This weekend, while in my friend's dorm room, I noticed and closely read a pretty cool music themed poster he has on his wall. It's one of those generic ones that you can find at any Target or Walmart, and I'm sure you've all seen it before. It's got a guitar in the middle, then a bunch of poetic descriptions of the feelings derived from listening to music surrounding it. One in particular grabbed my attention: "music makes the sky look bigger." I can't fully explain why this one stuck out to me so much, but I couldn't stop thinking about those words and the truth they hold. I'm not even sure if I entirely know what it means, but I do know how it feels--to listen to a song, and all of a sudden the sky seems bigger. Like you feel infinite, and powerful, with all these endless, beautiful possibilities that lie ahead of you. It's amazing that something as simple as a song can cause these kinds of emotions, and even better when you can use them to your advantage--to turn your bad day around for the better.

So. I've selected twelve of my favorite songs that not only never fail to make me happy, but provide me with a new sense of optimism and confidence in myself. In other words, they make the sky look a whole lot bigger when listened to. So give em a try, and see if they do the same for you.

1) Blue Skies--Noah and the Whale

2) It's Nice To Be Alive--Ball Park Music

3) Smile--Mikky Echo

4) Song For Zula--Phosphorescent

5) Dancing in the Dark--Bruce Springsteen

6) So Far (It's Alright)--The 1975

7) High Hopes--Kodaline

8) You Get What You Give--New Radicals

9) Young Homie--Chris Rene

10) Home--Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

11) Farther Along--Josh Garrels

12) It's Time--Imagine Dragons

I hope your spirits were lifted, I hope the sky grew in front of your eyes, and I hope you felt invincible and mystifying, 'cause that's how you should always feel. Maybe even most importantly, I hope you have a newfound appreciation for music, and the power that its simplicity holds. Even if these ones don't do it for you, I hope you have your own list of sky blooming songs that do the trick. 'Cause music is awesome, and really can make the sky look bigger, which is, as the great Bruce Springsteen once said, the ass-kicking power of rock and roll (or any genre. All music is awesome. You're all awesome).