“Draw a crazy picture,
Write a nutty poem,
Sing a mumble-gumble song,
Whistle through your comb.
Do a loony-goony dance
‘Cross the kitchen floor,
Put something silly in the world
That ain’t been there before.”

- Shel Silverstein, “Put Something In,” A Light in the Attic

Yesterday was Shel Silverstein’s birthday. He died ten years ago, but his words live on.

Think of what you can do today to put something silly in the world. Then tell us what you did.

It’s a very quick read, with 10 tips you can put into practice right now to “raise your vibration.” If that sounds too mystical for you, you can substitute the phrase “put yourself in a good mood.”

Are you feeling depression, anxiety, fear, anger, guilt, gloominess, shame, grief, apathy, or helplessness? If so, you’ll learn ways to instantly trade all that in for strength, happiness, vibrancy, cheerfulness, delight, elation, euphoria, hopefulness, lightheartedness, and peace of mind. (Wow, the thesaurus is sure getting a workout!)

What can Harry Potter teach us about the law of attraction? What would he even need it for, if he has a magic wand? Actually, one of his most powerful charms is nothing more than the LOA in a more visible form.

Of all the evil forces Harry faces, few are as sinister as the Dementors. Immortal soul-sucking wraiths, they turn the air cold and dark, feed on positive emotions, and make people feel like they’ll never be happy again. If they succeed in carrying out “the Dementor’s Kiss,” the victim is left as an empty shell with no chance of recovery, a fate believed to be worse than death.

Fortunately, there’s a very effective defense against Dementors, called a Patronus charm. Harry simply points his wand and says the magic words “Expecto Patronum!” Unlike most of Harry’s incantations, this one is correct classical Latin, meaning “I await a protector.”

And then the protector–the Patronus–arrives, an ethereal being flowing out of his wand as bluish white light. It absorbs the Dementors’ negative energy and repels them like a dog herding sheep.

Oh, how nice it would be to just wave a wand and sit back, letting the universe send a magical protector to chase away evil while you went about your business.

But here’s the catch – even in the magical world of Harry Potter, there is no universe-appointed protector. The Patronus is just you. It comes from your own emotions and, when fully formed, appears as an animal that reflects your personality or is somehow significant to you (according to various online quizzes, mine would be a phoenix, an eagle, a hawk, or a stag).

It’s an incarnation of your deepest positive feelings, that part of you that feels no despair and is thus immune to negative energies. Remus Lupin tells Harry, “In order for it to work, you need to think of a memory. Not just any memory, a very happy memory, a very powerful memory…Allow it to fill you up…lose yourself in it.”

So the Patronus is only as good as the one conjuring it. Although it’s completely within their control, it’s still very difficult to master, especially when under the stress of facing a Dementor. Lose your focus, and the Patronus becomes a weak veil of mist that won’t protect you from a fly. Even Harry failed in his first few attempts to cast one.

Whether there’s any metaphysical basis for the law of attraction, there’s no denying that a positive attitude can work wonders in plainly obvious ways. When people are putting you down, telling you you’re no good, saying you’ll fail, it takes a tough mind to tune them out. Most people don’t.

But if you let yourself be overcome by negative thoughts, there’s no escape. You fall victim to the Dementor’s Kiss, and become an empty shell of what was once a courageous soul. And the odds of an empty shell accomplishing anything meaningful are precisely zero.

OK, I know what you’re thinking. In a fantasy world, it’s not so hard to think happy thoughts for a few seconds until an enchanted animal spews forth from your wand and saves the day. In reality, it’s a lot harder to stay positive year after year when facing obstacles that don’t run away so easily. A dead-end job, poor health, and a struggling relationship don’t instantly fix themselves when you say “Expecto Patronum.” Why can’t we live in a world where things are that simple?

True, in our world, there’s a very convoluted connection between thoughts and outcomes. Overnight success still takes years, even when you stay focused and do everything right. But if results appeared instantly, would that be any better? Not really.

There will always be challenges, and the easier they are to overcome, the quicker they’re replaced with harder ones. A world that gave more power to you would also give more power to your obstacles.

