Can you stand the rain?

My thoughts are always intertwined with musical lyrics. I find it is the songs that I feel in my core are the ones that change my thinking, cause me to reflect. And every once in a while, I will pull out those songs and it is amazing what they uncover, either healing from the past, a demand for course change today, or a reminder to ride out the storm.

If you are a child of the 80’s you know the song from the title well, but if you are not from the 80’s you may see it as a silly boy band song. Well, I am here to tell you, Can You Stand The Rain (hear it via the link below) has shaped not only relationships I have stayed in too long, delayed career decisions I should have made sooner but also provided moments of realization; storms are part of the relationship dance.

Here is why. At its core, the song is centered on can you make it through when things get hard?, can you weather the bad times?  We all remember the relationships of our youth, how important they were to us. And let’s be honest, they were more valuable in shaping our future relationships than we realized at the time. Even our friendships on the playground, they all shaped how we interact with other people, either romantically, on a friendship level and in some cases even with our coworkers.

Here is what I know.- When I hear this song, it sends me into a tail spin down memory lane but before it is over, I find myself in true reflection of any difficult relationship I may be facing at the moment.  In the next few days that follow, I find myself adjusting where needed, whether that means letting go of a relationship that was mostly storms, not just passing rain, or admitting the challenging time I might be facing is just a phase and it too will pass.

My personal reflections are often triggered by music and the truly special songs help me heal or course correct. Have you found your own reflection moments? What helps you look within? If not, start by listening to songs you loved as a child and see what emotions they bring up from the past, see if they ask questions of today.