Greatest Hits of All Time

expand your soundtrack

The Comfort of Familiarity

We all have those two or three songs that we seem to always play when we get in the car. They go on a rotation, from genre to genre, depending on what mood we’re in, what vibe we’re looking to catch, or peace we’re trying to feel. For me, sometimes it looks like 2010s R&B with a rotation of Good Days by SZA, any throwback Justin Bieber, or something Drake. Other times I want to feel a little more at home with some folk country like Tyler Childers, Turnpike Troubadours, or modern like Morgan Wallen. Why do we do this? Other than because these folks are the greatest of our time… it’s comfortable to listen to music and artists that we know. That we come home to. That we don’t have to think about or rewire a pathway to happiness. We know we’re going to get it from our go-to songs.

When Repetition Feels Safe

Here’s the thing about playing the same songs. We already know every lyric, every beat, every feature. It’s familiar, but also very predictable. A playlist on repeat keeps us safe but also robs us of ever hearing the next song that might change our life. Just like music, repeating the same choices, routines, and cycle of comfort can keep us stagnant. Life will just continue to feel similar day after day with no real change. Simply an exchange of a few different songs, activities, and thoughts. There is never any true growth when we’re on repeat. This kind of comfort is grounding and has its place in our lives, but it’s incomplete on its own. The thrill we seek when we first heard the song will fade if we never give ourselves the opportunity to experience a new one.

The Case for Hitting Shuffle

Hitting shuffle on life can be super risky. When I shuffled on down to paradise with nothing more than what fit in my car, I could have easily failed. I never would have known the joy and this version of myself if I never switched up my playlist. Trying something completely new feels awkward and uncomfortable. It feels unnatural and, in some instances, scary. But this is where the magic happens. This is where we create new happiness and where we grow. The biggest thing sports ever taught me was to, “get comfortable being uncomfortable.” Success happens in this zone, and we must be okay with also failing here. Failure = growth. And if you think about it, the songs that we go back to today, the ones we blast without even thinking about it, started as something unfamiliar that we had to give a chance.

Where Growth Really Happens

The first time I heard Shake the Frost by Tyler Childers, it wasn’t really my style. It sounded strange and I didn’t connect to the lyrics until I gave it a few more chances. Now that song is one I go back to time and time again to feel that sense of comfort. Every skill, milestone, and achievement was at one point awkward and unfamiliar until we grew into it. This stage is proof that we’re adding onto our life’s playlist. It’s evidence that we’re growing into what God has called us to do. We might not fully like this song like the others, but there will always be something we learn out of listening to something new. Today’s comfort zone was built on yesterday’s risks. Our comfort zones are meant to be expanded. The more songs that we let in the bigger and better our playlists get.

Building a Better Playlist

I’ll always have my comfort zone bangers that bring me back to a place, a person, or simply just a feeling. I realize now that I only lean on those songs because I gave them a chance at some point in time. It’s good to remember to let in some new ones every now and then. Sometimes comfort isn’t necessarily about staying the same. Maybe it’s more about giving ourselves permission to grow into some new favorites.