We have spent our first full day in Arizona and are starting to get settled in. Ana went to school today and loved it! That is one major feat tackled. I am so thankful that we found a great school for her. Now I just gotta get comfortable with the layout of the city. Thank God for GPS!!!
I got in yesterday around 4:30 in the afternoon and I was so exhausted!! I don't know what I was thinking when I scheduled a party the day before I was leaving! I had a great time, but there were so many people and so much preparation to do all at once. We were having so much fun that the last people didn't end up leaving till around 11:30pm and I was supposed to be leaving to drive to Arizona at 4:30am. That did NOT happen. I didn't get to bed until 3am. So, I ended up leaving at 7:30am and it was rough driving that distance on 4 hours of sleep! I don't regret it though. I was so happy that so many of my loved ones came to see us off. There were at least 40 - 50 people! I am so thankful for all of you and I feel very loved. I look forward to seeing some of you when I get back to LA in September for Kahlil's 19th bday.
So, anyway, once I got to Tucson, I was like a zombie! Ana went with my friend Sarah to pick up her daughter and I crashed out on the couch for about an hour. Then, I had a little food, pulled out a few clothes for myself and Ana, got her school stuff together and crashed again!! I think I went to bed about 9, which is really early for me. I haven't been that exhausted in a long time.
This morning, I took Ana to school and met one of her teachers (Ms. PB). We got her settled in her class and then I left so that Ana wouldn't be embarassed with mom hanging out watching her at school (she made a point to ask me not to stay too long).
Then I took our chihuahua (Papi Chulo) to meet his new dog friend Halle (yes, as in Halle Berry) and it was not cute at all at first. Halle is about 6 X the size of Papi and she was so excited to see him that she scared him half to death. He finally tried to attack her, which I have never seen him do, and she backed off a little. They seem to have worked it out now though.
I hung out at the house for a few hours, unpacking my car and resting a bit. By the time I finished, it was time to pick Ana up again. Then, she and I drove around the city a bit looking for a Target. I managed to get turned around a couple of times even with a GPS. But, we got there. I spent more than I planned (don't you hate it when that happens?) and then we came back to the house. I was nervous about staying out too long because I had left Papi unsupervised in a new and unfamiliar place and I didn't want to have to clean up any accidents. He was a good dog, though, and it all worked out fine.
Now we have had our dinner and put away our clothes. Ana has gone to bed and I am getting myself settled for sleep. I will do my best to keep updating the blog regularly so that everyone in LA, and other places, can know how things are going. I hope you guys will post comments so that we can feel closer to you all. We really will miss everyone.
By the way, it is monsoon season in Tucson and the skies are breathtaking! I will get some pics and/or video of it and put it online so you can see.
Love to you all!
Gratitude: I am so grateful that my car made the drive to Tucson so effortlessly. It's an old car and I was a little nervous about how it would go, but it did me proud.
Blessings!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Boom Time - Live Taping this Weekend!
I am excited that I will be doing a live taping this Saturday for a Gospel show called "Then and Now" on Time Warner's On Demand.
I will be performing 2 or 3 of my songs and it will be available all month On Demand! Yay! I am so looking forward to seeing it. It will be an acoustic set with guitar and percussion so it will be more intimate than the times I was at Agape. It'll be a lot of fun.
If anyone is interested in coming to see the show, contact me at kristinsings@gmail.com. Tickets are $15 or $20 for VIP. It will start at 6pm and probably go for a few hours.
I would love to have my peoples in the audience supporting me and giving love.
Gratitude: I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my music and message with a wider audience. What a blessing to use the gifts given to me by God to inspire others. That is what I live for!
I will be performing 2 or 3 of my songs and it will be available all month On Demand! Yay! I am so looking forward to seeing it. It will be an acoustic set with guitar and percussion so it will be more intimate than the times I was at Agape. It'll be a lot of fun.
If anyone is interested in coming to see the show, contact me at kristinsings@gmail.com. Tickets are $15 or $20 for VIP. It will start at 6pm and probably go for a few hours.
I would love to have my peoples in the audience supporting me and giving love.
Gratitude: I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my music and message with a wider audience. What a blessing to use the gifts given to me by God to inspire others. That is what I live for!
2nd Boom - Revelations! 5-21-10
Today was a very special day for me. I had the wonderful blessing of performing at Revelations – the annual convention hosted by the Agape International Spiritual Center. This is a very big conference and it was a high honor to be invited to sing. When I found out I would be singing, I told my mother and she asked me if I needed any background singers. I was shocked! My mother hadn’t sung professionally in almost 20 years! And, we had never performed together. So, of course I wanted her to sing with me! Then, I decided to have my daughter sing with me as well. So, now we had 3 generations preparing to perform on the same stage! This would definitely be a first. To round out the background singers, I recruited one of my close friends, My-Key. So, this morning, we all went to the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel for a 7:30am sound check (man, I was sleepy!). When we walked into the conference room, I looked on stage and to my delighted surprise….my father was playing keyboards! I had no idea that he was going to be there! So, now, I had both of my parents and my daughter on the stage with me! What an incredible blessing!
When we all got on stage to perform my song, I shared how incredible it was for me to have my family on stage with me. Then, I had an aha! For many years, I held myself back from stepping into who I know I really am because I was afraid that it would mean leaving my loved ones behind and being alone. Today, I realized that here I was on the stage, standing in the greatness that God gave me and I my family was right there with me, supporting me! That moment anchored me in the realization that I can step into who I really am and bring my loved ones with me. I am so grateful for living this truth today. So, when I sang my song, I let it all out. I was centered, and willing to share the fullness of me. I opened myself up to be a channel and it felt incredible! I will always remember that moment.
Afterward, I received further confirmation from Reverend Beckwith himself. (If you’ve seen The Secret, he is the African-American with the locks. If you haven’t….Go Get It and Watch It!) He came up to me and told me that I was amazing today. He said that I was on fire and he could see and feel that I was standing in my power. I could tell that he was really moved by my offering and that really meant a lot to me.
So, the next time that I catch my old thought pattern coming up– the fear of being alone, I can take myself back to today and know that I create my reality and that is not a part of it because I choose to stand in my fullness and be surrounded by those I love.
I am grateful for this powerful anchor that I will carry with me. God is so good!
Monday, May 17, 2010
2nd Boom - Testimony in Action (5/15/10)
I was saying a prayer today and had an interesting realization! There was a part of the prayer that says, “My tongue, my pen, my whole being, testify to Thy power, Thy might, Thy grace and Thy bounty…” Usually when I consider something like this, my thoughts go to verbal testimony. Today, however, I heard it differently. I realized that this testimonial is one of action. One of example. It has to do with being a leader of self. Choosing those thoughts and actions, which testify to the power, might, grace and bounty of the God within me. My tongue testifying to these things might very well be verbal. I can speak a testimony of those exact things. I can also testify to those things through example in my speech. For instance, I can choose to speak to and about others in a godly way. My words can be the words I would use if I were conscious of the presence of God around and within me. My pen testifying seems to allude to the written word. So, that which I write should also be a testimony through example. The phrase that helped me to see this prayer differently was, “my whole being”. The others are easy to acknowledge as a verbal testimony. But, how does one’s whole being testify to the power, might, grace and bounty of God? The answer seems to be that we must demonstrate in our actions that power, might, grace and bounty. If we are tapped into the greatness of God, then it will flow through us and become a testimony to others. This is a testimony in action. It is easy to speak a testimony, but to live it…. now, that is a beautiful thing and definitely something worth striving for.
I am grateful for this new layer of understanding. It is always such a bounty to be able to see things in a new light. What a wonderful blessing to be able to start the day with new understanding.
Blessings!
2nd Boom- Leadership (5/14/10)
I just did an assessment of my leadership ability from a tool I received as part of the Life Success Course offered by PSI Seminars. I was asked to rate myself in 15 areas that have been identified as traits of leaders. What I discovered is that I am a potential leader. A leader scores a minimum of 120 points out of 150 points possible and I scored 115. I was slightly surprised at the result because I am often placed in positions of leadership. For instance, I directed a choir for 16 years, starting at the age of 22. However, I also know that there has been a recurring pattern of “almost” in my life. “Almost reached the goal.” “Almost ready.” “It’s almost here.” I think that this trend is a result that shows me that up to now I have “almost” committed myself to being a leader.
For the record, the kind of leader that this assessment was speaking about might be a little different from what many people think. Before one can be an effective leader of others, one must be a leader of self. So, this was focused on being a leader of self.
The areas that I rated myself lowest in were persistence and self-esteem. The persistence part was pretty clear. I do persist despite challenges, however, sometimes I let the challenges take over and then I have to work to get back on course. The self-esteem part was intriguing. It was interesting to me that there were separate ratings for self-esteem and self-confidence. I have often seen them as similar enough to lump into one, so I hadn’t really considered them separately before.
The tool described self-confidence as “a strong trust in your own powers and abilities.” This area I scored pretty high. Self-esteem was dealing with liking yourself unconditionally. I know that I have had a tendency to beat myself up and judge myself harshly. This is why I rated myself a 6 out of 10 in this area.
As a result of doing the assessment, I have decided a few things. The first is that I am committing myself to being a leader. I am setting a goal to redo this assessment on August 8th and honestly score myself with at least 120 points. Another decision I made is to focus specifically on building my self-esteem and being more persistent. Shifting these two things should make a big difference in the results of the other goals I have set for myself.
So, now I’ve got to ask myself, “What don’t I love about myself unconditionally?” The answer to this question will help me determine some action steps. Also, I am using the tools given to me by Mortonette to shift my feeling about myself.
As for persistence, I am making a goal to give myself at least 15 min of “Me” time per day. I will use that time to nurture myself in whatever way I want – prayer, meditation, soaking in the tub, going for a walk etc. I am choosing to be persistent in giving myself the love that I deserve.
I feel very good about what I have learned through this assessment. I am grateful that I gave myself the gift of taking this course a few years ago. I can see that it is still paying off. Time invested in oneself is priceless and it continues to pay off throughout our lives. I am grateful for this understanding.
Blessings!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Doctah B Video
Ok, so it doesn't look like there's an easy way to post a video. So, once I post the video on youtube, I'll put the link up so you guys can see it.
2nd Boom- Day 2 (More Updates)
First of all, I wanna say that I have decided not to post the blog entries every day. I will post at least once per week (likely more often than that, though). I am freeing myself of the responsibility of finding time to post each day now that my life is getting busier as a direct result of working to complete my goals. I am working intently on keeping my word, so I feel it is important to state what I intend to do with the blog. That way, my readers know what they can expect.
For today, I'd like to share some of the wonderful things I have created over the past month. I am very excited about the growing momentum related to my music and workshops. About 3 weeks ago, I was speaking with Doctah B and he suggested that I contact Samm Brown, who hosts a radio show on KPFK called "For the Record". Samm knows Doctah B and my father as well. So, I found Samm's e-mail address and sent him a message letting him know who I was and what work I have been doing. Within 3 hours, I received a response stating that he wanted to put me on a panel discussing the healing power of sound in June or July! It was so great to get such a warm response without even having a conversation. I am so thankful that Doctah B made the suggestion! I will let you know as soon as the executive producer of the show contacts me with the date of the show.
I also got contacted on Facebook recently by someone who heard my music on Reverbnation. She has a Time Warner cable TV show that is on On Demand and she wants me to sing on the show. The taping will occur on May 29th. She also has an internet radio show and asked me to send her some music that she can play. Of course, I already handled that. I am excited that I am getting opportunities to expand then numbers of people that know what I am up to. I will also be sending her the flyer for my next workshop and asking her to announce the workshops on her radio show - or maybe she'd be interested in doing an interview. Oh yeah, she also mentioned that she is doing a tour sponsored by Rally Burger in June and she wants to put me on it. We've gotta talk details before I make any commitments, of course, but it sure is nice to be seeing some tangible momentum.
