How do you get what you want?

Getting What You Want

We all have our desires. 

Whether it’s a more successful career, the ideal loving partner, or creating a lifestyle that affords more travel.

If you’re anything like me, you can spend a lot of time trying to figure out how you’re going to manifest those things. 

One of the lessons I received last week, as I was on my way to Mt. Shasta in Northern California, was to not worry about “The How”. 

It occurred to me that every time I ask the question, “Well, how would I do that?” I have to go into my mind to figure it out. 

Instead, stay in your heart. 

As my loving partner says, “Let the magic of the universe do the work for you.  They’ll dream a lot bigger than you ever will.” 

You may think you know the how.  So you can start operating from this mental place, trying to put things together and move things forward, and then maybe the universe gives it to you.  Now, the universe could have had something much more extraordinary in mind for you.  But you said, “I want this.” So instead, the universe gives you this.  All because you’re trying to manifest it mentally.  Instead, come from a heart place:  manifest it energetically. 

We’ve all heard clichés like “Let go, and let God.”  But “letting go of the how” is a huge one because most people just want the “3 simple steps”.   They’d rather have something that makes sense to their linear mind.  However, in case you haven’t noticed, the universe doesn’t usually work in a linear way.    

To manifest things energetically, we first have to realize that we are responsible for everything in our lives.  We have to get, on a larger level, that we completely created the circumstances of our lives. 

“The individual must have Free Will or he could not be a Creator”.  – Godfre Ray King

If you created where you are, then you can now create something else.  So what is it that you want? 

Can you see it?

Feel it?

Taste it? 

Your job is to then hold that vision.  Let the universe work out the details for you.

 *Now, this doesn’t mean you can go watch Scooby Doo for the rest of the day.  When you’re holding the vision, you may get inklings of things you need to do, places you should go, or people you should connect with.  So then take that action.  But let it be heart-connected action. 

Being both a spiritual coach and life coach, my work is about integrating both elements of the soul and also the practical application of the actions required to manifest your highest path. 

While I firmly believe that “The way to do is to be”, there are still actions that one must take in order to manifest the results that they’d like to produce.  The question then becomes, “Are you in the flow of your actions or are you experiencing resistance?” 

Now, the actions required to manifest your highest path are unique to you.  However, if you’re trying to force an outcome, then you’ll probably experience some kind of resistance.  Instead, silence the turbulence of your mind, drop down into your body, breathe into your belly, and experience oneness. 

“Be” first.  Then “do”.   

That’s the way to manifest what you desire.

Coming Out: I’m a Shaman

I’m a life coach, image consultant, and Shaman. 

As a Shamanic energy medicine practitioner, I help clear the energy of the past so that people are able to step fully and freely onto their highest path.  This is something that I’ve been studying and exploring on a daily basis for the last two years.  I’ve trained directly with Dr. Alberto Villoldo, author of 14 books and one of the foremost Shaman in the country, spending time with him personally in 2009 in the sacred valley of Peru and also this past year in the Amazon jungle.  I’ve also recently completed a year-long extensive Medicine Wheel training at The Four Winds Society.  It is an assimilation of knowledge from the indigenous medicine men and women from the high Andes of Peru, a lineage untouched by Western civilization.  I’ve been shifting from the level of the mind to the level of the heart by exploring these ways of the sacred and incorporating them into the work I’ve been doing with my clients.   

I don’t know why, but for some reason I felt like I had to hide this. I felt I couldn’t be fully open about the new energetic tools that I’ve acquired or about my experiences on this meaningful, heart-felt path. 

Well, I’m not hiding any longer.  (I’m coming out, baby!) 

The old way that I’ve defined The Rockstar in You is dying.  I’m cool with that.  It’s a natural process of evolution, just as we each do individually throughout our lives. This is not just about being mentally strong or making your strongest impression anymore.  Of course, my work still includes those elements, but in case you haven’t noticed it now includes a deeper component.  It’s no longer about just being a Rockstar, no matter what you’re up to.  It’s about being grounded on this Rock as your reach for the Stars.  It’s separating the Rock from the Star and exploring what’s in the middle – the Heart center. 

 

It is still about manifesting the desires of your heart.  But it’s not only that. I feel that if we only focus on achieving our desires we’ll miss the bigger point: Discovering the real reason why we’re each here.  Attempting to fulfill our desires can also be viewed as pursuing our life’s purpose.  But what about our soul’s purpose?  What’s the difference between these two?  And how can they be aligned so that we can truly be on our highest path? 

As a Shaman, I operate in the realm of the mythic.  It’s work that occurs at the deepest essence of who you are at your core. 

As a life coach, I operate at the level of the mind.  It’s work that involves the calculated steps of moving forward on a path. 

They each have their place.  

What my clients have been realizing is that working on these two realms blends together beautifully and creates deeper, more powerful shifts in their lives.  

