Hi, new user here and all that.

Basically, I just felt compelled to post here and state my reality, which has been influenced by listening to Shinedown.

Of course music (sound) is linked very highly with memory. Especially to me. When I hear music I can always remember what I was doing when I first heard "that song." That song becomes embedded in the memories of my life forever.

I'm 42, 5' 100 pounds, and have been in a verbally abusive marriage for quite a long time now. It started getting kind of physical last year and I really started to think about changing my life in a BIG way. I'm such a coward and don't have many people in my life, so tough to get the courage to do anything significant all alone. But I did it. I left an abusive situation after so many years, alone, and now live in my own condo. And there is now a peace in my life I haven't felt in a long time.

All because of listening to Shinedown, believe it or not. Of course I already had a mindset, just needed some sort of nudge. Now I know probably a lot of Shinedown's songs are about specific things/people that have absolutely nothing to do with my own personal situation. But words are words, and added to beautiful music, they can mean anything to anyone.

Last November it started, when I first heard Shinedown on DC101 on the radio on my way home from work, Second Chance the song was. Just certain sentences spoke to me, and I just started opening my mind and listening to the words of this song in a profound way. And it just went from there with ALL of Shindown's CDs:

The sentences that impacted me the most from all of the songs:

"why you always running in place?"

The entire song of "Breaking Inside"

"But I have chosen the wrong way
I'm still getting over who I was
There's no sense of trust, there's no definition of love"

"How about a better version of, the way that I am"

"Because all I ever wanted was a place to call my home"

"Re-invent yourself today
Re-invent your world today"

"Crying out for the last time
Clear a space for the warning signs
Crying out for the last time
And there's no turning back now that you've opened up to your mind"

"Well I know your nervous this world is scary
You have to let go all the madness you carry"

I swear all these random words from all three of Shinedown's CDs just hit me the right way, at the right time, and really, again, were instrumental to me deciding to get the hell out.

Thank you, Shinedown. That is all.

Hey, welcome to the forums. So sorry you had to be in such a terrible position - it's wonderful to know you're in a better place now.

Pretty cool to know Shinedown helped, but the important thing is that you're out of the bad stuffs. Rock on!