Another nice thing that happened over the last couple of months is the building of a relationship with another healer named Jillana. She and I met at Agape when I offered service there in February. After talking, we realized that we have very similar goals. So, we have decided to team up and support each other in our healing and in the building of our work. Since my workshops are in a further state of organization than hers, she has agreed to assist me with locations and promotion in return for a percentage of my profits. I am so thankful to get some assistance in that area because it really is a lot of work.
Also, we connected up and did some EFT (Emotional Freedom Tapping) work on each other. She has been repressing her voice for a long time because she doesn't like the sound that is coming out now. She used to sing, but something happened and she started to withhold it. We did one session together and, within a few days, she started getting requests to sing and, a couple of weeks later, she was on stage at Agape doing backgrounds for someone! She is willing to do a video testimonial for me, so once that is done, I will share it on here. It is always a great feeling to see people make breakthroughs as a result of working with me.
I have gotten a few other video testimonials and statements which I will be posting online shortly. One of them is from Doctah B. I will post it on here. I think I can figure out how to do it. I will be editing the video footage so that it will be more succinct. However, I will post the entire statement as an exclusive for my readers. Doctah B is quite a character, so get ready to laugh! Don't let it fool you, though. This man is quite wise and an incredible healer.
Ricky Byars-Beckwith (Music Director at Agape) also gave me quite a nice written testimonial about my voice. She said "An incredibly gifted artist whose voice expands the meaning in a song, Kristin Barnes is a force to behold as she comes into her own." It is so wonderful to have great testimonials like this from such powerful and gifted people!
Well, I think that's enough for today. I look forward to sharing more exciting news with you all in the next week. In the meantime, check out the video and let me know what you think.
Gratitude: Today I am grateful for having peace of mind. Even though there are some challenges that I am currently working through, I have been able to create a calm serenity by using some tools that I learned in my journey. I am so blessed to have access to incredible tools that allow me to keep centered and balanced even in the midst of trials.
Blessings!
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
"I am a gift given unto the universe. Shaped unique by the hands of God."
Kristin Barnes
For today, I'd like to share some of the wonderful things I have created over the past month. I am very excited about the growing momentum related to my music and workshops. About 3 weeks ago, I was speaking with Doctah B and he suggested that I contact Samm Brown, who hosts a radio show on KPFK called "For the Record". Samm knows Doctah B and my father as well. So, I found Samm's e-mail address and sent him a message letting him know who I was and what work I have been doing. Within 3 hours, I received a response stating that he wanted to put me on a panel discussing the healing power of sound in June or July! It was so great to get such a warm response without even having a conversation. I am so thankful that Doctah B made the suggestion! I will let you know as soon as the executive producer of the show contacts me with the date of the show.
I also got contacted on Facebook recently by someone who heard my music on Reverbnation. She has a Time Warner cable TV show that is on On Demand and she wants me to sing on the show. The taping will occur on May 29th. She also has an internet radio show and asked me to send her some music that she can play. Of course, I already handled that. I am excited that I am getting opportunities to expand then numbers of people that know what I am up to. I will also be sending her the flyer for my next workshop and asking her to announce the workshops on her radio show - or maybe she'd be interested in doing an interview. Oh yeah, she also mentioned that she is doing a tour sponsored by Rally Burger in June and she wants to put me on it. We've gotta talk details before I make any commitments, of course, but it sure is nice to be seeing some tangible momentum.
Another nice thing that happened over the last couple of months is the building of a relationship with another healer named Jillana. She and I met at Agape when I offered service there in February. After talking, we realized that we have very similar goals. So, we have decided to team up and support each other in our healing and in the building of our work. Since my workshops are in a further state of organization than hers, she has agreed to assist me with locations and promotion in return for a percentage of my profits. I am so thankful to get some assistance in that area because it really is a lot of work.
Also, we connected up and did some EFT (Emotional Freedom Tapping) work on each other. She has been repressing her voice for a long time because she doesn't like the sound that is coming out now. She used to sing, but something happened and she started to withhold it. We did one session together and, within a few days, she started getting requests to sing and, a couple of weeks later, she was on stage at Agape doing backgrounds for someone! She is willing to do a video testimonial for me, so once that is done, I will share it on here. It is always a great feeling to see people make breakthroughs as a result of working with me.
I have gotten a few other video testimonials and statements which I will be posting online shortly. One of them is from Doctah B. I will post it on here. I think I can figure out how to do it. I will be editing the video footage so that it will be more succinct. However, I will post the entire statement as an exclusive for my readers. Doctah B is quite a character, so get ready to laugh! Don't let it fool you, though. This man is quite wise and an incredible healer.
Ricky Byars-Beckwith (Music Director at Agape) also gave me quite a nice written testimonial about my voice. She said "An incredibly gifted artist whose voice expands the meaning in a song, Kristin Barnes is a force to behold as she comes into her own." It is so wonderful to have great testimonials like this from such powerful and gifted people!
Well, I think that's enough for today. I look forward to sharing more exciting news with you all in the next week. In the meantime, check out the video and let me know what you think.
Gratitude: Today I am grateful for having peace of mind. Even though there are some challenges that I am currently working through, I have been able to create a calm serenity by using some tools that I learned in my journey. I am so blessed to have access to incredible tools that allow me to keep centered and balanced even in the midst of trials.
Blessings!
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
"I am a gift given unto the universe. Shaped unique by the hands of God."
Kristin Barnes
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Goals for 2nd Boom (May 9, 2010 - August 8, 2010)
Ok. So I promised myself... and you... that I would post my new goals today. I realized that 3 months from today is the day before my birthday. So, I'm making August 8th the deadline for these goals. That way, I'l be starting fresh on my birthday, which is perfect for me.
Goal #1
Weigh 185 lbs or less. (Starting weight is 213. That means a total drop of 28 lbs)
Goal #2
Fully functioning licensed seminar business conducting at least 2 seminars per month with at least 10 participants.
Goal #3
Earning a minimum of $2500 per month doing what I love to do. (Workshops/seminars, voice students, nutrition business, live performance, healing sessions, life coaching)
I will reach these goals by using the knowledge and resources that I have created during this past 90 days as well as those that were already in place. I will also be continuing to use the tools that worked well for me - prayer, meditation, yoga, thai chi etc. I am even more clear now about the importance of making time for myself and my spiritual well-being. I am determined more than ever to keep consistent with creating time for myself.
How you can support me:
1. Spread the news about the blog. More readers creates more accountability and provides more opportunities to get constructive feedback.
2. Comment on the blogs! Add your thoughts, challenges, etc.
3. If you are interested in creating something new for yourself, post your goals and lets get a support group going! I would be happy to have others working alongside me to create momentum in our lives. A workout team would be awesome!
4. Spread the news about the workshops, seminars, vocal coaching etc. I will post flyers etc to help you get the word out.
Thank you all again for your continued support. It makes such a big difference!
Gratitude: I am grateful for wisdom gained through life experience. So valuable!
Blessings!
Goal #1
Weigh 185 lbs or less. (Starting weight is 213. That means a total drop of 28 lbs)
Goal #2
Fully functioning licensed seminar business conducting at least 2 seminars per month with at least 10 participants.
Goal #3
Earning a minimum of $2500 per month doing what I love to do. (Workshops/seminars, voice students, nutrition business, live performance, healing sessions, life coaching)
I will reach these goals by using the knowledge and resources that I have created during this past 90 days as well as those that were already in place. I will also be continuing to use the tools that worked well for me - prayer, meditation, yoga, thai chi etc. I am even more clear now about the importance of making time for myself and my spiritual well-being. I am determined more than ever to keep consistent with creating time for myself.
How you can support me:
1. Spread the news about the blog. More readers creates more accountability and provides more opportunities to get constructive feedback.
2. Comment on the blogs! Add your thoughts, challenges, etc.
3. If you are interested in creating something new for yourself, post your goals and lets get a support group going! I would be happy to have others working alongside me to create momentum in our lives. A workout team would be awesome!
4. Spread the news about the workshops, seminars, vocal coaching etc. I will post flyers etc to help you get the word out.
Thank you all again for your continued support. It makes such a big difference!
Gratitude: I am grateful for wisdom gained through life experience. So valuable!
Blessings!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Long Overdue Update!
Hey everybody!
The last several weeks have been a whirlwind of activity! I have made great progress on all of my goals. Some have been completed. Others are still in process. Committing to goals means growth. It often brings up mental and emotional blockages that have been in the way of achieving those goals prior to now. This is what I have been experiencing in my journey. Before I give more of the details about what I learned in the last few months, let me state the progress of each goal.
Goal #1
My first goal was to weigh 190 lbs or less by 5/8/10
I can say with surety that I will not have reached this goal by tomorrow. I currently weigh 213 lbs. This means that I am 20 lbs lighter than my original weight and 23 lbs heavier than my goal weight. I did not commit to this goal with the level of intensity that I know I am capable of. Therefore, I am setting a new intention for this goal. I do feel good that I consistently gave significantly more time to self-nurturing than I ever have. This is one pattern I intend to continue because it has proved to be immensely helpful to my overall well-being.
Goal #2
I am happy to report that the goal of having at least 3 successful mentors willing to support me in achieving my long-term goals has been accomplished!! I actually have 5 different mentors right now! I am so excited to be working with so many incredibly powerful people! I will give more details on those people later after I ensure that I have their permission to share their information. You have already heard about a couple of them (Doctah B Sirius and Mortonette). Both of them can be found online. To look up Doctah B, go to www.elevationtime.com Mortonette's website is simply www.mortonette.com
Goal #3
The goal of having a fully functioning, licensed vocal coaching/seminar business conducting at least 1 all day vocal workshop and 2 seminars per month with at least 40 consistent voice students either attending the workshops/seminars or weekly private voice lessons - was not complete.
Since the last time I posted, I have completed 2 workshops!!! This is a huge deal to me because I have been envisioning the workshops for 4 years and I can now say that I have done them! It feels incredible to say that! I am also overjoyed that the participants gave incredible written feedback and all of the assessment items on my survey came back with scores of 9 or 10 with 10 being the highest! This is tangible evidence that the workshops created great value for the participants. I am definitely on the right track. So, now I am working to reach out to a wider audience. The number of participants in the workshops was lower than the goal that I set for myself, so I am reevaluating my promotion methods. I have also been advised by one of my mentors that I have a tendency to set my goals very high. This tends to send my mind into overwhelm, thus bringing up all of my blockages.
I will be revising this goal based on the progress that has been made and new information that has arisen through my efforts.
Some things I learned:
I have a tendency to set myself up for failure by creating very high goals and then going into overwhelm in the process of working to attain them. I have been advised to make sure that whatever goals I set for myself are achievable within the time frame and are realistic. I will definitely be keeping this in mind for the next goals that I will be posting on 5/9/10.
There has been a pattern in my life of creating great things under duress. I noticed that I often move fastest when I feel that my back is against the wall. This creates a great deal of stress because I am working under the belief that I have to struggle in order to grow. I have been working with the aid of a few of my mentors to create a new paradigm for myself that allows for growth to occur with ease. I release the need to struggle!!
These two learnings have huge implications and affect every goal that I set. I intend to release myself from these patterns so that I can achieve my goals through a process that is inspiring and joyful. I am looking forward to seeing an entirely different paradigm for the next few months.
There is so much more to report! A lot of exciting things occurred in the last few months. I will post again tomorrow so I don't end up writing a book right now.
Thank you all for your support and feedback! You have been a great blessing to me!
Gratitude:
I am so grateful for the new information that I have received about myself throughout this process. Awareness is such an important step in creating change. I am excited about the continuation of the journey!!!!
