"Spring won't let me stay in this house any longer!
I must get out and breathe the air deeply again."
- Gustav Mahler
Here we are again! I am staying focused. I am methodically getting through paperwork. Soon, I will be released into the freshness of new ideas and creations. #KeepGoing! I am almost there. :)
"Earth teach me to forget myself as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me resignation as the leaves which die in the fall.
Earth teach me courage as the tree which stands all alone.
Earth teach me regeneration as the seed which rises in the spring."
- William Alexander
I worked outside today - clearing out old leaves, brush and overgrown pricker bushes. I won't think of those old thorny things of the past. I'll focus on the new adventure that tomorrow promises - and I will smile.
Maybe this is a good time of year for taxes to be due. I feel like one of those new plants just coming up. I have to fight my way through the dirt before I can bloom. It's just like all this tax preparation. I have to relive the past year of life through old receipts and get through it all before I can truly embrace spring and sunshine and new ideas.
Sometimes, what I am thinking is perfectly reflected in my Louise Hay calendar...
Once I get through this, I know there is a new open road ahead! The book I've been reading talks about letting go of old ideas. (Simple, but not easy.) In The Game of Life, Florence Scovel Shinn writes about the idea of "Divine Design." It might not be the idea YOU have of how things should be going in your life, but instead the "Divine Idea." What is waiting for us in life may in fact be infinitely better than what we are imagining for ourselves, therefore we might want to let go of our own limited mindset and be free to allow the "Divine Idea" to manifest.
"Many a man is building for himself in imagination
a bungalow when he should be building a palace."
- Florence Scovel Shinn
This week, I'll keep getting through the old projects at hand. I'll invite the Divine Idea (whatever it might be) to enter my life and look forward to the Perfect New Adventure ahead! :)
Where did the week go? There were a lot of workouts, an awesome We Are Family Foundation event in the city, Russell's birthday, a lost dog, tax receipts, and a coloring book (to help me keep my sanity).
It was a great time at The Bitter End (NYC) last Tuesday!
His name is Mickey and after calling the number on his tag, his owners came by almost immediately to take him home. (Try to stay out of trouble Mickey!)
I decided that I will use the next month to get back in shape, continue serious work on the next video (which demands much physical discipline), and do taxes. I worked out for seven consecutive days last week and for the record - THAT IS TOO MUCH!
I was dancing around the kitchen singing this...
"So sexy it hurts" and I WAS HURTING!!! LOL
This week I will maintain a more sensible fitness schedule with days of rest in between intense workouts. I am also pacing myself with regard to taxes and endless piles of receipts (that's where the coloring book comes in). Am I nuts? I don't think so...
:) Seriously, did anyone else get one of these "Inspirational Coloring Books" for Christmas? It's coming in handy! This is my plan to get through tax season this year. I'm using it to detox and maintain a sense of creativity in my office. After I get through a segment of tax chores (i.e. reconciling an account or getting through one pile of receipts), I take a break to color.
So far it seems to be helping, except I am getting a cramp in my hand. I am considering a trip to the art store to get a wider variety of colored pencils.
Whew! Sorry for the delay in catching up... I finally unpacked my suitcases from the last month, paid my bills, ate a home cooked meal (thanks Russ), and took a nap! :)
Singing background vocals behind Lady Gaga at The Grammys for the David Bowie tribute was so amazing. I wondered what experience could ever come close to that level of awesome. Then came another opportunity to sing behind her at The Oscars...
Outside the Dolby Theater
It was announced that Vice President Joe Biden would introduce Lady Gaga's performance of "Til It Happens to You" (nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song). The song was featured in the documentary "The Hunting Ground," a film about sexual assault on college campuses. Her performance proved to be a very powerful and moving statement about standing up against sexual assault.
I am still at a loss for words about how incredible it was for me to be a part of that performance. In case you missed it...
(And now here I sit staring at the blog page, the same way I did when I first posted from the airport... I don't know what to say next. It seems entirely inappropriate to post happy pictures and tell about the amazing experience of being backstage at the Oscars... Isn't it something how this performance and the story it tells, makes the experience of singing live on The Oscars seem utterly insignificant?)
The fact is - it is beyond what words can describe to be a part of something so much bigger than yourself. "Amazing" and "incredible" hardly capture the sense of fulfillment and purpose that comes from working collectively toward understanding and love. To be able to do that - in front of an audience of millions - is extraordinarily precious.
I'm so grateful to have had some outstanding and remarkable moments in my professional musical life, with audiences large and small alike. I began this journey in a reggae group called "Positive Force." That is precisely what this Oscars performance felt like, a positive force. Something truly magical happens when we stand together with our brothers and sisters in unity for positive change. What is REALLY amazing is the power we have when we unite.
Endless thanks to Lady Gaga and to all those creative souls who unite us through music and art. It was such an honor to be a part of that night's family of musicians...
BGVs, Musicians, and Conductor/Orchestrator
BGVs
BGVs
With Instrument Techs Mark and Raegan
As the big lights dim and I return to the quiet of my own thoughts, I'm reminded of the incredible power that can ignite when human spirits join together. We can do amazing things in the world, and connecting with one other soul can be just as meaningful as connecting with many. We often forget our own strength.