If you could unlock a door by saying “Alohomora,” people could also say “Colloportus” to make the important doors Alohomora-proof. If you could disapparate (teleport) at will, people could also use anti-disapparition jinxes to keep you where you belong. If you could knock out any enemy by saying “Stupefy,” their friends could wake them up with the counter spell “Rennervate.” There are no special breaks, even for wizards, and certainly not for you and me.

Don’t wish for the world to be less challenging. Will yourself to have the strength to deal with it. Courage doesn’t require anyone’s permission but your own.

Are you awaiting a protector? If so, when will you create one?

For much more on the law of attraction, read Greatness Without Genies: The Law of Attraction for Realists.

Of course, I’m probably biased, having just read Marelisa Fabrega’s free ebook 114 Ways to Celebrate Life.

Just click and download instantly, no email address required. Then get lots of ideas for how you can make your life more enjoyable today. It kinda reminds me of Zen Habits.

As I went though the list, I kept count of how many of these things I’ve done in the last week or so. I’ve done 11 of them, including blowing bubbles (#36), going to a baseball game (#73), and eating Lucky Charms (#83).

(It would have been 13, but unfortunately the list does not include getting something from the ice cream man, or playing basketball with a stuffed cow.)

How many of the 114 have you done recently?

Incidentally, this is an example of a list post (or list ebook) done right.

In the 1991 Simpsons episode “Stark Raving Dad,” Homer wears a pink shirt to work, is mistaken for a “free thinking anarchist,” and gets sent to a mental institution. When it’s time to decide on his roommate, one of the asylum workers says “put him in with the big white guy who thinks he’s the little black guy.”

It turns out to be someone who thinks he’s Michael Jackson (and who was actually voiced by Michael Jackson, though credited as John Jay Smith and not revealed until later).

This guy may be delusional, but he sure is nice and helpful. When Bart doesn’t get his sister Lisa a birthday present, she gets very upset. “Michael” tells Bart that when he was a kid he didn’t have much money, so for his sisters’ birthdays he wrote them a song to show that he cared. And so he helps Bart find the words he can’t say in the song Happy Birthday Lisa (written by the real Michael Jackson though sung by Kipp Lennon). Lisa calls it the best present she ever got.

After “Michael” says his work is done and starts walking away, Bart asks why his voice suddenly changed. His answer is:

“This is my real voice. My name is Leon Kompowsky and I’m a brick layer from Patterson, New Jersey. All my life I was very angry until one day I just [switching to Michael Jackson voice] talked like this. All of a sudden everybody was smiling at me and I was only doing good on this Earth. So I kept doing it. To make a tired point, which one of us is truly crazy?”

This is just one of the many gifts Michael Jackson gave the world. Maybe not his biggest one, but just another thing he did to make people smile.

Susan Boyle auditions for Britain’s Got Talent

I just came across this one yesterday via Career Renegade, but it’s quickly taking the world by storm. Susan Boyle, a plain looking, unemployed, 47 year old woman, did a singing audition last week before a highly judgmental audience, including the brutal judges Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan. (YouTube embedding is disabled for this one, but just click on the picture.)

Reunion with Christian the lion

John Rendall and Ace Berg rescued a lion cub from a sad life in a London department store in 1969. After Christian the lion got too big for them to keep, they had to return him to Africa. Then after he readjusted to the wild, John and Ace paid him a visit. Would he remember them?

Mister Rogers addresses the U.S. Senate

President Lyndon Johnson proposed a $20 million grant for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, but President Nixon wanted that amount cut in half. A youngish Mister Rogers went before the tough-as-nails Senator John Pastore, to persuade him that children are worth investing in.

Nick Vujicic living life without limits

Being a little different isn’t stopping Nick Vujicic from being happy, or inspiring millions of people.

Free parking changes the world

The short film Validation raked up awards at film festivals in 2007. No wonder, when you see what free parking can do for people. 16 minutes, but definitely worth setting aside time for.

By the way, a couple of these videos were popularized by big bloggers a few months ago, but subscribers to my newsletter saw them first. Sign up now, so you don’t miss the next one!