Blessings!!!
The last several weeks have been a whirlwind of activity! I have made great progress on all of my goals. Some have been completed. Others are still in process. Committing to goals means growth. It often brings up mental and emotional blockages that have been in the way of achieving those goals prior to now. This is what I have been experiencing in my journey. Before I give more of the details about what I learned in the last few months, let me state the progress of each goal.
Goal #1
My first goal was to weigh 190 lbs or less by 5/8/10
I can say with surety that I will not have reached this goal by tomorrow. I currently weigh 213 lbs. This means that I am 20 lbs lighter than my original weight and 23 lbs heavier than my goal weight. I did not commit to this goal with the level of intensity that I know I am capable of. Therefore, I am setting a new intention for this goal. I do feel good that I consistently gave significantly more time to self-nurturing than I ever have. This is one pattern I intend to continue because it has proved to be immensely helpful to my overall well-being.
Goal #2
I am happy to report that the goal of having at least 3 successful mentors willing to support me in achieving my long-term goals has been accomplished!! I actually have 5 different mentors right now! I am so excited to be working with so many incredibly powerful people! I will give more details on those people later after I ensure that I have their permission to share their information. You have already heard about a couple of them (Doctah B Sirius and Mortonette). Both of them can be found online. To look up Doctah B, go to www.elevationtime.com Mortonette's website is simply www.mortonette.com
Goal #3
The goal of having a fully functioning, licensed vocal coaching/seminar business conducting at least 1 all day vocal workshop and 2 seminars per month with at least 40 consistent voice students either attending the workshops/seminars or weekly private voice lessons - was not complete.
Since the last time I posted, I have completed 2 workshops!!! This is a huge deal to me because I have been envisioning the workshops for 4 years and I can now say that I have done them! It feels incredible to say that! I am also overjoyed that the participants gave incredible written feedback and all of the assessment items on my survey came back with scores of 9 or 10 with 10 being the highest! This is tangible evidence that the workshops created great value for the participants. I am definitely on the right track. So, now I am working to reach out to a wider audience. The number of participants in the workshops was lower than the goal that I set for myself, so I am reevaluating my promotion methods. I have also been advised by one of my mentors that I have a tendency to set my goals very high. This tends to send my mind into overwhelm, thus bringing up all of my blockages.
I will be revising this goal based on the progress that has been made and new information that has arisen through my efforts.
Some things I learned:
I have a tendency to set myself up for failure by creating very high goals and then going into overwhelm in the process of working to attain them. I have been advised to make sure that whatever goals I set for myself are achievable within the time frame and are realistic. I will definitely be keeping this in mind for the next goals that I will be posting on 5/9/10.
There has been a pattern in my life of creating great things under duress. I noticed that I often move fastest when I feel that my back is against the wall. This creates a great deal of stress because I am working under the belief that I have to struggle in order to grow. I have been working with the aid of a few of my mentors to create a new paradigm for myself that allows for growth to occur with ease. I release the need to struggle!!
These two learnings have huge implications and affect every goal that I set. I intend to release myself from these patterns so that I can achieve my goals through a process that is inspiring and joyful. I am looking forward to seeing an entirely different paradigm for the next few months.
There is so much more to report! A lot of exciting things occurred in the last few months. I will post again tomorrow so I don't end up writing a book right now.
Thank you all for your support and feedback! You have been a great blessing to me!
Gratitude:
I am so grateful for the new information that I have received about myself throughout this process. Awareness is such an important step in creating change. I am excited about the continuation of the journey!!!!
Blessings!!!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
"You Are A Divine Instrument" Workshop Payments
Order online in advance and get a special discounted price for both days.
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Friday, March 12, 2010
Workshop Flyer for March 21st and March 28th
Here is the flyer for the workshop with My-Key's beautiful artwork in the center! Please support me by:
1. Attending the workshop.
2. Forwarding the flyer to all of your contacts (you never know who might be interested).
3. Post the flyer at work or in coffee shops or other locations near you.
4. Post feedback on the flyer (wording, layout, etc)
Thank you all for being such incredible supporters of my work. I look forward to seeing you at the workshop.
1. Attending the workshop.
2. Forwarding the flyer to all of your contacts (you never know who might be interested).
3. Post the flyer at work or in coffee shops or other locations near you.
4. Post feedback on the flyer (wording, layout, etc)
Thank you all for being such incredible supporters of my work. I look forward to seeing you at the workshop.
Boom Time Days 27 - 31 (3/6/10 - 3/11/10)
It is a good thing that I had a relaxed day on Saturday because this week has been a whirlwind and I expect the next one to be even busier. I have been hard at work getting ready for my workshops and the Agape services next weekend. On Sunday, I met up with Sean to get more work done on my press release for the workshops. We got a lot done and I felt great about what we accomplished. It wasn't quite finished, but it was really close. We didn't know when we would both be able to meet again in person, so we decided to communicate back and forth through e-mail until we got it done.
Monday was weigh-in day. I found out that I was down to 224 lbs, which is a loss of 9 lbs. Yay! I'm well on my way to my goal. If things continue as they are now, I should be able to surpass my goal which would be wonderful! Sheri came over on Monday morning and worked me out!! It was great. We worked on my upper and lower abs, thighs and arms. I am really looking forward to when my body gets back to the level of strength I had when we were working out before because I can really feel the difference. Now that I have completed the first 30 days, I'll post another picture. (I promise to use a better one this time Dee!)
Tuesday was primarily a work day. I did get some great advise on my nutrition business. I had a phone meeting and we went over some strategies that really helped me to get things moving. I am very excited about how quickly this business is growing.
Wednesday I worked out with Sheri again. This time it was even more difficult than Monday! She worked my butt for real! I am glad that she is pushing me hard because I am really ready to get back to my healthy size and strength. She is such a great trainer. If anyone is looking for one, hit me up and I'll connect you with her. In the evening I attended an event for my nutrition business and it was very inspiring and motivating as usual. It is so nice to be working with such talented, dynamic, service-oriented people.
I was also totally excited to see my girl Dawnee! I missed you so much girl! I am glad that you have decided to get involved because that means we'll get to hang out more regularly. I been needing your energy! And her sister Aziza was there who happens to be pregnant (congratulations girl!) and I got to give the baby a little blessing rub.
Yesterday (Thursday), My-Key finished the drawing for my t-shirts. I loved it so much that I decided to use it for the flyer for the workshops. (I'll be posting that right after this one) She did an incredible job! Wait till you see it! She is so talented. If anyone is looking for a great artist to develop your designs, check her out. Thank you so much, My-Key for contributing such incredible work to my business!
Last night, I went to meet with my very talented friend Jami Lula who performs at a lot of Unity churches and Center for Spiritual Living churches. I contacted him and let him know that I was looking to expand my network of contacts so that I can start performing and doing workshops in various spiritual places. He was happy to help me. So, I went to his house and he fed me dinner (bless you Jami) and we had great conversation. Afterward, we went into his office and he gave me the contact information for at least 30 different churches that he works with! He is also sending me a letter of recommendation so that I will have something to work with when I contact them. I am so thankful for his help. Jami, you are a God send! I love you!
All in all, it has been a very busy and productive week. I am so happy that I have been able to keep my stamina together and get the work done! Next week will be even busier, so it will be very important that I keep my diet straight and find ways to rest. Looking forward to posting all the good news in the making!
Gratitude: I am extremely grateful to wonderful friends who are willing to help me get my business together. Everything is moving so fast and is done at such a high level of professionalism! I am so happy! Thank you all. You are such a blessing!
Blessings!
Monday was weigh-in day. I found out that I was down to 224 lbs, which is a loss of 9 lbs. Yay! I'm well on my way to my goal. If things continue as they are now, I should be able to surpass my goal which would be wonderful! Sheri came over on Monday morning and worked me out!! It was great. We worked on my upper and lower abs, thighs and arms. I am really looking forward to when my body gets back to the level of strength I had when we were working out before because I can really feel the difference. Now that I have completed the first 30 days, I'll post another picture. (I promise to use a better one this time Dee!)
Tuesday was primarily a work day. I did get some great advise on my nutrition business. I had a phone meeting and we went over some strategies that really helped me to get things moving. I am very excited about how quickly this business is growing.
Wednesday I worked out with Sheri again. This time it was even more difficult than Monday! She worked my butt for real! I am glad that she is pushing me hard because I am really ready to get back to my healthy size and strength. She is such a great trainer. If anyone is looking for one, hit me up and I'll connect you with her. In the evening I attended an event for my nutrition business and it was very inspiring and motivating as usual. It is so nice to be working with such talented, dynamic, service-oriented people.
I was also totally excited to see my girl Dawnee! I missed you so much girl! I am glad that you have decided to get involved because that means we'll get to hang out more regularly. I been needing your energy! And her sister Aziza was there who happens to be pregnant (congratulations girl!) and I got to give the baby a little blessing rub.
Yesterday (Thursday), My-Key finished the drawing for my t-shirts. I loved it so much that I decided to use it for the flyer for the workshops. (I'll be posting that right after this one) She did an incredible job! Wait till you see it! She is so talented. If anyone is looking for a great artist to develop your designs, check her out. Thank you so much, My-Key for contributing such incredible work to my business!
Last night, I went to meet with my very talented friend Jami Lula who performs at a lot of Unity churches and Center for Spiritual Living churches. I contacted him and let him know that I was looking to expand my network of contacts so that I can start performing and doing workshops in various spiritual places. He was happy to help me. So, I went to his house and he fed me dinner (bless you Jami) and we had great conversation. Afterward, we went into his office and he gave me the contact information for at least 30 different churches that he works with! He is also sending me a letter of recommendation so that I will have something to work with when I contact them. I am so thankful for his help. Jami, you are a God send! I love you!
All in all, it has been a very busy and productive week. I am so happy that I have been able to keep my stamina together and get the work done! Next week will be even busier, so it will be very important that I keep my diet straight and find ways to rest. Looking forward to posting all the good news in the making!
Gratitude: I am extremely grateful to wonderful friends who are willing to help me get my business together. Everything is moving so fast and is done at such a high level of professionalism! I am so happy! Thank you all. You are such a blessing!
Blessings!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Boom Time Day 26 (3/6/10)
I had a nice, relaxing day today. Originally, I had planned to go to Calabasas to do a voice lesson and then, possibly go visit my relatives out there. However, the person I had scheduled with, forgot that we were doing the lesson and wasn't at home. So, we have to reschedule. She was on the soccer field watching her children at the time, so that wasn't the time to handle it. I will see her on Wednesday and maybe we can work it out then.
Anyway, that one change shifted my entire day and I ended up with lots of free time that I didn't expect. I handled some basic errands and then went to the library to do a few things online. The internet was rediculously slow, so I went home to see if I could log onto my friend's internet service. Unfortunately, the signal strength was too low to do anything even though she just lives across the street. So, I made a lot of phone calls for my business and left a lot of messages.
I was excited to have some time to go grocery shopping because we were getting low on food in the house and I wanted to stock up on healthy foods to support me in my weight goal. I have been wanting a lot of salad recently. I think my daughter and roommate are starting to get sick of it. I'm not giving in to them, though. We've all got to do better with our diets. I took my daughter with me to the store and was able to get a lot of great food for a fairly decent price. I even was able to get my daughter some little "goodies" which I usually wouldn't do because money had been tight for so long. I felt great to have the cash to get what I needed and more.