Shamanic energy medicine is all about healing past wounds.  It’s a healing that occurs at the deepest level of your soul.  It’s about clearing past karma so that you’re able to step fully and freely onto your highest path in this lifetime. 

Then, as a life coach and image consultant, I help people to actually take those steps.  In my view, that’s how to truly manifest the life of your dreams.  Coaching is all about moving forward in your life and winning at what you’re up to. 

However, what I’ve realized as a life coach for the last 8 years is that unless the energy of your past is cleared, it’s very hard to manifest your desires.  Sometimes, no matter how strongly you desire to move forward in your life, if you haven’t dealt with those things that are keeping you stuck in your present circumstances, it’s very difficult to have real, positive change.  In spite of our best efforts, I feel that the things that hold us back often have nothing to do with the way that we think about them.  (Keep in mind that this is coming from a guy who’s been a believer in mental manifestation, like in “The Secret”, since he’s been 16 years old.) 

This was evident last week in a coaching session with a client.  We set up the session specifically to talk about creating a gameplan so that she could move forward in her music career.  But as she talked about the things she’d like to manifest, we kept going around in circles without being able to nail down a proper gameplan.  This was because she hadn’t yet cleared the energy of the previous couple of years that were filled with the disappointment of unmet expectations.  Until we cleared what was underneath and changed the way that she was holding her music endeavors, no amount of planning or forward action would make any real difference. 

She’s now able to manifest what she’d like and move forward powerfully in her life. 

What about you?

Yes, I still help music artists and entrepreneurs succeed.  I just have a newfound depth and more tools to work with.  I’m not relying solely on the professional training I’ve had as a life coach or my experience as Beyonce’s agent.

For me, embracing and declaring Who I Am in its fullest and most complete sense is an important step on my own path.

How can you embrace and declare Who You Are in the most honest way? 

How can you step fully and freely into your highest self and onto your highest path?

In invite you to declare who you are fully, freely, right now.  Speak out by leaving a comment proclaiming Who You Really Are and what you’re truly about!

Are you connected to the “Rock” part of your Star?

For years now I’ve been defining a Rockstar as someone who lives life at the top of their energies. It’s been about identifying those areas that make you shine at your core and have you express those in the brightest way possible.  That’s what a star does, right? It shines brightly. Whether that star is Helios or Beyoncé. It’s about ALLOWING your inherent qualities to permeate your being in such a way that it lights up others.

However, with all of the shamanic energy work that I’ve been exploring over the last couple of years, I’m now thinking of this term, rockstar, in a new way.

Maybe it’s about being more grounded on this rock as we reach for the stars.

How can we approach our lives in a more centered way as we attempt to manifest the life of our dreams?

How can we be more rooted to this earth, and naturally have more balance as we lift our heads, hearts, and hands in search of success, meaning, and fulfillment?

I’ve been spelling the word “rockstar” as one word for as long as I’ve had my company. Maybe it’s time to separate the rock from the star and look at what’s in the middle.

Rock is a solid foundation. It’s about going down. It’s being deeply anchored in the earth and connected to the core of our own unique essence.

Star is elevation. It’s going up. It’s about illumination and the raising up of consciousness. It’s reaching up into Who We Are Becoming.

If you think about what’s in between the rock and the star, it’s us.  And what’s in the middle of us?

Our heart center.

Maybe operating from the heart center is the way, as Theodore Roosevelt once said, to have your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground.

This honors both our earth connection and our star connection. It’s recognizing that our bodies are part of the earth, but our souls come from a higher realm.

This weekend I was in a beautiful remote valley in Mexico. I woke up early in the morning and found my way out to a field that overlooked the green rolling hills. I climbed on top of a giant boulder and sat down to meditate. I then heard “connect to the rock first”.

“Why?” I thought.

I realized that in my desire to raise my own consciousness, I first had to be deeply rooted into something solid. The most solid thing we have is the earth beneath our feet.

So how can YOU connect to the “rock” part of the rock star that you are? 

When you’re tired, overworked, or feeling drained, think of the things you do to nourish yourself and return to balance.  Is it sitting near the ocean?  Going for a walk in nature?  Being with friends who know you at your core?  Or are you more likely to lock yourself in your bedroom, hide under the covers, and wish for the world to go away?

It’s important that every week you do things to keep yourself grounded.  One simple exercise I do is to find a patch of grass, a big rock, a beach, or any piece of nature I can, and just sit (and believe me, this isn’t always easy in a place like New York City).  I do my breathwork and literally envision roots, like roots of a tree, growing out of my feet or out of my tailbone in to the earth.  I see those roots grow deep into the dirt, through the rocks and down to the core of the earth, then imagine their energy feeding back in to me – just as a plant would suck up nutrients from the dirt. I imagine that energy grounding me and nourishing me.  It’s amazing how those few minutes can often transform my otherwise whirlwind day.  I highly suggest you try it.

