Psyched Up
by Mariah Burton Nelson  

Through Apple's new iTunes Music Store, I purchased and downloaded Earth Wind and Fire's "Fantasy", the song Murph and I listened to before every Stanford basketball game. It was our "psych-up song." It got me thinking. Why don't more people prepare for big events with special music and special friends?

Kathy Murphy and I would fold our long bodies into the front seat of my Volkswagen Rabbit, then crank the music up high. ("Come to see -- victory -- in a land called fantasy/ loving life, for you and me, to behold, to your soul is ecstasy.")

It was Murph's first year at Stanford and my last. Young and far from home, Murph used the music to help her relax before "proving herself" on the court. Older, at home on campus, and enjoying my role as captain, I used the music to celebrate, suspecting (correctly) I might never again enjoy such cherished teammates and coaches, nor feel so confident, coordinated and in control. ("It's your day, shining day, all your dreams come true.")

I'm a writer and talker while I swear Murph never said more than "yeah." But we created a special world there in the VW, letting the music massage our minds and muscles before those big games. (They were all big games.)

I miss Murph. I don't know where she is. Even more, I miss sharing this "psych-up" ritual with a teammate. ("And we will live forever! Until the twelfth of never!")

But I still prepare for anything -- from major professional meetings to major surgery -- by listening to energizing music. Does anyone else do this? Do you have a psych-up ritual that prepares you for scary, challenging events at work or home?

The choice of music is not important. The value comes from the ritual itself. It's a way of acknowledging: This matters. And affirming: I (or we) will be ready for this next 'big game.' ("I am free, yes I'm free, now I'm on my way.")

Point #1: Big events deserve special recognition.

Point #2: Psych-up rituals can be calming, energizing, team-building, and fun.

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Need a speaker for your next event? Mariah Burton Nelson is an original, entertaining, pioneering author, athlete, and professional speaker who uses sports stories to show people how to lead and succeed with courage, compassion, commitment, and confidence. Call 703/276-8323