We decided to rent some movies and stay home for the evening. I was really enjoying the idea of keeping my schedule simple. I've got lots of days to keep busy. Plus, it is really important to me that I keep time in my schedule to be with my baby girl. We've been through so much together in the last year-and-a-half and I want her to know that she is still my priority even while I'm building this great momentum in my life. We rented 3 movies. My daughter picked "Confessions of a Shopaholic" (a bit disappointing) and I got "X Men Origins" and "Angels and Demons". I really enjoyed those two movies. We were going to get popcorn until I read the labels and was shocked! I picked up a box of Orville Redenbacher's popcorn that said "organic" and "50% less fat". I discovered that there were 2.5 servings in each bag and each serving had 40 calories of fat! This is supposed to be the healthy stuff!?! Just out of curiosity, I looked at the regular movie butter popcorn and saw that they had 3 servings and each serving had 90 fat calories. Can you believe it? A person who eats a bag of that popcorn by themselves (which I have done before) is actually eating 270 calories of fat!! That made me never want to get any microwave popcorn again.
So, people, the moral of the story.... Read the labels! Don't go by what they say on the box. Sure, the Orville Redenbacher popcorn was better than the movie butter kind, but it was far from healthy. It's too easy to get caught up in the words they feature on the front (which is why they do it). Organic and half-the-fat sounded good at first glance, but once I read the label I saw an entirely different picture. Fat is fat! Organic or not, that popcorn would have been a bad idea. Instead, I got some pretzels (0 fat) and managed my portions so that I didn't eat too many empty calories.
For those of you working on your weight, reading the labels will help you to make sensible choices. There is nothing wrong with having a few snacks as long as they are healthy, kept in moderation and are part of a healthy diet in general. Stay committed to the goal that you set for yourself. There is a lot more joy in feeling healthy and energetic than there is in eating comfort foods.
Gratitude: I am grateful for quality time with my beautiful daughter. It is so wonderful to see her smiling and happy after such a long time of great difficulties. God has really taken care of us....and I must say, we didn't do too bad ourselves either. Thanks to faith, taking personal action and having lots of support from family and close friends, we have come a long way! And that, is something to be thankful for.
Blessings!
Anyway, that one change shifted my entire day and I ended up with lots of free time that I didn't expect. I handled some basic errands and then went to the library to do a few things online. The internet was rediculously slow, so I went home to see if I could log onto my friend's internet service. Unfortunately, the signal strength was too low to do anything even though she just lives across the street. So, I made a lot of phone calls for my business and left a lot of messages.
I was excited to have some time to go grocery shopping because we were getting low on food in the house and I wanted to stock up on healthy foods to support me in my weight goal. I have been wanting a lot of salad recently. I think my daughter and roommate are starting to get sick of it. I'm not giving in to them, though. We've all got to do better with our diets. I took my daughter with me to the store and was able to get a lot of great food for a fairly decent price. I even was able to get my daughter some little "goodies" which I usually wouldn't do because money had been tight for so long. I felt great to have the cash to get what I needed and more.
We decided to rent some movies and stay home for the evening. I was really enjoying the idea of keeping my schedule simple. I've got lots of days to keep busy. Plus, it is really important to me that I keep time in my schedule to be with my baby girl. We've been through so much together in the last year-and-a-half and I want her to know that she is still my priority even while I'm building this great momentum in my life. We rented 3 movies. My daughter picked "Confessions of a Shopaholic" (a bit disappointing) and I got "X Men Origins" and "Angels and Demons". I really enjoyed those two movies. We were going to get popcorn until I read the labels and was shocked! I picked up a box of Orville Redenbacher's popcorn that said "organic" and "50% less fat". I discovered that there were 2.5 servings in each bag and each serving had 40 calories of fat! This is supposed to be the healthy stuff!?! Just out of curiosity, I looked at the regular movie butter popcorn and saw that they had 3 servings and each serving had 90 fat calories. Can you believe it? A person who eats a bag of that popcorn by themselves (which I have done before) is actually eating 270 calories of fat!! That made me never want to get any microwave popcorn again.
So, people, the moral of the story.... Read the labels! Don't go by what they say on the box. Sure, the Orville Redenbacher popcorn was better than the movie butter kind, but it was far from healthy. It's too easy to get caught up in the words they feature on the front (which is why they do it). Organic and half-the-fat sounded good at first glance, but once I read the label I saw an entirely different picture. Fat is fat! Organic or not, that popcorn would have been a bad idea. Instead, I got some pretzels (0 fat) and managed my portions so that I didn't eat too many empty calories.
For those of you working on your weight, reading the labels will help you to make sensible choices. There is nothing wrong with having a few snacks as long as they are healthy, kept in moderation and are part of a healthy diet in general. Stay committed to the goal that you set for yourself. There is a lot more joy in feeling healthy and energetic than there is in eating comfort foods.
Gratitude: I am grateful for quality time with my beautiful daughter. It is so wonderful to see her smiling and happy after such a long time of great difficulties. God has really taken care of us....and I must say, we didn't do too bad ourselves either. Thanks to faith, taking personal action and having lots of support from family and close friends, we have come a long way! And that, is something to be thankful for.
Blessings!
Boom Time Day 25 (3/5/10)
I learned a very valuable lesson today. I went to my father's studio to hang out for the evening. It had been a fairly calm day and I was in one of those bummy moods where I just felt like being comfortable and relaxing. So, I put on a sweatsuit and went out to the studio. As I was in the elevator going up to the floor where his studio is, I noticed myself in the mirror. I looked at my hair, which I hadn't touched up in a while and I saw that my outfit made me look heavier and a bit raggedy. Overall, the picture was unflattering to say the least. I said to myself, "Wow, I look pretty bad". Then I thought, "It's no big deal, I'm just going around people I know and love". Well, that shifted up real quick. As I was walking down the hallway to the studio, a well-known recording artist walked past me. We acknowledged each other as he passed by, but that was all. Then, I went inside and a producer that I haven't seen in at least 5 years was there. He also had another man with him. I'm not sure what that guy's profession was, though. Anyway, it was great to see them, but I was thinking, "Why did they have to be here on a day when I look a mess?"
Later, a few members of this great gospel group called "Reign of Soul" came by. These were also friends that I hadn't seen in at least 10 years. I was so happy to see them and yet, was reminded again in my mind about my interesting appearance. However, I did have great conversation with one of them named Rebecca. We talked about everything from spirituality to music and children. It was so great to see them again and get caught up. They have a daughter who is the same age as my Ana, so hopefully we can get them together sometime soon. I told Rebecca that I really want to stay connected. I think we both can help each other in terms of music and life in general. She has such a great spirit!!
After I left the studio, I was thinking about how I felt about my appearance. The main reason that it bothered me to see all those people on an unflattering day is that I didn't even feel right talking about the work that I am doing right now because I didn't physically respresent what I am speaking about. At least not in an obvious way. While I felt comfortable in my clothing and I feel great about who I am, I realize that other people build a perspective of you based on what they see. So, looking the way I did, represented something different than I want to put out there. I see now that I am a walking representative of my product and I want to represent my business and product well.
This doesn't mean that I need to get all caught up in the fashion game and develop low self-esteem as advertisers would like me to do. I just want to pay attention to my appearance before I go out of the house so that my appearance is more in alignment with what is going on in my mind and in my life. I was happy to note that I didn't let my appearance get in the way of my ability to connect with everyone there. I had great conversations and was very much in my comfort zone. I didn't beat myself up as I have had a tendency to do in the past. I simply noticed the lesson and moved on. That was quite a confirming experience.
Gratitude: I am grateful for life's little lessons that turn out to be big ones. Recognizing how much my image affects me and my businesses is immensely valuable. From now on, I will be more conscious of having my appearance be in alignment with the work I am doing.
Later, a few members of this great gospel group called "Reign of Soul" came by. These were also friends that I hadn't seen in at least 10 years. I was so happy to see them and yet, was reminded again in my mind about my interesting appearance. However, I did have great conversation with one of them named Rebecca. We talked about everything from spirituality to music and children. It was so great to see them again and get caught up. They have a daughter who is the same age as my Ana, so hopefully we can get them together sometime soon. I told Rebecca that I really want to stay connected. I think we both can help each other in terms of music and life in general. She has such a great spirit!!
After I left the studio, I was thinking about how I felt about my appearance. The main reason that it bothered me to see all those people on an unflattering day is that I didn't even feel right talking about the work that I am doing right now because I didn't physically respresent what I am speaking about. At least not in an obvious way. While I felt comfortable in my clothing and I feel great about who I am, I realize that other people build a perspective of you based on what they see. So, looking the way I did, represented something different than I want to put out there. I see now that I am a walking representative of my product and I want to represent my business and product well.
This doesn't mean that I need to get all caught up in the fashion game and develop low self-esteem as advertisers would like me to do. I just want to pay attention to my appearance before I go out of the house so that my appearance is more in alignment with what is going on in my mind and in my life. I was happy to note that I didn't let my appearance get in the way of my ability to connect with everyone there. I had great conversations and was very much in my comfort zone. I didn't beat myself up as I have had a tendency to do in the past. I simply noticed the lesson and moved on. That was quite a confirming experience.
Gratitude: I am grateful for life's little lessons that turn out to be big ones. Recognizing how much my image affects me and my businesses is immensely valuable. From now on, I will be more conscious of having my appearance be in alignment with the work I am doing.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Boom Time Day 24 (3/4/10)
Today was an excellent day! I got up feeling great and ready for the day. I did my morning routine and then took my daughter to school. While I was there, I handled some business items and got ready for my classes at Full Circle Learning. They all went quite well. Ever since I started centering myself in the morning before starting my business day, I have felt much more calm and my classes have been great. Those are the kinds of things we often overlook. We think we need more time, money, medicine or something, but really, what we need is to take care of ourselves first so that we have more to give to others. That was a difficult concept for me to grasp because I am a single mother of two and I would always think of everyone else before me. Now, I fiercely protect my personal time in the mornings. I know that I feel much more powerful and connected throughout the day when I start it out right.
After work, I went to visit my dear friend Niki, who is a Reiki healer. She has offered to do treatments on me for at least two years and somehow I never made the time to take advantage of it. Once I made my recent shifts, I knew it was time to reach out to her. She was single-handedly handling the details of the concert I did last Sunday, so we weren't prepared to meet until it was over. 4 days later, I was laying on her table and having a wonderful experience. She let me know that there is a lot of work to be done on my digestive system. This has long been a challenge for me and I am ready to let it go. I have decided to pick up some Aloe to help work this out. (No pun intended. LOL!) I'm hoping that everything comes out ok and that I will have a moving experience (pun intended). Sorry. I had to do it.
Anyway, Niki also gave me a CD of her music, which I was very happy to receive. She wrote one of the songs that was performed in the concert and it was so beautiful! I was surprised to discover that she wrote it when she was 15 and arranged it when she was 16. What a talent! Niki is such a beautiful spirit and she truly is one of my favorite people. I am so thankful to know her.
After my session with Niki, I went home and met up with Sean. We worked on my press release for the workshops coming up. It is a tedious and rewarding process. Every administrative task like this helps to focus my vision even more. The more work that I do, the more I see the value beyond the obvious. I am so happy to have help from detail-oriented, analytical, business minds. It makes a huge difference! Sean is sending me the notes from tonight's meeting sometime tomorrow and then we will meet up again on Sunday so that we can hopefully finish up the press release. Since the workshops are coming up with a quickness, we are really pushing to get this done. Soon, I will be posting the workshop flyer and press release for your information and comment. Keep your eyes open for it.
I am so curious to see how everything turns out. Even though I am creating this all from my own vision, I am clear that God has his hand in the mix and things are very likely to turn out different (and better) than I expected. I am always amazed at how much more I receive than I expect. God is so good!
Gratitude: Today I am grateful for the blessings of God that surround me even when I am so caught up in the world that I don't notice them. So happy to live in the light of God.
Blessings!
