perhaps you should find some. Life is too short for boring music. (Disclaimer: I’m not implying that music which doesn’t make you dance is necessarily boring — certainly not true. However, it is good to dance and feel good, so I recommend listening to music that makes you feel good on a regular basis.) This concept can apply to music from many genres: funk (of course*), jazz, hip-hop, rock, pop, country, heavy metal, classical, techno, house, bluegrass, electro-swing (naturally), etc. That may seem strange to you, since many people listen to primarily just one genre of music, but I’ve danced to all of those, so it’s definitely possible. (No, there’s no video of this. No one wants to see that. It’s for my enjoyment. And my kids dance with me sometimes, too.)

* You could say “of course” to any of them, particularly your favorite genre, but I mentioned it because just today, while doing dishes, I heard a song so funky I just had to get my groove on. If you know, you know. I was playing music while doing dishes because I really dislike washing dishes, but music makes the experience better. And I have my own playlist, set to shuffle, so it’s music that will help me stay upbeat and happy. I sometimes use this playlist while walking and exercising. And I also use it when I’m cooking something that takes a long time, like chili. In fact, just the other day I played a song in my truck that my son said, “That’s chili-making music.” I’ve never heard that before, but makes sense in this context. He had that association with it. And he helps me make chili sometimes, and he dances to the music while making chili, so he knows. Sometimes his feet start moving like he’s James Brown. (Hey, that’s a hint to not forget the coolness challenge in the first paragraph.)

So if your day could use more awesomeness, pull up some of your favorite songs to listen to when you get a chance. Why not make your day more awesome? (If you never listen to songs that make you want to dance, why not try it? Find some. Search for playlists about dancing, or ask friends for suggestions. I suspect everyone could find some songs that make them want to dance, and you need this in your life. Trust me, it’s a good time, and it’s worth the effort to find. Make your day more awesome!)