Follow the Signs

Last week looked like it was going to include a LOT of drive time. The plan was to drive from Western New York to NYC and back. Thankfully, the plan changed and I was afforded the luxury of some much appreciated relax time.

Sometimes you just have to follow the signs...

Sometimes the slower way is better.

Amish horse and cart

This sign from a yard sale reminded me that the best things in life are free...

#BestYardSaleEver

Then, there were THESE signs...

These reminders that we don't often fit one simple label made me smile...

So as the new week begins, I'll take in all that I see and remember that...

Namaste! xoxo

T

Serenity 101

After the crazy hectic video release week, and a drive from Buffalo to Brooklyn and back, it was time to settle down and relax. I headed for the hills...

A trip to the Amish countryside always calms my spirit.

Then there were family visits, nature's beauty and the lake...

"Every breath we take, every step we make, 

can be filled with peace, joy and serenity."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Then I discovered Dr. Wayne W. Dyer and Kristina Tracy's children's book, "Unstoppable Me."

"Just try to remember,

when stressful thoughts attack,

that positive actions on your part

are the best way to fight back."

- Dr. Wayne W. Dyer and Kristina Tracy

This week, as I strive to balance work and play, I will take moments and breathe in serenity. I will be at peace.

Namaste,

T

Keep Going Angel Face

Happy Monday everybody!

I started off last week in the studio in Buffalo.  It's always such a joy to work on new music with my dream team!

with Joey and Russ

Tuesday, I saw an Angel in the sky.  :)  There were guys working on the house when a friend texted to ask how I was doing.  I took this picture of the ladder and responded that I was "Movin' on up."  Do you see the Angel face in the clouds - just to the left of the ladder?

raw photo - no retouches

When Russ left for Milan, I thought I might have a minute to relax, but no.  I received a confirmation for a pending Saturday show and the rush was on to get hair done, update website, learn songs and get back to the NYC area.

At the gig in the Hamptons, I was pleasantly surprised to see old friends!

with Wes (drums)

And I always love working with this amazing group of singers!  :)

with John, Chevonne, Brian

By the time I got home, I was too tired to get out of the car.  (Hey singers - does this happen to any of you too?)

So on Sunday, I didn't want to do ANYTHING.  A day of rest... Aaahh... (If only this were one of the commandments or something.)  ;)  

Seriously though, it is SOOOOOO good for us to just sit and breathe.  We all really need to do this more often.  I had the Blessed opportunity to rest and reflect and let the thoughts flow freely on Sunday.

As I thought about what I might write here today and looked for a common thread that ran throughout the week, I recalled many conversations, comments and Facebook posts about love, relationships, personal boundaries and standing up for one's self.  All week long these topics kept coming up.  They were in the love song we worked on in the beginning of the week, in the songs I learned for the gig, in the casual conversations, in the funny stories I heard from friends and in the serious stories on the news.  

I remembered someone's story about how a friend of theirs had been afraid to stand up for themselves in a work situation, and someone else's story about how they HAD spoken up for themselves and how things had changed for the better after that.  I recalled a time when I had spoken up for myself.  I recalled a time that I didn't, but wished I had.  I remembered that oftentimes it seems easiest to ignore an issue and pretend that it's not that bad or offensive.  Sometimes it's hard to face the possibility of letting go and easier to let wishful thinking blind us to the truth.  I thought of someone last week who said, "It is what it ain't!" - rather than "It is what it is."

I saw these posts on Facebook:

"Sometimes on your way up

you have to stop and

let some people off"

- from Enchanted Minds

"You will never get what you truly deserve

if you remain attached

to what you're supposed to let go of"

- from Enchanted Minds

Then I saw this post:

click here for: "The Difference Between Healthy Love & Unhealthy Love" - by Joe Martino

I thought of all the positive affirmations and quotes that I see so often on social media.  While we are encouraged to be positive and love each other, sometimes we forget to love ourselves first.  Setting boundaries doesn't have to mean conflict.  We don't need to get someone else to act in any particular way - but we DO need to be honest with ourselves about the decisions WE make about how we will or will not allow ourselves to be treated, or who we choose to be around.  Loving someone does not mean allowing ourselves to compromise what we believe is right for ourselves.  We can set our own limits and respect the choices of others while we take responsibility for our own.  