After work, I went to visit my dear friend Niki, who is a Reiki healer. She has offered to do treatments on me for at least two years and somehow I never made the time to take advantage of it. Once I made my recent shifts, I knew it was time to reach out to her. She was single-handedly handling the details of the concert I did last Sunday, so we weren't prepared to meet until it was over. 4 days later, I was laying on her table and having a wonderful experience. She let me know that there is a lot of work to be done on my digestive system. This has long been a challenge for me and I am ready to let it go. I have decided to pick up some Aloe to help work this out. (No pun intended. LOL!) I'm hoping that everything comes out ok and that I will have a moving experience (pun intended). Sorry. I had to do it.
Anyway, Niki also gave me a CD of her music, which I was very happy to receive. She wrote one of the songs that was performed in the concert and it was so beautiful! I was surprised to discover that she wrote it when she was 15 and arranged it when she was 16. What a talent! Niki is such a beautiful spirit and she truly is one of my favorite people. I am so thankful to know her.
After my session with Niki, I went home and met up with Sean. We worked on my press release for the workshops coming up. It is a tedious and rewarding process. Every administrative task like this helps to focus my vision even more. The more work that I do, the more I see the value beyond the obvious. I am so happy to have help from detail-oriented, analytical, business minds. It makes a huge difference! Sean is sending me the notes from tonight's meeting sometime tomorrow and then we will meet up again on Sunday so that we can hopefully finish up the press release. Since the workshops are coming up with a quickness, we are really pushing to get this done. Soon, I will be posting the workshop flyer and press release for your information and comment. Keep your eyes open for it.
I am so curious to see how everything turns out. Even though I am creating this all from my own vision, I am clear that God has his hand in the mix and things are very likely to turn out different (and better) than I expected. I am always amazed at how much more I receive than I expect. God is so good!
Gratitude: Today I am grateful for the blessings of God that surround me even when I am so caught up in the world that I don't notice them. So happy to live in the light of God.
Blessings!
Boom Time Day 23 (3/3/10)
This morning was a lot more hectic than usual. I finally had my first session with my trainer, Sheri. We were scheduled for 9:30, but ended up meeting closer to 10:30. The owner of the house I live in was scheduled to come at 10:00 to do the inspection of the house. So, I had a few things going on at once. After the owner left, it was easier to focus on my workout session. I was so determined to get that session in that I made things difficult on myself by scheduling too many things at once. However, it worked out fine and, thankfully, Sheri was patient and had the time. We had a great conversation while I was training. It was good to catch up after such a long time. The workout was really good. We concentrated on my arms, abs and legs. I could definitely tell that it had been a long time since I have worked my muscles that hard. Sheri said that muscle memory would kick in from the work we did last year and that it wouldn't take long to get back to the strength that I had at that time. That was very encouraging. Even though it was difficult, I was so happy to be taking the next step in working on my weight goal.
In the afternoon, I went to teach at Wilder's again. Many of the kids were very happy to see me and that is such a nice feeling. Over and over again I am reminded of how blessed I am to be doing what I love to do! Unfortunately, that is an uncommon thing these days. I hope, through my work, to inspire more people to live their dreams; manifest their passion; use their unique gifts to contribute to the progress of the world. I think that is one of the major elements that is missing in the world, causing progress to be stunted.
In the evening, I went to the weekly meeting for the nutrition business I am involved in. My friend Ayanna, who has been a great source of inspiration and a wonderful sounding board, came to the meeting and I was able to connect her to a successful person in the film industry. I had been praying and it came to me to connect them, so I listened to my intuition and invited her to meet him. I hope that the connection will be fruitful for them both. She is a very talented person with great ideas and I'd love to see her vision become manifest. I told her that we need to take some time to connect and figure out how we can help each other. One of the things I am really working on employing while reaching my goals is creating a team. Things are moving so fast these days that it is necessary to have several people working together in order to be able to keep the pace flowing. Whenever I get caught up in doing too much by myself, I wear myself out and get stagnated. This time, I am sidestepping that habit and creating a dynamic team around me. That one shift has helped to create a huge difference in my results.
Gratitude: Today I am grateful for intuition. I am realizing more and more how much I rely on my intuition. I have been helped through a lot of difficult situations by listening to my inner voice. What a great gift!
Blessings!
In the afternoon, I went to teach at Wilder's again. Many of the kids were very happy to see me and that is such a nice feeling. Over and over again I am reminded of how blessed I am to be doing what I love to do! Unfortunately, that is an uncommon thing these days. I hope, through my work, to inspire more people to live their dreams; manifest their passion; use their unique gifts to contribute to the progress of the world. I think that is one of the major elements that is missing in the world, causing progress to be stunted.
In the evening, I went to the weekly meeting for the nutrition business I am involved in. My friend Ayanna, who has been a great source of inspiration and a wonderful sounding board, came to the meeting and I was able to connect her to a successful person in the film industry. I had been praying and it came to me to connect them, so I listened to my intuition and invited her to meet him. I hope that the connection will be fruitful for them both. She is a very talented person with great ideas and I'd love to see her vision become manifest. I told her that we need to take some time to connect and figure out how we can help each other. One of the things I am really working on employing while reaching my goals is creating a team. Things are moving so fast these days that it is necessary to have several people working together in order to be able to keep the pace flowing. Whenever I get caught up in doing too much by myself, I wear myself out and get stagnated. This time, I am sidestepping that habit and creating a dynamic team around me. That one shift has helped to create a huge difference in my results.
Gratitude: Today I am grateful for intuition. I am realizing more and more how much I rely on my intuition. I have been helped through a lot of difficult situations by listening to my inner voice. What a great gift!
Blessings!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Boom Time Day 22 (3/2/10)
Today was a fairly mild day. It was the first day of the Baha'i fasting period. For 19 days we don't eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. Because I knew that I have specific supplements to take each day, I knew I needed to create a new schedule for myself for this time period. It was also important to me that I continue with my morning routine each day. So, I got up at 5:30 so that I could accomplish everything in time to get my day started properly. I had a 6:30 check-in with Rhetah (my mentor) so I wanted to get most of my eating and praying done prior to that. It is so nice to be able to get up early and actually have energy. This is still a fairly new thing for me and it continues to amaze me!
After my meeting with Rhetah, which was very helpful by the way, I went to Full Circle Learning Elementary school to prepare for the day's classes. I was so happy that my classes went quite well. There were a couple of small incidences (2 students had to be pulled out of one of the classes due to inappropriate behavior), but I was able to remain calm and they were handled quickly. The rest of the students were able to work quite well and they got through a lot of information. It is always wonderful when I feel like I am accomplishing a lot in my classes.
After work, I came home and started preparing my house for the inspection that the owner does every 3 months. I had gotten the carpet cleaned earlier and they did a good job. So, I just needed to handle basic things like the kitchen and bathroom. I made a nice chicken and vegetable stir-fry for dinner and then watched a movie with my daughter. It is important to me that I create quality time opportunities for my daughter and I because I want her to know that she is important to me while I am continuing on my path of growth. We watched "Cheaper By the Dozen" which made me grateful that I only have 2 children. We had a nice time together.
After we had our time, I sent my daughter off to bed and then did some more cleaning. I knew that I was going to be getting up early in the morning and then having a long day and it was important to get rest. So, I went to bed early to set myself up to have a good, functioning day. A mild and very pleasant day.
Gratitude: I am grateful for my beautiful daughter who, one day, will recognize how special
God created her to be. She truly is a blessing in my life!
Blessings!
After my meeting with Rhetah, which was very helpful by the way, I went to Full Circle Learning Elementary school to prepare for the day's classes. I was so happy that my classes went quite well. There were a couple of small incidences (2 students had to be pulled out of one of the classes due to inappropriate behavior), but I was able to remain calm and they were handled quickly. The rest of the students were able to work quite well and they got through a lot of information. It is always wonderful when I feel like I am accomplishing a lot in my classes.
After work, I came home and started preparing my house for the inspection that the owner does every 3 months. I had gotten the carpet cleaned earlier and they did a good job. So, I just needed to handle basic things like the kitchen and bathroom. I made a nice chicken and vegetable stir-fry for dinner and then watched a movie with my daughter. It is important to me that I create quality time opportunities for my daughter and I because I want her to know that she is important to me while I am continuing on my path of growth. We watched "Cheaper By the Dozen" which made me grateful that I only have 2 children. We had a nice time together.
After we had our time, I sent my daughter off to bed and then did some more cleaning. I knew that I was going to be getting up early in the morning and then having a long day and it was important to get rest. So, I went to bed early to set myself up to have a good, functioning day. A mild and very pleasant day.
Gratitude: I am grateful for my beautiful daughter who, one day, will recognize how special
God created her to be. She truly is a blessing in my life!
Blessings!
Boom Time Day 21 (3/1/10)
Monday was my day off from teaching, so I used the time to recuperate from the weekend and handle some personal errands. My daughter hadn’t been feeling well, so I kept her home from school. It turned out to be a good choice because she was back to her normal self by the time the evening came. She went with me to the Bank and to Starbucks so that we could use the internet service there. While we were at Starbucks, a lady and her daughter (about my daughter’s age) came in and sat at the table next to us. After a few minutes we started hearing familiar song coming from their computer. It turned out that the girl had just been given the part of Sarah in the musical “Guys and Dolls”. Last year I worked with Washington Prep High School’s rendition of the musical. It was a lot of fun. I told them about my experience with the musical at Washington Prep and the daughter suggested that I come up to her school to meet the director and other teachers involved. This week is quite hectic, so maybe next week will work out better.
In the morning, I did my weigh-in and was happy to see that I have lost a total of 8lbs since I started this program. It is good to see that my work is paying off. I know that I haven’t worked out as much as I had planned since I was unable to get connected with Sheri. So, dropping 8 lbs is very nice. Now I’m curious about next week.
In the evening, I came home and had a conference call for the nutrition business. After that, I made a few calls to connect with old friends, acquaintances and clients. My friend and previous vocal student called me back and we had a great talk. We decided to get together on Sunday and chat some more. Also, she’s having a Taboo party at her house in a few weeks. She is sending the information to me via mail. I’m exited about reconnecting with her. She is a great woman and she also has a lot of business experience. We may be able to help each other out.
I also got a chance to hang out with my friend (and ex-roommate) Leena. She was on her way over to my house in order to participate in the study group we host on Monday nights. Unfortunately, there was a meeting going on at the Baha’I Center, so the study group had gotten cancelled, but Leena didn’t know. So, she ended up coming over and hanging out until nearly midnight. We haven’t had much time to hang out since she moved out of the house, so it was nice to visit with her.
All-in-all, I had a nice, relaxing day, which was very well needed after such a fun and hectic weekend.
Gratitude: I am grateful that much of my schedule is my own, so I can build the ways that I want to. It is a wonderful feeling to be in charge of my days and know that I am doing what I love to do while being profitable as well. I am very blessed.
Blessings!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Boom Time Day 20 (2/28/10)
This was an extraordinary day! I spent the entire day in rehearsals for the evening concert. Everyone involved in the concert was so fun and so talented! I was in heaven. On Saturday, Tom Price asked me if I knew anyone who could play the tambourine, so I brought my roommate My-Key with me on Sunday. She started out playing percussion and then, the drummer (who was really a percussionist) started playing and he was struggling a bit. My-Key went over to help him and the next thing we knew, he was playing percussion and she was on the drums! It actually worked out quite well. Both of them were well suited for where they ended up.
Anyway, at one point, I was sitting next to one of Tom's daughters'. She was singing in the alto section with me, so I was hearing her voice the whole time. Then, all of a sudden she started to sing the song that she was planning to do in the concert and my head whipped in her direction so fast! She had the most amazing and unique tone! It was beautiful and totally unexpected. She had been using her choir voice in order to blend in earlier, so I had no preparation for her solo voice. I am definitely a fan of Rachel Price. I will be calling her in a day or two and she will be letting me know how to find youtube videos of her and her band. Once I have them, I will definitely share them with you. She is amazingly talented.
