"If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down." — Toni Morrison

Happy Monday, friends!

Well, if you;re on my email list, and get my text messages; you'll already know this, but I just got back from Jamaica after a much-needed Valentine's getaway with my husband. We climbed waterfalls at Dunn’s River Falls, swam with dolphins, and soaked up some serious sunshine. But the best part? The conversations.

While I was finishing The Beauty in Breaking by my gurl [and neighbor] Michelle Harper and diving into Viktor E. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, DJ was reading The Psychology of Fear. Our late-night, rum-infused debates kept circling back to one thing: Your mindset dictates your reality.

Which, of course, got me thinking about music.

Because as you know — I truly believe music is one of the most powerful tools for shaping our beliefs. The songs we sing (especially the ones we write) are like mental programming—reinforcing how we see ourselves, the world, and our place in it.

So today, I want to ask you:

What’s the song you’ve been singing to yourself lately?

After all: Beliefs Are Just Ideas We Keep Repeating

Every song we write, every lyric we repeat, every melody that gets stuck in our heads—it’s all shaping our reality.

Think about it. If you keep telling yourself “I’m not good enough,” what happens? You start believing it.

But if you sing, “I am a fighter. I am a survivor. I made it through the darkest weather. I am a lover. I am a forgiver. I am strong enough to make me better. I'm a testament to my truth. And I'm enough to make it through.” Ahem Yes. Those lyrics are from my song "I Am". But seriously. That belief compounds over time. And suddenly? You start living it.

This isn’t just theory—it’s exactly how our brains work. Neural pathways strengthen through repetition. The more we reinforce a thought, the more automatic it becomes.

That’s why songwriting is so damn powerful. It doesn’t just capture a moment—it cements our beliefs into something tangible and repeatable.

Which brings me to this:

Songs as Financial and Emotional Investments

If you’ve ever read The Psychology of Money, you know that wealth isn’t built overnight—it compounds.

Guess what? So does your mindset.

Every song we write is an investment—not in money, but in mental wealth. Just like financial compounding, the words, melodies, and emotions we put into music build over time. They reinforce the stories we tell ourselves—about our worth, our power, and what’s possible.

Imagine if we approached our mindset like a long-term investment. What if we wrote songs that acted as mental savings accounts—reinforcing resilience, confidence, and self-worth the way smart financial investments build wealth over time?

This is why I love revisiting old songs. And it's why I'm recording and releasing them in my vault over on Patreon every week.

Check out what Patreon is all about here.

Relearning & Reinforcing Life Lessons Through Music

Have you ever looked back at old journal entries or a song you wrote years ago and realized it contained a lesson you needed to relearn?

Well, music is exactly like that: a time capsule.

• Be Brave was my personal pep talk before I moved to Washington, DC in 2015.
• Fire Away [with my band Static Era] was my reminder that no matter what the world tries to throw at me; I can take it [back in 2013]
• Save You From Yourself [written in 2006] was a wake-up call: no one is coming to rescue me—I had to step up and do the work myself.

And every time I sing these songs, [and every other song haha] I’m reminded of those lessons. It’s like a message from past me to future me, keeping me aligned with who I want to be.

So let’s get personal for a second:

• What messages are you reinforcing daily?
• What song are you unconsciously singing to yourself?
• And if you could rewrite your story—what would that sound like?

Because if we don’t actively choose our beliefs, someone else will choose them for us.

What’s Happening This Week

Jamaica was amazing, but I’m back and ready to hit the ground running. My coaching calendar now only has ONE SPOT LEFT!

Coaching at a Montgomery County middle school on Thursday—helping young women explore civic responsibility through songwriting. (Fun fact: my first official single Look Around was all about taking care of Planet Earth, so this full-circle moment is real.)

Two live shows this week!

Friday, February 21 – Kicking off the Capitol Groove Collective at The Casual Pint in Dunn Lorring, VA! Featuring:

• Fatima Massaquoi (R&B/Soul)
• Elizabeth Meader (16-year-old spoken word poet)
• Photoelectric (Rock)
• Hosted by Music Giff

Saturday, February 22 – Nanny O’Briens – rescheduled after my last show there was double-booked!

NEW BLOG POST: Living with Authenticity and Integrity: The Power of Being Yourself – check it out here!

NEW SINGLE DROPPING MARCH 15: Grieve [and the remixes] Pre-save it here!

Your Voice is the Most Powerful Instrument You Have

So, friends, I’ll ask you again:

• What’s the song you’ve been singing to yourself?
• Is it the song you WANT to be singing?
• Or is it time to write a new one?

Drop me a message—I’d love to hear how you’re rewriting your story.

And as always—don’t let the world write your song.

Rock on, stay inspired, and have an amazing day on purpose.

~ Emma G

P.S. If you’re ready to shift your mindset, reframe your story, or just have a damn good time making music—let’s jump on a call. Whether it’s coaching, performing, or just vibing out, let’s create something powerful together.