Monday, June 30, 2014

Go Get 'em

Did I ever tell you about how much fun we have while we're in the studio?


LOL...

What can I say?  You get a little punchy when you're in there working your butt off for days.  :)


Joey and Russ - my view from the vocal booth

Had to stop in to see all my favorite hair people...


There was that, and then there was the boxing class...

I found this cool gym...


First, they wrapped my hands...

Then I got gloves...

I LOVED IT!!!!!!  What a perfect way to stay in shape and feel empowered all together!

Then they put me to work!

For real!

They didn't forget abs...

Whew!

This is gonna be a "go get 'em" kinda week!


Namaste!
xoxo

Monday, June 23, 2014

A Hard Day's Night

Whew!  Did another week go by already???

There was travel...


and rehearsal...

Joe Gray, Joey, Jim

Me and Frank



more travel...


then three days of studio recording until I was falling asleep on my feet...




then more travel...



and the gig...

Photo by Joseph Gray

Photo by Joseph Gray

It was a very busy week and a lot of work.  THANK GOD that I love what I do and that the people I work with are all wonderful!  That makes it all worthwhile, and makes the whole world make sense.  It seems like the best sleep is that which follows "a hard day's night."

Here's wishing you all a fulfilling week's worth of hard day's nights...

Namaste!

T




Monday, June 16, 2014

Keep the Change

"A little bit of this, a little bit of that," describes last week pretty well.  There was travel, a friend's one-man show, the booking of gigs, writing, reading, picture-taking, beach-going, more writing, a LOT of Photoshopping, and visiting.



As I reflect back, there was one recurring theme though.  Change.

I kept finding quotes, pictures, postings, readings and such having to do with change, and it kept cropping up in conversation.

I found this on Facebook more than once:

"When the winds of change blow, 
some people build walls and others build windmills."
- Chinese Proverb

Is change coming?  Alright.  What change?

When I figure it out, I'll let you know.  Until then, I am a windmill...


:)

Here's bidding you a week's worth of personal power generation...

Namaste!

T

Monday, June 9, 2014

Eight Tries...

Last week was filled with the practical tasks of learning Photoshop, studio recording, song writing, packing, traveling, scheduling and booking.  All the while, the haunts of last week’s “Fear Factor” blog lingered.  I realized (as if I didn’t already know) how fear can permeate every aspect of life, and TRUST becomes a critical aspect of moving forward.

Just as I had to jump out of a tree last week and trust that a cable would catch me, this week I had to trust that things would fall into place, that I would manage to get everything done, that my ideas would be good enough for the second verse of the new song, that my advice would be useful to a friend, that I would make it driving through that torrential downpour that lasted four and a half hours last night, that Russ would get to and back from Paris safely, that I would finally figure out how to get the text right in Photoshop if I tried just one more time, and countless other instances. 

To be without trust is to be without confidence.  To live without trust is to live with worry and fear, and THAT can be paralyzing.  

In relationships, lack of trust can be devastating - and what about trusting your instinct or your ability to make it on your own, if you know the relationship isn't right?



This week I say, “Go for it!”  Jump out of the tree, try something new, take that chance.  What’s the worst that can happen?  We fall?  We fail?  So what? 

“Fall seven times, stand up eight” – Japanese proverb


“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” 
– Bill Cosby


WE CAN DO THIS!  LET’S GO!  JUST GO!  (This will be my mantra this week.)


“I ask myself: are defeats necessary?   
Well, necessary or not, they happen.  When we first begin fighting for our dream, we have no experience and make many mistakes.  The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.   
So, why is it so important to live our personal calling if we are only going to suffer more than other people?   
Because, once we have overcome the defeats – and we always do – we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence.  In the silence of our hearts, we know that we are proving ourselves worthy of the miracle of life.  Each day, each hour, is part of the good fight.  We start to live with enthusiasm and pleasure.  Intense, unexpected suffering passes more quickly than suffering that is apparently bearable; the latter goes on for years and, without our noticing, eats away at our soul, until, one day, we are no longer able to free ourselves from the bitterness and it stays with us for the rest of our lives.” - Paulo Coelho, “The Alchemist”

Here’s bidding you all a week of eight tries, and the joy of eventual triumph...

Namaste!

T





Monday, June 2, 2014

Fear Factor

OK, so it all started when I saw a post from the Chautauqua County Visitor's Bureau about Peek'n Peak's new "Mountain Adventure" and the "Aerial Adventure Course."  I shared the post, said that it looked fun and asked, "Who wants to go?"


It wasn't long before I found out that my cousin DID want to go, while my mother-in-law clearly did NOT.  :)  I quickly remembered that pesky little "fear of heights" thing I have, but still thought it looked fun.  I decided that going and doing the course would be a good exercise in facing my fears.  As it turned out, my cousin and I were both available to go on Sunday.

I remembered something that I heard a friend of mine once say that we repeat often in our house:

"Are you scared?  Do you feel nervous?  Are you short of breath?  Is your heart pounding?  Then congratulations my friend!  You are really living!"  

I thought, "Ok then, let's do it!!!"



Then I said, "WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!???"



Then the course got harder…


And higher…


And faster…



Did I mention scarier?




But I think I got better, stronger and more confident as I went...


Isn't this how life goes?

Thank you to all who encourage us to get "off the ground."

Me and my cousin Karen (the voice of encouragement) 


All in all, it was AMAZING!!!  What a cool thing to do at a ski resort during the summer!


Here's wishing you all a fabulous adventure this week…

Namaste!

T


P.S.
A tremendous thank you to my cousin Karen and our friend Frank - for their stellar support, encouragement, photography/video taking skills, humor and excellent company! Love you guys!