The wonderful thing about the concert was that everyone was incredible at what they do! It was so nice to be in such a talented group. Another highlight was when Ayanna Williams sang. She is 18 years old and I know she will be blowing up soon! She sang Amazing Grace with her mom (who is crazy talented her self) and blew it up! I spoke with Tom Price and he will be getting me a copy of the video footage. As soon as I get it into my hands, I'll post it for you all to experience. Thank you to all of my friends that came to the event. I know that you all enjoyed yourselves thoroughly.
I am so happy to have been able to participate in this event! I had a great time and made a lot of new friends and contacts. We made plans to connect up again in the near future. I may be going to Atlanta to visit one of the incredible performers named Ava, who is a famous Persian singer. We talked about doing a choir workshop with the singers out there. That would be so great! I'm looking forward to staying connected and building stronger relationships with all the wonderful spirits that participated this weekend.
Gratitude: I am grateful for being surrounded by good music and talented, inspiring people. I feel blessed beyond belief! Good music and blessings to you all!!
Anyway, at one point, I was sitting next to one of Tom's daughters'. She was singing in the alto section with me, so I was hearing her voice the whole time. Then, all of a sudden she started to sing the song that she was planning to do in the concert and my head whipped in her direction so fast! She had the most amazing and unique tone! It was beautiful and totally unexpected. She had been using her choir voice in order to blend in earlier, so I had no preparation for her solo voice. I am definitely a fan of Rachel Price. I will be calling her in a day or two and she will be letting me know how to find youtube videos of her and her band. Once I have them, I will definitely share them with you. She is amazingly talented.
The wonderful thing about the concert was that everyone was incredible at what they do! It was so nice to be in such a talented group. Another highlight was when Ayanna Williams sang. She is 18 years old and I know she will be blowing up soon! She sang Amazing Grace with her mom (who is crazy talented her self) and blew it up! I spoke with Tom Price and he will be getting me a copy of the video footage. As soon as I get it into my hands, I'll post it for you all to experience. Thank you to all of my friends that came to the event. I know that you all enjoyed yourselves thoroughly.
I am so happy to have been able to participate in this event! I had a great time and made a lot of new friends and contacts. We made plans to connect up again in the near future. I may be going to Atlanta to visit one of the incredible performers named Ava, who is a famous Persian singer. We talked about doing a choir workshop with the singers out there. That would be so great! I'm looking forward to staying connected and building stronger relationships with all the wonderful spirits that participated this weekend.
Gratitude: I am grateful for being surrounded by good music and talented, inspiring people. I feel blessed beyond belief! Good music and blessings to you all!!
Boom Time Day 19 (2/27/10)
Saturday was an extremely busy and eventful day. I started the day with a training for the nutrition business. It was very helpful and informative. That helped me to get my plans in order and be able to move forward with clear direction. Since my recent experiences have shown how powerful clear direction can be, I am very grateful to Rhetah and Kimmer for helping me get there. At the end of the session, Rhetah mentioned that she would love to hear me sing the next time she comes down to LA (she's from Portland). I decided that we should just end our training session with a prayer. My-Key and I sang an arrangement that I did to one of the Baha'i prayers. When we finished, I looked up and there were tears streaming down Rhetah's face! The feeling in the room was so strong that it was difficult for all of us to bring ourselves back to the world. I said to Rhetah, "That is what I want to do with my clients". And she totally got it. Now she understands more clearly about the work that I am doing with my workshops and private sessions. Free expression of the voice is one of the most powerful healing tools that I have come across. It was great to receive that confirmation and the support of a celebrated life coach.
After the training, I went straight back to LA to prepare for my rehearsal for the concert. It was so great to get to know the people participating in the event. I had heard many of their names and had seen some of them perform, but I had only worked with three of them. As we went through the rehearsal, I was impressed with the level of talent that was being expressed. It felt great to be a part of this group of amazing vocalists. Most of the people there had a great sense of humor so we had a great time! By the time the rehearsal was over, I was really looking forward to the next day.
In the evening, I came home and handled a few things before heading off to an event put on by some of the Baha'is. The event is called Pena and it is held the last Saturday of every month. There is food, Latin music and great people. I had forgotten about it for the last several months, so I was determined to go this time. I was so happy that I went because I ran into several of my good friends that I had lost contact with. It was great to see them. And I haven't danced like that in such a long time! That's one of the loves of my life that I don't get to do often. I am thankful that I had that opportunity.
I got home around midnight and got some rest so that I could be prepared for my exciting day on Sunday. This definitely was a wonderful day and I am looking forward to experiencing more days like this as I continue on my journey.
Gratitude: I am grateful for dancing! How I love to tap into the music and feel it throughout my body. I haven't danced regularly since I was a teenager and I have missed that feeling so much. I intend to include opportunities to dance into my schedule much more often.
Blessings!
After the training, I went straight back to LA to prepare for my rehearsal for the concert. It was so great to get to know the people participating in the event. I had heard many of their names and had seen some of them perform, but I had only worked with three of them. As we went through the rehearsal, I was impressed with the level of talent that was being expressed. It felt great to be a part of this group of amazing vocalists. Most of the people there had a great sense of humor so we had a great time! By the time the rehearsal was over, I was really looking forward to the next day.
In the evening, I came home and handled a few things before heading off to an event put on by some of the Baha'is. The event is called Pena and it is held the last Saturday of every month. There is food, Latin music and great people. I had forgotten about it for the last several months, so I was determined to go this time. I was so happy that I went because I ran into several of my good friends that I had lost contact with. It was great to see them. And I haven't danced like that in such a long time! That's one of the loves of my life that I don't get to do often. I am thankful that I had that opportunity.
I got home around midnight and got some rest so that I could be prepared for my exciting day on Sunday. This definitely was a wonderful day and I am looking forward to experiencing more days like this as I continue on my journey.
Gratitude: I am grateful for dancing! How I love to tap into the music and feel it throughout my body. I haven't danced regularly since I was a teenager and I have missed that feeling so much. I intend to include opportunities to dance into my schedule much more often.
Blessings!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Boom Time Day 18 (2/26/10)
I spent most of the morning and early afternoon handling various errands. There were a lot of things that needed to be taken care of. I knew that I had a busy weekend coming up and I didn’t want to overstress myself, so I moved my class at the Full Circle Middle School to Wednesday of next week. It was nice to have a day to get things handled.
While I was out, my roommate, My-Key was at the house doing the yard sale and working on a design for the Healing Song t-shirts. What she came up with was incredible. It’s looking like there may be 3 or 4 different designs for people to choose from. Martine sent me another great idea for a t-shirt a couple of days ago. I’m really excited to see this whole thing coming together.
In the evening, I had my meeting with Sean. We spent a bit of time reconnecting which was really nice. We hadn’t seen each other in quite a while. Then we got to work on a mission statement. This is what we came up with so far:
My mission is to heal the world, one voice at a time by inspiring individuals to recognize and use their unique gifts for the betterment of the world.
I think that we need one more sentence that explains how this inspiration gets accomplished, but it’s a good start.
Action Item! - I would love to hear your feedback. What does the mission statement say to you? Does it peak your interest? Do you think it needs something more? All comments and criticisms are welcome!
We also spent some time working on the three bullet points that explain what people will get out of my workshops. It is amazing to me how difficult this assignment has been! I am looking to find a way to put a very intuitive and esoteric process into simple, relatable terms. It seems a lot easier than it has been. Maybe I need to take some time to meditate on it.
Action Item! - For all of my current or previous voice students - you could help me immensely by writing a testimonial of what you have gotten out of working with me one-on-one or through the vocal workshops. Your testimonials will be placed on the website once I get it up and running. Also, they will help me to identify key words that may be used for my press releases, flyers etc.
Sean also showed me some useful tools related to time management. He went over the Franklin-Covey system, which was very interesting. It had a dimension of goal setting and visioning that was very helpful. I would recommend looking into it because using their system will help you identify what your core values are; show you how to use those core values to create your vision; and then create goals that are in alignment with that vision. I really liked the tool.
Overall, this was another great day. I continue to be excited at the wonderful progress being made each day. Progress is built with a lot of small stepping-stones. All it takes is consistency, clear vision and faith. I have heard this many times before and I understood it intellectually. However, there is a big difference between grasping something with your mind and living it. I am grateful for living my vision now.
Gratitude: I am so grateful for developing discipline. I have wanted to be more organized and consistent for many years. Now that I am manifesting my vision through the use of these skills, I understand the value of balancing my big-vision, creative side with systematic, planned and disciplined efforts. Yay!!!
Blessings!
Boom Time Missing Posts
Hey everyone!
I had a crazy busy weekend, so I am catching up now on all of my writing. I have a lot to share with you about my amazing weekend. The blog post for Friday will be up in a few minutes and the rest will be posted by tomorrow afternoon.
Blessings!
I had a crazy busy weekend, so I am catching up now on all of my writing. I have a lot to share with you about my amazing weekend. The blog post for Friday will be up in a few minutes and the rest will be posted by tomorrow afternoon.
Blessings!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Boom Time Day 17 (2/25/10)
This morning during my meditation, I got the clear message that I needed to stay home and rest today. I had an extremely hectic day planned for myself. I realized that my body is still healing itself and running around that much was going to make that process harder for me. Then, I went to the back to wake my daughter up and saw that she was in need of rest as well. So, we both stayed home for the morning. It felt nice to have a more relaxed schedule.
After a while, we went to the library and I got some research done and handled a few other things. It was actually an extremely productive time. I also sent the e-mails to Sean for the business plan work. I am really looking forward to our meeting tomorrow.
The highlight of my day was my amazing meeting with my mentor for the nutrition business. She has created quite a lot of success for herself and her tips are extremely helpful. She helped me define specific goals and create a plan of action that is very doable. Is that a word? Anyway, I left feeling inspired and ready to go!
Afterward, I had a nice visit with my mom. I was taking some of the products I've been using to her. I am very curious to see how her body will react to them. She is often under immense stress and I'd love to be able to help her feel better. I will definitely be calling her tomorrow to see how her day went. One thing that was nice was that my mom looked at me and said, "Are you losing weight?" I hadn't thought that anything was visibly noticeable, so it was good to know that she could tell. So, I'm on my way. It'll be interesting to see where I am at my next weigh-in.
When I got home, my mind was still buzzing from the meeting earlier. Even though I was getting tired, I decided to stay up long enough to set out my plan of action for tomorrow. Now that I had some very clear direction, it was simple to get my mind wrapped around the next steps. I have always been great with big vision and creative thinking. Where I have often struggled is in the day-to-day planning. So, all of this great advise that I've been getting from Dennis, Sean and Rhetah is extremely helpful. It is so nice to feel like I've got an incredible team in place to help me get things done. That is something I haven't really experienced before. This is so exciting!
Reminder: Bring your friends to my show this Sunday night at the LA Baha'i Center. See the flyer below for information! Let me know if you're coming by sending an e-mail to findyourvoicenow@gmail.com
Gratitude: I am extremely grateful today for teamwork. Years ago in a self-development class, I learned the concept that 1 + 1 does not equal 2. Essentially when two or more come together, they create vastly more than the two could get accomplished working separately.
Blessings!
After a while, we went to the library and I got some research done and handled a few other things. It was actually an extremely productive time. I also sent the e-mails to Sean for the business plan work. I am really looking forward to our meeting tomorrow.
The highlight of my day was my amazing meeting with my mentor for the nutrition business. She has created quite a lot of success for herself and her tips are extremely helpful. She helped me define specific goals and create a plan of action that is very doable. Is that a word? Anyway, I left feeling inspired and ready to go!