Regardless, nobody expected the Cardinals to make it this far. Although they’re the oldest team in the NFL, they’d never made it to the Super Bowl. Before the season started, oddmakers listed their odds of making it to the Super Bowl at 50 to 1. But they did, becoming only the second team to ever do so with 7 losses.

They might win the Super Bowl tonight, and they might not. But even if they don’t, their strategy will eventually work. That’s because it’s the only way to do anything:

1. Set your goal.
2. Make a plan.
3. Execute your plan.
4a. If successful, proceed to step 5.
4b. If not successful, go back to step 2. Repeat as many times as necessary.
5. Achieve your goal.

This plan might not get you to your goal quickly, but it’s better than the alternative:

1. Set your goal.
2. Do whatever.
3. Give up on your goal.

Of course, other things factor into this, like desire, knowledge, and skill. But if you’re not willing to keep trying, the rest doesn’t matter.

To celebrate its arrival and also provide some motivation during the financial crisis, I came up with this list of the 10 most uplifting songs of all time.

This was really hard because there are just so many songs out there, and many worthy contenders had to be left out. But I gave it a shot, making up 10 separate categories to ensure some diversity. The list is heavy on British groups and almost entirely 70s/80s songs, but that wasn’t by design.

Without further ado, here are 10 songs that are great for lifting your spirits.

Best power ballad:

Somebody to Love, Queen (1976)

A year after Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen once again demonstrated their abilities with a complex melody, intricate harmonies, many high notes, and deeply layered voice tracks. Freddy Mercury searches his soul and begs God to find him somebody to love. The lyrics by themselves are extremely depressing, and yet somehow you know that everything is going to be OK.

“I have spent all my years in believing you
But I just can’t get no relief, Lord
Somebody, somebody
Can anybody find me somebody to love?”

Best doo-wop song:

The Longest Time, Billy Joel (1984)

Although doo-wop faded from popularity in the early 1960s, Billy Joel had a hit with “The Longest Time” in 1984. Because the only instrument used is a bass guitar, the song became a staple among a capella groups. However, Billy Joel did all the voices himself, by recording 14 different background tracks that were mixed in.

“I don’t care what consequence it brings
I have been a fool for lesser things
I want you so bad
I think you ought to know that
I intend to hold you for the longest time”

Best disco funk song:

Thriller, Michael Jackson (1984)

With creepy lyrics from Rod Temperton, a chilling monologue by Vincent Price, and a signature performance by then-black Michael Jackson, “Thriller” became the biggest-selling album of all time. The 14 minute video was more like a mini-movie, costing a record $500,000 and being listed in the 2006 Guinness World Records as the most successful music video. Ironically, Michael Jackson as a werecat or a zombie isn’t half as scary as what he eventually became in real life.

“It’s close to midnight and something evil’s lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart
You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes
You’re paralyzed
‘Cause this is thriller, thriller night”

Best rap song:

Amish Paradise, Weird Al Yankovic (1996)

Weird Al really nailed it with this parody of Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise, teaching us what being Amish is all about. Because of a miscommunication, Weird Al was told that Coolio had given permission for the parody in advance, but Coolio later denied that and said he didn’t appreciate his song being desecrated. While that issue has long been behind them, I have to wonder what the Amish think of this song.

“We been spending most our lives living in an Amish paradise
We’re all crazy Mennonites living in an Amish paradise
There’s no cops or traffic lights living in an Amish paradise
But you’d probably think it bites living in an Amish paradise”

Best alternative song:

Birdhouse In Your Soul, They Might Be Giants (1989)

Back in the days when Istanbul was still Constantinople, TMBG filibustered vigilantly about a guardian angel nightlight. While many people questioned their sanity, this remains by far the world’s most popular nightlight song.

“Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I’m the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul”

Best supergroup song:

We Are the World, USA for Africa, 1985

To raise money for the 1984-1985 famine in Ethiopia, 45 popular singers recorded this charity single as the supergroup United Support of Artists for Africa. This included Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Harry Belafonte, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Hall & Oates, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis, Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, The Pointer Sisters, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, and Dionne Warwick. “We Are the World” reached #1 in 14 countries.

