Say YES To YOU by Learning Johnny Mercer’s Lyrics – A Great 1944 Song That Lifts You!

It hit me square in my brain today! Just like that! I didn’t even have to think about it.  I realized it’s May 31st and my June “Say YES To You” article for “Here Women Talk” was due tomorrow. I asked myself only one time, “Watcha gonna write about, Bobbie?” and – wham – I started humming Johnny Mercer’s song.

I’ve been finding more and more and more that “fake it till ya make it” isn’t really talking about faking it! The way it can work is by dwelling on the good that’s here now – or, even, what’s possible now. Even if I’ve been telling myself that no good seems to be coming from whatever particular project I want to see succeed, the project could have good possibilities when (okay –‘if”) certain possibilities occur.

Most important – I see that have good in my life right now! I might not have the good that my mind saw as the good that would come from the project(s) in question, but when I think about it, I do have lots of  “good” in my life!!!

People have been telling me I look super and healthy. People who aren’t at all involved in the entertainment field are amazed that I have the energy to go out almost every single night and have to find a night to schedule at home so I can wash my hair!  (Most people in entertainment would understand how I have energy.)

Recently, I decided to act as if the good I was looking for was already here – and – guess what?  It started coming into my life.  I know that this sounds trite and so many life coaches write about “fake it will ya make it” – but it does work!

I went back to the lyrics Johnny Mercer wrote for “Accentuate the Positive”. I always loved that song. It was published when I was only 4 years old. My mommy would love singing it to me. Then in my later years I was blessed to become very friendly with the wonderful singer, Margaret Whiting, who was Johnny Mercer’s goddaughter and grew up in Michigan with him very often being in her home. Her dad was songwriter,  Richard Whiting who wrote songs like “Ain’t We Got Fun!”.  When she came into my life, through John Meyer, the writer whose musical I produced, I learned a lot about positivity. I don’t think it was an accident that on a Unity retreat I began talking with a lovely young lady who started bouncing up and down when I told her my name. She said, “OMG! You’re the Bobbie my mom told me about!” The lovely gal was Debbi Whiting – Margaret’s daughter. She’s a joy.

I realize I could sound as though I’m “name throwing”.  However, Margaret started me thinking in a “positive” manner. During the past couple of weeks, I’d somewhat forgotten about the song and “mind style” that went with it.  I fooled a lot of people who think I’m always positive. I do and did a lot of spiritual work so I do go in and out of pure positivity – but I knew I needed a kick to really get going again. These old lyrics that I sang as a little kid (and didn’t truly understand then) pulled me back up.  I bet they can pull you up too! Think of them every morning and say “YES to you” and to your bright day!!  Then, make a list of all that’s good about you. If you like your hair, mention that. If you did the report that’s due, include that. If you went to the grocery and bought what was need and, if you could afford to buy it  – include that. If you couldn’t afford it include how you were able to choose healthy things you could afford, etc. etc. etc. Include everything.

Here are the lyrics that got me back on track:

You’ve got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between

You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium’s
Liable to walk upon the scene

Music by Harold Arlen and Lyrics by Johnny Mercer