Afterward, I had a nice visit with my mom. I was taking some of the products I've been using to her. I am very curious to see how her body will react to them. She is often under immense stress and I'd love to be able to help her feel better. I will definitely be calling her tomorrow to see how her day went. One thing that was nice was that my mom looked at me and said, "Are you losing weight?" I hadn't thought that anything was visibly noticeable, so it was good to know that she could tell. So, I'm on my way. It'll be interesting to see where I am at my next weigh-in.
When I got home, my mind was still buzzing from the meeting earlier. Even though I was getting tired, I decided to stay up long enough to set out my plan of action for tomorrow. Now that I had some very clear direction, it was simple to get my mind wrapped around the next steps. I have always been great with big vision and creative thinking. Where I have often struggled is in the day-to-day planning. So, all of this great advise that I've been getting from Dennis, Sean and Rhetah is extremely helpful. It is so nice to feel like I've got an incredible team in place to help me get things done. That is something I haven't really experienced before. This is so exciting!
Reminder: Bring your friends to my show this Sunday night at the LA Baha'i Center. See the flyer below for information! Let me know if you're coming by sending an e-mail to findyourvoicenow@gmail.com
Gratitude: I am extremely grateful today for teamwork. Years ago in a self-development class, I learned the concept that 1 + 1 does not equal 2. Essentially when two or more come together, they create vastly more than the two could get accomplished working separately.
Blessings!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Concert on Sunday
Here is the flyer for the concert I will be participating in on Sunday in case anyone wants to come. E-mail me if you are coming so I can look for you.
findyourvoicenow.gmail.com
Blessings!
findyourvoicenow.gmail.com
Blessings!
Boom Time Day 16 (2/24/10)
After I dropped my daughter off at school, I went to the library to do some research on public radio stations and the programs that are in alignment with my work. I was surprised that there were only about 6 shows that fit that description for me out of the 3 public radio stations that I found in the area. However, those 6 shows have a wide base of listeners, so contacting them is more than worth my while. It is almost surreal to me to be talking about this because I would not have guessed that I would be doing anything like this anytime soon. I love how life appears to spontaneously shape and form right before our eyes. That’s why I know that anything can happen at any time regardless of the circumstances or what I see around me. This is a great source of hope and inspiration for me. It has also helped me to remain optimistic under very challenging circumstances.
After handling my phone calls and other errands, I went to Wilder’s to work with the children in the afterschool program. Each grade level is working on songs to perform. I have been deciding on soloists for some of the songs and it always lifts my spirit to hear the precious little voices. I am excited that most of my groups are very close to being ready with their songs. After this, they will likely be working on an adapted version of The Wiz where most of the dialogue is gone and we focus primarily on choreographing and singing the songs. That sounds like so much fun to me. I love working on musicals! When I was at View Park Prep, I worked on Dreamgirls and Lion King and that was such a great experience. I also had the opportunity to help one of my good friends at Washington Preparatory HS when he was working on Guys and Dolls. There is just nothing like helping a child to reach beyond what they imagined they could do. And watching them shine on stage is one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever experienced. So, I’m really looking forward to this time around.
In the evening I went to a very motivating meeting for the nutrition business I am building. My roommate invited one of our neighbors to come and hear about the business and we all had a great time in the car on the way to the meeting. We discovered that she is a singer as well and that she used to be in the choir of my good friend at Washington Prep that I mentioned earlier. She was excited to be able to be around singers because she said that hadn’t really happened in a while. We sang in the car the whole way there! It was a blast. At the meeting, I got a chance to meet the Life Coach that I spoke to about mentoring me. She is quite a woman. I am really looking forward to our one-on-one session tomorrow.
After the meeting, we all went to my father’s house and had a great visit. We talked about almost every subject under the sun. Anyone who knows my father can testify to the wealth of knowledge that he has. It is always an inspiring and educational experience talking with him. He also gave me some Kangen water, which I am extremely excited about. If you don’t know what Kangen water is, I highly recommend that you look it up online. You can find all kinds of information just by putting the word Kangen in a search engine or by going to youtube. This water is a great healing tool! When I combine the power of that water with the amazing nutritional products that I have been taking, I know that my body will experience powerful healing.
Yesterday, I posted a list of ways that you can help me. I am thankful for those who are looking for ways to support me. You are truly a blessing. When I posted the list, I forgot to mention how you can contact me if you have any information that you don’t want to post publicly on the blog. The best way to contact me is by sending an e-mail to:
Thank you all once again for being a part of the journey.
Gratitude: Today I am grateful for music. There is nothing like the power of music to heal, inspire and uplift. I feel blessed that I have been surrounded by music and musicians for my entire life and that my parents exposed me to the true purpose of music.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Boom Time Day 15 (2/23/10)
Today was an amazing day! Even though I spent most of the day teaching at Full-Circle Learning, I got a lot accomplished. In the morning spoke with Doctah B to confirm the vocal workshop that I had scheduled for March 14th. He realized that there was a conflict because he will be doing a radio show on KJLH that weekend and he had 2 lectures scheduled for the weekend. So, we moved my workshop to March 21st. He said that he would be willing to let me announce my workshop to the guests at his lectures on weekend of the 14th, so I can get more guests there. Also, I mentioned that I wanted to expand the workshop beyond a one-day, four hour experience. We decided that the best way to handle it would be to turn it into a 2-day workshop. So, now it will be held on 2 consecutive Sundays (March 21st and March 28th) from 2-6 pm. The 21st will be a busy day because I will be singing at Agape that morning and then heading over to Elevation to do the workshop. It's definitely going to be an exciting weekend.
After I spoke with Doctah B, I called Dennis about the marketing and planning work he wanted to help me with. He was ready to meet up and we scheduled a meeting for today at 7pm! I was so happy that he was putting me on his priority list. When we met up, he gave me some great tools to work with and a lot of food for thought. I was so amped after meeting with him that I ended up staying up until after midnight, which I haven't been doing recently. He gave me advise on connecting with radio shows that are in alignment with the workshops to see about having an interview or announcement on those programs. He gave me clear, step-by-step instructions which I really needed because I have never done anything like that. I was happy to note that the idea of calling radio shows to get an interview didn't overwhelm me. I don't know that I would have felt as comfortable doing that before I began taking myself on so seriously. He also made a commitment to do a e-flyer for the workshops, which will be a huge help. I feel so blessed and supported. Everyone around me is so wonderful.
So, here's the deal, my friends. Everything is building and several people have asked me what they can do to support me in this process. I am so grateful that my friends are willing to be there for me in tangible ways. So, here are some things that you can do.
1. Post comments on the blog: tell me your story, write about things that inspire you on the blog, offer tools that have been useful to you
2. Send me your e-mail address so that I can get the e-flyer to you for the workshops and keep you posted about other events I am participating in.
3. Share this blog, the workshops, and other events that I am participating in with your friends. An e-mail blast to all of your contacts would be amazing!
4. Let me know if you know any spiritual groups, churches, new thought groups or other places that may want me to perform there or do a workshop.
5. Offer suggestions of people to contact for mentorship.
Any of the above items that you can do would be immensely helpful. I am building a community and I definitely want you to be a part of it.
Gratitude: Today, I am grateful for you - my reader, my supporter, my friend. Your words of encouragement and support help keep me on the path. You are a blessing in my life and I thank you for contributing your unique gifts to me. Love to you! Blessings to you!
Make it a great day!
After I spoke with Doctah B, I called Dennis about the marketing and planning work he wanted to help me with. He was ready to meet up and we scheduled a meeting for today at 7pm! I was so happy that he was putting me on his priority list. When we met up, he gave me some great tools to work with and a lot of food for thought. I was so amped after meeting with him that I ended up staying up until after midnight, which I haven't been doing recently. He gave me advise on connecting with radio shows that are in alignment with the workshops to see about having an interview or announcement on those programs. He gave me clear, step-by-step instructions which I really needed because I have never done anything like that. I was happy to note that the idea of calling radio shows to get an interview didn't overwhelm me. I don't know that I would have felt as comfortable doing that before I began taking myself on so seriously. He also made a commitment to do a e-flyer for the workshops, which will be a huge help. I feel so blessed and supported. Everyone around me is so wonderful.
So, here's the deal, my friends. Everything is building and several people have asked me what they can do to support me in this process. I am so grateful that my friends are willing to be there for me in tangible ways. So, here are some things that you can do.
1. Post comments on the blog: tell me your story, write about things that inspire you on the blog, offer tools that have been useful to you
2. Send me your e-mail address so that I can get the e-flyer to you for the workshops and keep you posted about other events I am participating in.
3. Share this blog, the workshops, and other events that I am participating in with your friends. An e-mail blast to all of your contacts would be amazing!
4. Let me know if you know any spiritual groups, churches, new thought groups or other places that may want me to perform there or do a workshop.
5. Offer suggestions of people to contact for mentorship.
Any of the above items that you can do would be immensely helpful. I am building a community and I definitely want you to be a part of it.
Gratitude: Today, I am grateful for you - my reader, my supporter, my friend. Your words of encouragement and support help keep me on the path. You are a blessing in my life and I thank you for contributing your unique gifts to me. Love to you! Blessings to you!
Make it a great day!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Boom Time Day 14 (2/22/10)
This was an interesting day of both progress and tests. It started with a great morning routine. I added some of the Yoga that Arlyn showed me last night. It made a great addition to my morning and I definitely will be continuing to do that. I felt invigorated and refreshed after doing the poses. I did the sun salutation series and was very thankful that my shoulder wasn't causing me any discomfort. The ujaii breathing that Arlyn showed me was very powerful. I can see why Yoga is such a great spiritual tool.
I did my weight-in and discovered that I hadn't lost any weight. I hadn't gained any either. I was a little disappointed, but I knew that I hadn't done as much work on this goal this week due to the problems with my shoulder. I will be patient with myself and give it more of an effort in the coming week.
After I got Ana to school, I came home to handle business and get the day going. I checked my account balance to see if my tax refund had been deposited. It had been, but it was over $1200 less than I had anticipated. At first I was confused, irritated and stressed. I did a bit of investigation and discovered that the money had been used to cover a loan that I hadn't repaid. This added to my irritation because the loan had been taken out years ago without my knowledge and I have felt for years that this was a very unjust situation. Now, money that I had been planning to use to further the goals I am working so hard for had been taken to pay off this loan that I didn't even ask for. I was highly upset for a short while. Then, I caught myself and remembered that this energy and feeling of victimization would do nothing but damage. So, I collected myself, did a bit of prayer and meditation and then came to a conclusion. I decided that everything that I had planned to use the money for still had to happen. I made a committment to myself and I intend to keep it. So, instead of letting the circumstance hold me back, I used it to give me extra fire and determination to achieve my goals. The "how" is not for me to be concerned with. I just know that it's done.
Some other exciting things happened today. I spoke with my friend Sean who does business development, business plans, strategic planning and fundraising work. He is willing to help me with my business plan. This is a huge contribution to me and I am so thankful for his help. We spoke for about 45 minutes and got on the same page. Then, we scheduled an appointment for this Friday evening to get to work. I am very excited about this. I've been wanting to get this organized for a long time and now it is manifesting! Yay!
I also had a great conversation with a life coach today. She is involved in the nutrition business that I have recently gotten involved with. I told her that I was looking for 3 mentors and, since she is doing what I am working on for myself, I would love to have her be one of them. She was totally willing! We are doing a traning for the nutrition business on Saturday morning and, since she is in town for only a brief while, we decided to set a meeting for this Thursday to have a one-on-one. I am so excited to have the opportunity to learn from her. She is a great person and I really enjoyed speaking with her.
