Maybe it’s my effervescent soul bubbling over, my overactive auditory nerves, or my cheerleading roots showing themselves. Maybe it’s all of those things combined, or none of them at all. The only thing I know is that I have a love obsession with dance and techno music, anything with a beat fast enough, bouncy enough, driving enough to get my heart racing and my feet jumping. It makes me smile. It makes me motivated. And, oh so obviously, it makes me want to dance. 

More often than not the words don’t matter, unless they’re far too offensive or sacrilegious for me to ignore. Maybe the singer is talking about being drunk, or cheating on their boyfriend, or partying until dawn, I don’t care. Just give me an infectious beat and a catchy melody and I’m bopping around in my head, if not all over my living room. 

Dance music drives my feet forward when I’m running. It lifts my mood when I’m sad or fuels my righteous anger when I need to spend it, preferably in the confines of my own car while I belt out my frustrations to the windshield. It entertains me as I load the dishwasher and scrub toilets. It keeps me awake as I drive cross-country to visit family. And, perhaps, most important, it boosts my confidence when I feel my belief in myself waning. When my fears of inadequacy are haunting me, when the words from my latest rejection letter are ringing in my ears, when my impatience with the world and my place in it get the better of me, there’s nothing like an angry strut around the neighborhood fueled by the beat of a favorite chorus to restore my inner poise and my self-belief. 

Do you have a favorite method for restoring your self-worth? What kind of music motivates you? Do you have any favorite dance tunes, or a new techno artist to recommend to me? The three songs currently at the top of my replay list are by Kylie Minogue, Enrique Iglesias, and Rihanna.