Honor your past, it’s what has made you who you are today.
My Mom loves Music
My Mom loves music. As a little girl, I have so many fun memories of songs floating through our home. Mom won a flip-clock radio at her work picnic, and perched it proudly on top of our big, white refrigerator. Every morning the first thing Mom did was turn on the tunes.
We sang along with, Anita Ward’s Ring My Bell, Wings’ Band on the Run, and Abba’s Dancing Queen, and we danced to Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody and Michael Jackson’s Beat It (such a great video!). I recall practicing all the move’s to Bananarama’s Venus video 5 million times so all 5 of my girlfriends and I could time the “fiyah” hands and “desiyah”-turn perfectly.
A Prominent Fixture
Mom’s clock radio was a prominent fixture on the fridge for years, and slowly, over time, the flip numbers broke off, so no one knew what time it was, but the music never fatigued, it kept on pumping out the tunes of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’, and 2000’s. Non stop music morning-to-night. I loved it!
Remember these? 8-track tapes!
Love of Music
My Mom’s love of music transferred over to me. I love lyrics, even if I get them wrong. For example, for years my childhood girlfriend Monika and I shamelessly belted out the words to Madonna’s La Isla Bonita…, “Last night I dreamt of some baaageellllls…” Find the real lyrics here.
Late 1980’s
I started teaching Group Fitness in the late 1980’s (it was called aerobics back then). I was a poor high school kid trying to learn the ropes at the local YMCA, so, I made my own music cassette tapes to teach my 90 minute ‘Super-Fit’ class.
Yes, cassette tapes and yes, you guessed it, I wore a one piece body suit and high top sneakers too, and YES! We did high impact aerobics for 90 minutes- at once.
Crocodile Rock on Cassette
I have the distinct memory of attempting to record Elton John’s Crocodile Rock to a cassette tape (laaaaaaa, la-da-la-da laaaa), while it played on the radio, only to hear a scratchy, cut-off version in my aerobics class. Participants didn’t care, we high-kneed and high-kicked our way into a high-energy fitness frenzy. Man, those are some awesome memories- when I didn’t even know what an ‘8-count’ was, and no one was concerned about music piracy, back then.
Memories Floated Through Me
Anyways, all of those fantastic memories floated through me like it was yesterday, and now the Beatles are singing in my ears. I honor my past like the ease of chanting the Eensie Weensie Spider, as I listened to the lyrics of Imagine Dragons’ Yesterday.
Here are the lyrics…
Yesterday
Here's to my future
Here's to my yesterday
Here's to change
Oh, here's to my yesterday
No tomorrow without a yesterday
Here's to my future
Goodbye to yesterday
All these years I've been searching
Of who I'm supposed to be
All that time I've been wasting
It was right in front of me
Oh, it's a crooked old tradition
I am asking for
But in the all this trouble I've met
I haven't got one single regret, no
Here's to my future
Here's to my yesterday
Here's to change
Oh, here's to my yesterday
No tomorrow without a yesterday
Here's to my future
Goodbye to yesterday
Yesterday
Oh, I'm a hopeless crash collision
Because I'm a hostage to my bride
I'm my own volition
I've been a saint, I've been the truth, I've been the lie
Oh, it's a crooked old tradition
I am asking for
But in…
No Tomorrow Without a Yesterday
What an incredible reminder… ‘no tomorrow without a yesterday’. You get to acknowledge all of the amazing things you’ve done in your life that have made you the gift of who you are today!
And yes, you have gone through some shit. But the truth is, you have made it! And you get to choose which memories you hold on to, which memories you cherish, and which ones get left behind for a day when they become useful to you.
In the words of Maroon 5’s Memories,
“Everybody hurts sometimes
Everybody hurts someday, ayy ayy
But everything gon' be alright
Go and raise a glass and say, ayy”
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Or, in the words of Pink Floyd, Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Your light in this world is brilliant, bold and needed. Your past is a testament to how far you’ve come. And you have made it through all bad days so far. In fact, you are the author of all your good days too!
Honor Your Past
Honor your past, and let’s keep striving to be present as we move towards our unified future.
You are loved,
Nicole xo
ps. What memories do you recall that honor your past? Leave a comment, your words always inspire another soul in this great gift of life we are all dancing through.
And one time, I was invited to be a guest DJ during a trip to Ibiza…but that is another memory to honor later.
NICOLE VIENNEAU, MSN, RN, NC-BC
~Health Protection Expert & ‘Head’ Motivator!
Nicole knows how to inspire you with habits and behaviors that protect your health. She understands the science to support you and makes learning coupled with action fun!
Nicole’s Memere (grandma in French) lived with dementia after 13 strokes slowly stole her fire, her wit and her life. Through Memere, Nicole learned the gift of humor and creative ways to see hidden messages that can be difficult to express. Nicole uses these skills to create purpose, vitality and health in her clients with the Build Your Health System at Blue Monarch Health, PLLC
Nicole has been a Registered Nurse for +20 years and achieved a Master’s in Nursing Science from the University of Arizona, and a board certification in Integrative Nurse Coaching from the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation, and is Senior Faculty with the Integrative Nurse Coach Academy. She is a yoga teacher, personal trainer, and group fitness instructor and enjoys healing in nature while hiking the Pacific Northwest trails with her husband or lounging in the sun with her cat babies. Email Nicole
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