Later, I got a phone call from Jillana, who is the woman that is setting up a healing ranch, which is one of the mid-range goals that I am working on - meaning it's probably 2 - 3 years out. For those of you who are setting goals for yourself, I recommend starting 10 years out. What do you see your life looking like in 10 years. Then, work backward to determine what needs to happen in 5 years, then 3 years, then 1 year. I did this excercise last summer and it was very helpful. I noticed that it was very easy for me to write out the goals for 10 years and 1 year. The years in the middle was where I had the most difficulty. I did a lot of back and forth and editing before I finally settled on all of the goals. So, if you do this exercise, give yourself at least 30 minutes to an hour to work on it. If you aren't already very clear about where you want to be in 10 years, then you will need even more time. You can work on it over several days if necessary.
Anyway, back to Jillana. When we spoke last, we said that we would reconnect either Monday or Tuesday. So, I put a call to her on my schedule for Tuesday. Yet, all day today, I kept feeling like I should give her a call. Then, around 8:30 pm, she called me. She said that she saw a missed call from me earlier, which is interesting because I hadn't called her. She said that she had originally planned to call me Tuesday as well, but had gotten a clear direction during her morning "download" - as she called it - to call me today. Clearly we need to meet. So, we decided to schedule a meeting for Friday morning at 9am to connect. It is exciting to see such clear evidence of divine assistance!
What an interesting day!
Gratitude: I am grateful for resiliency and clear intention. This could have been a very difficult day and yet, it turned out to be a very inspiring one. I am more motivated and enthusiastic about my goals and my life. What a great gift!
Blessings!
I did my weight-in and discovered that I hadn't lost any weight. I hadn't gained any either. I was a little disappointed, but I knew that I hadn't done as much work on this goal this week due to the problems with my shoulder. I will be patient with myself and give it more of an effort in the coming week.
After I got Ana to school, I came home to handle business and get the day going. I checked my account balance to see if my tax refund had been deposited. It had been, but it was over $1200 less than I had anticipated. At first I was confused, irritated and stressed. I did a bit of investigation and discovered that the money had been used to cover a loan that I hadn't repaid. This added to my irritation because the loan had been taken out years ago without my knowledge and I have felt for years that this was a very unjust situation. Now, money that I had been planning to use to further the goals I am working so hard for had been taken to pay off this loan that I didn't even ask for. I was highly upset for a short while. Then, I caught myself and remembered that this energy and feeling of victimization would do nothing but damage. So, I collected myself, did a bit of prayer and meditation and then came to a conclusion. I decided that everything that I had planned to use the money for still had to happen. I made a committment to myself and I intend to keep it. So, instead of letting the circumstance hold me back, I used it to give me extra fire and determination to achieve my goals. The "how" is not for me to be concerned with. I just know that it's done.
Some other exciting things happened today. I spoke with my friend Sean who does business development, business plans, strategic planning and fundraising work. He is willing to help me with my business plan. This is a huge contribution to me and I am so thankful for his help. We spoke for about 45 minutes and got on the same page. Then, we scheduled an appointment for this Friday evening to get to work. I am very excited about this. I've been wanting to get this organized for a long time and now it is manifesting! Yay!
I also had a great conversation with a life coach today. She is involved in the nutrition business that I have recently gotten involved with. I told her that I was looking for 3 mentors and, since she is doing what I am working on for myself, I would love to have her be one of them. She was totally willing! We are doing a traning for the nutrition business on Saturday morning and, since she is in town for only a brief while, we decided to set a meeting for this Thursday to have a one-on-one. I am so excited to have the opportunity to learn from her. She is a great person and I really enjoyed speaking with her.
Later, I got a phone call from Jillana, who is the woman that is setting up a healing ranch, which is one of the mid-range goals that I am working on - meaning it's probably 2 - 3 years out. For those of you who are setting goals for yourself, I recommend starting 10 years out. What do you see your life looking like in 10 years. Then, work backward to determine what needs to happen in 5 years, then 3 years, then 1 year. I did this excercise last summer and it was very helpful. I noticed that it was very easy for me to write out the goals for 10 years and 1 year. The years in the middle was where I had the most difficulty. I did a lot of back and forth and editing before I finally settled on all of the goals. So, if you do this exercise, give yourself at least 30 minutes to an hour to work on it. If you aren't already very clear about where you want to be in 10 years, then you will need even more time. You can work on it over several days if necessary.
Anyway, back to Jillana. When we spoke last, we said that we would reconnect either Monday or Tuesday. So, I put a call to her on my schedule for Tuesday. Yet, all day today, I kept feeling like I should give her a call. Then, around 8:30 pm, she called me. She said that she saw a missed call from me earlier, which is interesting because I hadn't called her. She said that she had originally planned to call me Tuesday as well, but had gotten a clear direction during her morning "download" - as she called it - to call me today. Clearly we need to meet. So, we decided to schedule a meeting for Friday morning at 9am to connect. It is exciting to see such clear evidence of divine assistance!
What an interesting day!
Gratitude: I am grateful for resiliency and clear intention. This could have been a very difficult day and yet, it turned out to be a very inspiring one. I am more motivated and enthusiastic about my goals and my life. What a great gift!
Blessings!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Boom Time Day 13
I spent most of the day handling errands and phone calls today. It was a quiet, but productive day. I started by going to a health food store and restaurant called Simply Wholesome to pick up some Apricot juice. For those who don't know, apricot juice is great for reducing mucus in the body. I always use it when I feel like my body is under attack. You have to get the apricot nectar though. Don't get the concentrate or "juice" that has added sugar and stuff.
After I finished my errands, I went home and prepared for a client to come by. I met a lady one day when I was doing the yard sale in front of my house and she loved my locks. She asked me if I knew how to start them and I told her I did. So, a couple of weeks ago, she came over and I got hers started. Today, she came back for a touch up. We had a couple of hours of great conversation about life and spirituality. That was a nice part of my day.
In the afternoon, I went with my daughter to the library so that she could work on her science fair project that is due tomorrow. While we were there, I handled all of my internet business and ordered the products that I will be taking for the next month for my health. Yay! I am so excited to be able to keep up with my health. I see what a difference it makes when I make myself a priority, so I am definitely committed to keeping it that way. I found lots of resources online about the products and the company that makes them, so I spent some good time reviewing the materials. That was very helpful.
After the library, I went to the store to get a few items that I needed and then went home to make my soup. Since I am still in the process of healing, I decided to make a medicinal soup for dinner. I put lots of garlic, ginger, lemon and peppers in with the vegetables and chicken. (Eventually I'll get myself off of meat because I know that feels the best for my body). The soup was spicy and quite good I might add. It definitely helped me to feel a bit better.
In the later evening, I had a great time learning some Yoga poses from my girl Arlyn who has been hooked on Yoga for a while. Her tips were really helpful and I am excited because now I can add some Yoga to my morning routine. One of the poses looks like it would be very helpful for the problems I've been having with my shoulder and neck. I am looking forward to seeing how including Yoga helps me in my process.
Tomorrow is weigh-in day and I'm a bit nervous because I know that I did not do as much exercise as I had originally planned. At first, I let my neck and shoulder pain get in the way and then I realized that there are plenty of exercises that don't involve either my neck or shoulder having to strain. So, today, I decided to put some focus on those until I can get to a chiropractor and resolve the problem. It would have been nice to get to that realization earlier in the week, but at least I did get to it. Hopefully my weight has continued to go down.
Looking forward to another beautiful and productive day tomorrow.
Gratitude: I am grateful today for being happy with who I am. It took a long time for me to let go of the massive amount of self-judgement I was subjecting myself to. It feels so freeing to honestly love myself for exactly who I am right now.
Blessings!
In the later evening, I had a great time learning some Yoga poses from my girl Arlyn who has been hooked on Yoga for a while. Her tips were really helpful and I am excited because now I can add some Yoga to my morning routine. One of the poses looks like it would be very helpful for the problems I've been having with my shoulder and neck. I am looking forward to seeing how including Yoga helps me in my process.
Tomorrow is weigh-in day and I'm a bit nervous because I know that I did not do as much exercise as I had originally planned. At first, I let my neck and shoulder pain get in the way and then I realized that there are plenty of exercises that don't involve either my neck or shoulder having to strain. So, today, I decided to put some focus on those until I can get to a chiropractor and resolve the problem. It would have been nice to get to that realization earlier in the week, but at least I did get to it. Hopefully my weight has continued to go down.
Looking forward to another beautiful and productive day tomorrow.
Gratitude: I am grateful today for being happy with who I am. It took a long time for me to let go of the massive amount of self-judgement I was subjecting myself to. It feels so freeing to honestly love myself for exactly who I am right now.
Blessings!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Boom Time Day 12 (2/20/10)
I spent the day doing research for one of the businesses I am developing and manning a yard sale at my house. It was nice to be at home and not have a lot of running around to do. I was feeling much better today, but my body was still in need of rest, so it was good that I could give it that time. My daughter was gone for a while doing a fashion day with two of my amazing friends. It is so nice to have great people around who serve as big sisters, aunties and/or role models. She had a lot of fun and came home with the cutest outfits! Since she was gone I had a good amount of time for myself today. I chatted with my girl Arlyn for a while and then got on the phone to handle some of my tasks for the day.
Later, I went to my father’s studio to pick up my computer. The hard drive blew at least 4 months ago and I have been without my own computer ever since. I am so glad that is over! When I got to the studio and saw it, I picked it up and started dancing with it. I never want to go that long without my own computer again. Last year, so many things went wrong with computers and computer accessories in my house. It was crazy. My daughter, my roommate My-Key and I all had problems with our computers. My external hard drive blew a couple of months before my computer. So far, my information has not been able to be retrieved from my old hard drive from the computer, but they are still working on it. I am hoping that something can be done because there was a lot of information that isn’t easily replaceable especially since the external hard drive hasn’t been fixed. Anyway, all of that is to explain just how happy I am to get my computer back.
While I was online, one of my friends hit me up to tell me how much my blog has been inspiring her. I didn’t even know she was reading it. It was nice to know that people are getting something out of it. I hope that more of you readers will comment on the blogs so that this will become more of an interactive community. We can learn so much from each other. It would be a shame to miss out on the wisdom and experience of the many incredible people that are reading this blog.
I also got a chance to connect with my older brother, John the third. He happened to be online on gmail at the same time, so I hit him up on the chat feature. I told him about the blog and some of the things that have happened since I had the “aha!” moment. He said he would read the blog and let me know what he thinks. My brother is an extremely talented musician, singer and songwriter. Maybe he’ll let me share some of his music on the blog. I am praying that he will get his music together and put out a CD because he has so many great songs! He sent me yet another incredible one tonight. It would really be great to do a project with him one of these days.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention one of the coolest things that has happened so far!!! When I sang at Agape on Feb 3rd, a lady came up to me and said that she would like to have me participate in some events that she had coming up. I wasn’t sure what I had done with her information, so I set an intention to find the number today. I did find it and when I called her, we realized how much our paths were intersecting. She is in progress of building almost the exact same thing I am working toward. We both want to have a healing ranch where people can visit a week at a time and experience various forms of healing that affect body, mind and spirit. We were both excited and, unsurprised, to realize how much we had in common. She and I both also use EFT (Emotional Freedom Tapping) as a healing technique. We decided to talk again on Monday or Tuesday to set up a time to meet up later in the week and share EFT tips and other information. Connecting with someone like her will be of great help to me because by the time I am ready to get my ranch together, she will have already done hers and her experience will be a valuable resource. What a gift!
Well, I am beginning to fall asleep as I am typing this, so I’m gonna sign off for the day. I’m sure there will be much more to report tomorrow.
Gratitude: Today I am grateful for the large number of like-minded people I have surrounded myself with. I am also thankful for the fact that the number continues to grow and become more dynamic. I am sure that out of these people will come some great candidates for mentors.
Blessings!
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