“We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving
There’s a choice we’re making, we’re saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me”

Best instrumental song:

Gonna Fly Now, Bill Conti (1976)

Not strictly an instrumental, but close enough with only 30 words, “Gonna Fly Now” was used as the theme song in Rocky. It reached #1 on the charts and received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.

“Trying hard now, it’s so hard now, trying hard now
Getting strong now, won’t be long now, getting strong now
Gonna fly now, flying high now, gonna fly, fly, fly”

Best progressive rock song:

Blinded By the Light, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (1976)

After Bruce Springsteen failed to even make the charts with this song, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band redid it and took it to #1. While the original was very folky and acoustic, the remake is very heavy on synthesizers and Chris Thompson’s New Zealand accent. (And no, he’s saying “deuce”).

“And go-cart Mozart was checkin’ out the weather chart
To see if it was safe outside
And little Early-Pearly came by in his curly-wurly
And asked me if I needed a ride
Asked me if I needed a ride
But she was blinded by the light,
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night”

Best transvestite song:

Lola, The Kinks (1970)

Even a bad case of mistaken identity couldn’t stand in the way of happiness in this song, based on two true stories in the band’s history. Surprisingly, its biggest controversy turned out not to be its reference to a drag queen, but its reference to Coca-Cola. The BBC banned “Lola” for mentioning a brand name, forcing the band to fly from New York to London to re-record it as “cherry cola.” The U.S. gets the uncensored version.

“Well that’s the way that I want it to stay
And I always want it to be that way
For my Lola, Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo Lola
Girls will be boys and boys will be girls
It’s a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world
Except for Lola, Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo Lola”

Best Beatles song:

Let It Be, The Beatles (1970)

If any group deserves their own category, it’s the Beatles. Paul McCartney based this song on a dream he had about his deceased mother (Mary), who told him, “It will be alright, just let it be.” This was the last single the Beatles released, and it went to #1 in five countries.

“When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be”

Like I said, the astronomical number of songs in the world meant that many great ones had to be left out, plus this list is obviously influenced by my own opinions. What songs would you add?

More at Nick’s site.

“There is no such thing as a stupid question. However, if there were such a thing, that would most certainly have been it.”

- Unknown

Is there such a thing as a stupid question? Tim Brownson doesn’t think so, and I’m leaning towards that myself. There might be annoying questions, like if you happen to be blessed with a 5-year-old who constantly asks things like “If oranges were blue, would we still call it orange juice?” But then you stop and think about it, and you realize that it’s a darn good question, probably better than any you’ve asked in a while.

The closest thing to a stupid question I can think of is when someone in my high school Spanish class asked “What does spoon mean?” But that wasn’t a stupid question, just a stupid way of phrasing the question that was supposed to be “How do you say spoon in Spanish?”

In Tim’s book Don’t Ask Stupid Questions – There Are No Stupid Questions, he says that our life is heavily influenced by the questions we ask, especially those we ask of ourselves. So what questions are you asking?

You have an inner voice, right? Does it ask questions? It probably screams at you and maybe tells you that you can’t do anything right, or nothing’s ever going to work out. But when it’s in a calmer mood, it’s asks questions, doesn’t it? If not, it really should, unless you already know everything. Sometimes the question is a lot more important than the answer.

In this book, Tim tones down his hilarious humor a bit and reveals more of the life coach side of him. OK, he also talks about ducks, whether curiosity did indeed kill the cat, and Mexican guys who can run 100 miles without stopping, but I mean the book has a lot more than just entertainment value. It’s very insightful, and each chapter ends with a great question to ask yourself. Don’t just read it–think about the questions!

It’s available as a $14.99 hardcover or a $9.99 ebook. I read the hardcover, and I was impressed that he managed to put out something that looks that nice. I just may have to kidnap his publisher to use for myself.

However, I’m still not 100% convinced that there are no stupid questions, so I’d like to ask everyone to leave the stupidest question you can think of in the comments. Then go check out Don’t Ask Stupid Questions – There Are No Stupid Questions.