Lots of things coming together in this week’s intro, Friends.
Be patient and stick with it….I know some of you like to start scrolling and scanning right about at this point looking for the good stuff.
I’ll save you some time:
This intro is about how your rush to judgment is causing you to miss lots of good things and opportunities going on around you.
There…..feel free to scroll on to the links if you like….or you can keep reading…..
So the main subject line of this week’s edition is about “earworms” — you know those songs you get in your head and then can’t shake. It’s those songs you find yourself singing when you are in the car, or humming while you are taking out the garbage or whistling while you work.
If you are interested in what causes this, definitely check out the article at the very bottom — it even gives you tactics on how to reverse the curse when you get an earworm in your head.
Like what I predict is about to happen to you….right…about…now…..
For some reason, when I first thought about earworms, my mind immediately went to children’s songs….you know… like ones we heard every morning on TV shows as kids….like this OG from Sesame Street….
Or maybe you were thinking about this one?
Always say thank you or at least say please….
And then I remembered when I became a parent, the songs our kids would listen to…and, during the days before every kid had their own headphones and screen in front of them, would insist we play on repeat in the car on long trips…
The absolute Kings of Children’s Earworm Songs from when my kids were little?
Yep, some of you may have guessed it: The Wiggles.
I know, just when you thought you were rid of them for good. But you can thank your old friend Dave for waking up Jeff and bringing back those goofy MF’ers from Down Under.
Take a listen to this classic medley and I dare you to try NOT to sing along after all of these years…
Yessss! Fruit salad IS yummy yummy….
Oh, don’t worry Millennials….too old to remember the Wiggles? Feeling like a participant without a trophy? Turn that frown upside down….I got you covered too….here’s a more recent one you definitely know….
The funny thing about these earworm songs is you probably didn’t even have to click on ANY of these to hear them in your head….and at least one is now playing on repeat for the rest of the day…..
Some are just nonsense songs. Some came with messages and lessons attached. Like this Yo Gabba Gabba classic:
Between that one and “There’s a Party In My Tummy” it’s clear that the Yo Gabba Gabba crew seemed to have a hang up on getting kids to try and eat new foods.
But the message they both are sending is clear: don’t knock it ‘til you try it. It’s teaching kids patience and to reserve judgment on something before they have experienced it first hand.
And here we have arrived at the point of today’s preamble, Friends: we seem to forget this as we get older.
The more we experience over the years, the more we grow impatient and the quicker we jump to conclusions. We do so with people, with decisions, with opportunities, with things big and things small that are around us.
We like to judge. A lot.
And when we do, we may miss out on good things going on around us because we have already pre-determined an outcome. Or we project an outcome we think might happen without actually playing the cards the in front of us and let things unfold in the first place.
It’s like scrolling past the videos earlier in the preamble to get to the “good stuff”.
Think about it: maybe the videos and the earworms are supposed to be the good stuff. Maybe if you clicked on one, even for a minute or two, it would bring back a memory or a thought that sparked another thought or feeling that could lead to something good for you today.
Just like the things in our lives that we are judging and dismissing. Instead, maybe those are what we are supposed to be noticing. The people, the decisions, the opportunities, the things big and small.
We may be older, but why has the message changed? Why are we so quick to judge? What are we afraid of?
Friends, how is your judging limiting you? How is it holding you back and keeping you from being your best? Are you experiencing all that life offers?
Sometimes its good to remember the lessons from the earworms of your younger days:
Try it….you’ll like it….what’s your function?….There’s a party in your tummy…Fruit Salad…Yummy yummy!
Mahna mahna…doo doo da doo….
Have a good one!
XOXO
Dave
And now some things to make you smarter…
Unpack how the toymaker’s “Barbie” movie marketing push offers clear lessons for established brands looking to recapture attention. Great read for you sales and marketing people.
How can we help our colleagues grow and change when they may not yet recognize why they need to change? We can find a solution in a surprising place: addiction research.
Here are some spots that celebrate the wonder and whimsy of Pee-wee Herman. So hop in the car (or on your cherry-red bike), cue up The Champs’ Tequila, and explore the weird, wonderful corners of America.
Visitors advised not to share cellphone images with the zoo’s primates as it can lead to anti-social behavior.
Earworms are a universal phenomenon across many different ages and cultures. But what distinguishes an earworm from any other memory that spontaneously pops into your head is that it recurs and repeats, often in a direct loop.
Here’s some things you can do to stop that song from sticking in your head for too long.