Songs of Strength: Healing Inspired by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
This season of Dancing with the Stars has been especially meaningful to me, and I have looked forward to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night with genuine gratitude and excitement. Music and movement have always grounded me in mindfulness and presence. Through every stage of my healing journey, music has been both a companion and a catalyst, a rhythm I return to when words fall short. I have always loved blending the scientific and secular parts of life with the faith and family values that guide me. That balance is at the heart of this playlist. The more I study scripture, the more I see its truth reflected everywhere, even in the lyrics and melodies of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame artists. This collection celebrates that connection, where rhythm, reflection, and resilience come together as instruments of healing.
These songs have shaped my story and carried me through both joy and struggle. Some were recorded before I was born, yet I grew up hearing them with my family, surrounded by sounds that shaped my soul. Those early memories gave me a lasting love for music and its power to connect generations. My journey has not been easy. I have been hospitalized three times for mental health crises, spent time in jail twice, and faced the weight of choices rooted in unhealed pain and untreated illness. My first hospitalization was in 2013, and the others in 2019, when I began therapy and have not missed a single week since. That consistency taught me that healing is not about perfection but about presence. As I study toward licensure in mental health and life coaching, with the goal of becoming a peer recovery specialist, I hold these songs close. Each one carries a message of grace, growth, and renewal.
1. Fleetwood Mac – “Landslide”
There are moments in life when everything shifts, and we are left wondering if we can endure the change. Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” has always reminded me of that feeling, of facing the question, “Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life?” During my hospitalizations, I had to learn how to sit in the discomfort of those seasons without trying to control them. Healing taught me that growth often looks like surrender. I have learned that we do not have to resist the tide; we just have to trust that it will bring us somewhere new.
“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1
2. Tina Turner – “The Best”
In my hardest seasons, I had to relearn what it meant to be seen as worthy. Tina Turner’s words, “You’re simply the best, better than all the rest,” echo the way God’s grace sounded in my life when I could no longer hear my own. Public scrutiny and shame made me forget my value, but faith restored it. This song became a reminder that worth is not earned by perfection but affirmed through love. Even in my lowest moments, I was still worthy of redemption, still deserving of healing.
“Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you.” – Isaiah 43:4
3. Whitney Houston – “The Greatest Love of All”
Whitney Houston’s message that “learning to love yourself, it is the greatest love of all” has taken on a deeper meaning for me since I began therapy again in 2019. It was through that process that I discovered how little compassion I had for myself. Week by week, showing up became an act of faith and a declaration that I was worth the effort. Learning to love myself did not happen overnight; it was a gradual unfolding that changed how I viewed healing itself. It became clear that self-love is not indulgent but the starting point of wholeness.
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” – Psalm 139:14
4. Metallica – “Moth Into Flame”
There was a time when I felt trapped by destructive habits I did not know how to escape. In “Moth Into Flame,” Metallica sings, “Seduced by fame, a moth into the flame,” which mirrors how I was drawn into patterns that consumed me. My two experiences in jail became painful lessons in how accountability can save lives when paired with grace. I had to stop feeding the fire that burned out of control and start building a warmth that sustained me instead. Freedom came when I realized accountability was not punishment but mercy.
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” – Mark 8:36
5. Madonna – “Rebel Heart”
Madonna’s “Rebel Heart” speaks to the struggle of reclaiming identity after shame. The line “Take me to the part where I can be free, to be who I am” reminds me of what therapy gave me, a safe space to rediscover the parts of myself I had buried. For years, I believed I had to become someone else to be forgiven, but healing has taught me that authenticity is the truest form of repentance. Freedom comes from honesty, not perfection. Every time I hear this song, I think about the quiet courage it takes to be real again.
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32
6. Michael Jackson – “Man in the Mirror”
No song captures the spirit of accountability quite like Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” The lyric “If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change” became a turning point in how I approached my healing. I had to stop blaming the world and begin examining my own patterns. That shift required humility and honesty, two things therapy taught me to embrace. The process was not easy, but it became the foundation for the person I am still becoming today.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” – Psalm 51:10
7. U2 – “Beautiful Day”
There were times when I thought the beauty of life had passed me by, but U2’s “Beautiful Day” reminded me that grace still exists in ordinary moments. When Bono sings, “It’s a beautiful day, don’t let it get away,” I hear an invitation to gratitude. Recovery has taught me to slow down and recognize the small miracles that make life sacred. Each day is a chance to start again, to breathe deeply, and to live with intention. Gratitude, I have learned, is the heartbeat of healing.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
8. Aerosmith – “Dream On”
Aerosmith’s “Dream On” carries a message of persistence that feels personal. When Steven Tyler sings, “Dream on, dream until your dreams come true,” I hear a call to keep moving forward. Returning to school to earn licensure as a mental health and life coach was not just about career goals but about reclaiming purpose. Every assignment and every study session feels like another step toward redemption. My dream now is to use my story to guide others through their own storms.