Then Steve Harvey came on TV with Oprah, giving advice and talking about his book "Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success."  (I bought it as an eBook.)  He talked about how he doesn't have time for people's negativity and how "You cannot pull everyone along in your wagon of success.  You have to know when it's time to cut certain people loose."

click here for: Steve Harvey on "Oprah's Lifeclass"

I remembered the Angel's face in the clouds and thought of "movin' on up" and wrote these words:

"I take responsibility for presenting myself to you 

as someone you could take advantage of...  

That's all over with now.

- My Higher Self"

In case you didn't see the Angel before...

So here's what I got for this week (to remind myself):

1)  Take the time to rest and breathe and let your innermost thoughts and revelations bubble up to the surface.  Don't get too busy for yourself.  Don't drown yourself out with busywork.

2)  Keep climbing.  Keep making everything better.  Keep raising your own bar.  Blessings await.  Don't be afraid to let go of the old.  Trust that the new Blessings will come.  Keep going!

3)  Hey!  I should write a song about this stuff!  ;)

click here for: Tanya Diona's song "Stand"

Namaste,

T

When in Doubt... Go Up

Did you ever get a song stuck in your head and wonder why?  Maybe it’s just one of those darn catchy ones that you hear over and over like a commercial and can't shake.  Maybe there’s another reason…

It’s been a hectic week filled with upheaval and uncertainty.  As we were on a long drive home, Russ played a song I thought might be uplifting, but turned out instead to be rather sad.  I immediately asked him to play another song that I thought might have more of an inspiring effect.  It did – and then I couldn’t stop singing it for two days:

You fill up my senses

Like a night in the forest

Like the mountains in springtime

Like a walk in the rain

Like a storm in the desert

Like a sleepy blue ocean

You fill up my senses – Come fill me again

Come let me love you

Let me give my life to you

Let me drown in your laughter

Let me die in your arms

Let me lay down beside you

Let me always be with you

Come let me love you – Come love me again

(Annie's Song, John Denver)

John Denver's "Annie's Song" on YouTube - click here

As I searched for a blog idea, I was hoping to find inspiration in services at church.  There, during the lecture, I was reminded that most often we can find the answers we seek in silence and in peace; and I was also reminded how oftentimes, we are too busy and loud to just sit and listen to our inner voice.  In times of turmoil, stress or change we might simply quiet ourselves, meditate, breathe and just be still.  That’s when the answers come.

Okay.  I can do that…

I joined the group meditation in the service.  I closed my eyes and felt only my breath.  They were playing a relaxing instrumental song with a flute in the background.  It was as if some distant flute player was calling me toward something – like some happy idea-thought was waiting for me just beyond a hill I had to first climb over.  As I relaxed into my breath, I felt like I was floating upward toward this happy idea-thought, being drawn to it like some kind of balloon.  (Hey! This might work!)

Then it occurred to me… I’ve already done this!  I had been singing a song I found beautiful and comforting.  I had been repeating it like a mantra.  I kept returning to the words that I found joyous and uplifting.  Without even realizing, I had been giving myself a message.  My inner voice had been singing to me.  :)

Many of us know that we want to move away from stress and toward happiness, but often we’re not sure HOW. 

How’s this?  Take a few moments of quiet and listen.  What are we already saying to ourselves?  In times of doubt and uncertainty, I am going to try and remember to continue moving toward the joy – to find some happy thought or feeling and cling to it consciously.  I’ll seek something uplifting.

When in doubt, I’ll go up.

Maybe I'll sing...