Music can inspire us, comfort us, and cheer us up. If you want to live a life that’s bursting with joy, it helps to have upbeat songs for loving life on your playlist. To that end, I’m sharing three of my favorites that celebrate life.

“Beauty in the World” by Macy Gray

We can get so caught up in our day-to-day lives that we forget to enjoy all the wonderful things around us. Macy Gray reminds us to “stop and smell the flowers,” and that “there is beauty in the world.” It’s also helpful to keep your head up in dark times by looking for the silver lining; as Gray sings, “When I look around, I see blue skies, I see butterflies.” Though she does refer to “God” providing this beauty, atheists may instead delight in the observation that nature can be beautiful.

“Vivir Mi Vida” by Marc Anthony

Bad things happen, and they may be outside our control, but we can choose how we react to them. Marc Anthony encourages us to get the most out of our lives anyway, acknowledging that “sometimes the rain comes” (“A veces llega la lluvia”), but he repeats in the chorus that he’s going to laugh, dance, and enjoy life regardless. He reminds us that you only live once, so there’s no sense dwelling on things you can’t change. Although a little repetitive, this song is energetic and fun, and it will make you want to dance!

“I Lived” by OneRepublic

My absolute favorite song for celebrating life, “I Lived,” encourages us to live life to the fullest, taking advantage of every opportunity and pouring our souls into all we do: “The only way you can know, is to give it all you have.” It also has surprising nuance for a pop song, pointing out that seizing each day means preparing for potential problems: “Hope when the water rises, you built a wall.” The song also praises independence, expressing a “hope [that] if everybody runs, you choose to stay.” The lyrics encourage us to live meaningful lives, saying, “I hope that you spend your days, but they all add up.” The chorus describes looking back at the end of one’s life with relish for all one has accomplished and experienced: “I did it all/I owned every second that this world could give/I saw so many places, the things that I did/With every broken bone, I swear I lived.” 

I hope that these songs help and encourage you to live your life more fully and joyously, and that they make you smile.