“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:14
9. Queen (with David Bowie) – “Under Pressure”
Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” has a lyric that moves me deeply, “Love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night.” I have lived on that edge before, where despair meets uncertainty. Today, I try to reach out to others who stand in that same place. This song reminds me that compassion is one of the most powerful forces on earth. Love calls us to show up for others the way we once needed someone to show up for us.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
10. Elton John – “I’m Still Standing”
Every time I hear Elton John sing, “I’m still standing, yeah, yeah, yeah,” it feels like a personal victory. There were moments when I did not think I would survive, yet here I am, still standing. My story is not one of perfection but of persistence. Standing does not mean I never fell; it means I refused to stay down. Healing has taught me that survival is a sacred form of strength.
“He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire; he set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.” – Psalm 40:2
11. Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Simple Man”
In “Simple Man,” Lynyrd Skynyrd offers the advice, “Be a simple kind of man, be something you love and understand.” Those words remind me to stay grounded. My recovery has shown me that wisdom often lives in simplicity, in honesty, faith, and humility. I do not need to strive for grandeur to make a difference. Sometimes healing is as simple as being at peace with who you are.
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8
12. The Beach Boys – “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”
When The Beach Boys sing, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we were older, then we wouldn’t have to wait so long?” I hear the longing of someone who wants everything to be better right now. Patience was one of my hardest lessons. I used to rush my healing, desperate to reach a finish line that does not exist. Over time, I have learned that healing takes time and that waiting can be holy work. Growth happens in the space between the desire and the arrival.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” – Romans 12:12
13. The Beatles – “With A Little Help From My Friends”
The Beatles remind us, “I get by with a little help from my friends,” and that line captures a truth I hold close. I did not recover alone. My healing was built through community, through friends, mentors, therapists, and faith leaders who stood by me when I could not stand on my own. Their compassion became the scaffolding for my restoration. Healing is shared work, and we rise together.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
14. Sam Cooke – “A Change Is Gonna Come”
Sam Cooke’s timeless lyric, “It’s been a long, a long time coming, but I know a change gonna come,” echoes the heartbeat of endurance. My own change came slowly, shaped by therapy, accountability, and faith. There were nights when I doubted it would ever happen, but change always does, sometimes quietly and sometimes through surrender. This song reminds me that transformation is rarely immediate, but it is always possible. Faith is what carries us through the waiting.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
15. Dolly Parton – “Better Get to Livin’”
Dolly Parton’s joyful wisdom shines in the lyric, “Better get to livin’, givin’, don’t forget to throw in a little forgivin’.” Those words remind me that forgiveness is the most powerful gift I can give, especially to myself. Letting go of resentment opened the door to peace and purpose. Every day, I try to live with gratitude and grace, choosing compassion over criticism. Living fully, I have learned, is an act of courage.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32
16. Cher – “Believe”
Cher asks, “Do you believe in life after love?” and for a long time, my answer was no. I believed my mistakes had ended my story. Over time, through faith and therapy, I began to see that life after loss is not only possible but beautiful. Healing taught me how to believe again, in God, in others, and in myself. That belief is what keeps me moving forward, one day at a time.
“To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” – Isaiah 61:3
Final Reflection
Each of these songs holds a piece of my story. Together, they reveal what healing truly means: falling, facing, forgiving, and standing again. I no longer hear them as reminders of pain but as proof of God’s grace and my own progress. Healing is not a final destination. It is a rhythm, a daily practice, and a song that continues even after the silence.
Like Dancing with the Stars and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, healing is a celebration of movement, resilience, and the stories that shape us. Some steps are steady, others uncertain, yet every motion matters. When we walk through difficulty with faith and intention, we begin to see that recovery has its own choreography. It is the rhythm of grace, the balance of accountability, and the beauty of redemption. This playlist reminds me that no matter how many times life changes tempo, God’s music never stops, and His presence continues to lead every step.