So what grounds you in your life? What activities or exercises have you found that help?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and have this community of 3,000+ amazing people share ideas on ways to stay grounded.  Do whatever feels right for you, but do it often while you also reach for the stars.

Don’t Carry the Energy of 2010 Into 2011

For me, 2011 holds three new resolutions.  They are:

Own your mythic story

Practice your art

Don’t define yourself 

These three charges came from part of a sentence from The Four Insights by one of my guides and mentors, Alberto Villoldo.  (Thank you, Alberto.)

Let me explain what each means to me. 

Own Your Mythic Story

For me, this means rise above the smallness.  Rise above the suffering that happens in my mind.  Sure, there are things in my life that aren’t the way I wish they would be.  And if I wanted to, I could dwell on those things.  I could sit around and let them stew.  (Want some examples?  How about the challenging relationship with my 16-year old son or the inconsistency in how I’m building my speaking business.)  I’ve learned that my ego loves it when I stew, because then, I’m solely identifying with the issue.  My ego is then safe and secure and completely wrapped up in my supposed problems. 

However, if I’m able to own my mythic story, I rise above that.  I’m able to see my soul’s path, in this moment and in this lifetime.  When I see things at the mythic level, I no longer view them as the problems that they are, but rather the opportunity that they afford me.  For me, not having a website that folds in heart-centered work into my coaching business is only an opportunity. 

We are all dynamic and divine beings.  When we own our mythic story, we are able to step into the divinity that we are.  I’m holding this place for myself, and for you as well. 

Question:  How can you transcend your current situation to see your soul’s path? 

Practice Your Art

To paraphrase John Lee Hooker, if the boogie woogie is in you, then it HAS to come out! 

What is your art?  Is it music? Writing?  Is business your expression?  Whatever it is, it desires to be made manifest.  In the broadest possible way. 

Know your art first.  One of mine is writing.  I’m meant to simply write more.  To write the next book that I’ve been working on.  To write more newsletters and share my experiences.  To write more on facebook and twitter (which I need to be better at.)  But do you notice how it says, “practice your art”?  Not put a heaping ton of pressure on yourself to get things done and make your art happen.   So this means to simply practice.  To play.  To allow yourself the freedom for creative expression to happen.  That’s nice and light and airy.  (And it’s pretty different from how I usually approach my business and writing.

Question:  How can you throw off the pressure and play more with your work?

Don’t Define Yourself

Now, this is a tough one.   I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly passing judgment on myself.  I’m constantly wishing I could do more or be more.  And I usually define myself by how well I’m doing. 

Then I have moments like this one where I wake up and realize what I’ve been doing.  I get that I was being too harsh on myself. 

Also, it’s about not overly identifying ourselves with the roles that we have.  I may still be a coach, speaker, father, boyfriend, but I don’t have to take so much time and energy wearing that identity.  It frees me up to my soul’s existence, not a mental existence of labeling myself.  Sure, I’ll still do my best to provide for my son and instruct him in the best way possible, but I don’t have to wear the role on my sleeve.  Sure, I’ll buy my girlfriend gifts for Christmas and try to make her feel as loved as possible.  But I don’t have to own that label either.  It allows me the space to simply BE. 

Question:  If you didn’t have to define yourself so much by your roles, what would that leave you free to do?  Or rather, what would you be free to be?   

These are my 3 new charges for 2011.  What will you stand for now that it’s a New Year?  

Don’t carry the energy of 2010 into 2011

Sure, if there are some important lessons that you’ve learned, please take those with you.  If there’s some good momentum, take that too.

But none of the other stuff.  The disappointments, the worry, the heaviness.  None of that serves you.   

But how do you leave that behind? 

Sometimes, in spite of our best efforts to think or act differently, we repeat past patterns.  If you’d like this to be your break-out year, then consider letting the energy of the past go by setting up one-on-one sessions with me. 

I have some new energetic skills and techniques that I’ve been using to great effect on my clients for over a year.   

Whether it’s coming up with the right gameplan for 2011 or some energy work to help you release the things you’d rather not carry with you, give yourself the gift of a one-on-one session with me to get you charged up for the New Year. 

I’m offering a special New Year’s Day rate for an initial consultation of $125 that’s good for the next week.  That’s actually $100 less than my usual rate.  If you’ve ever been curious about what my coaching could provide for you, then send me an email and let’s explore how I can help you step fully and freely onto your highest path. 

I hope you take me up on my offer. 

I’m wishing you much abundance, light, and love for the New Year.

A Holiday of Meaning and Beauty

I’ve been back home in Baton Rouge for the Holidays since Saturday. On Sunday, I had Christmas with my dad’s side of the family with all of my cousins, aunts and uncles. I have to admit that I was left a little unsatisfied with the experience with my family that day. For some reason, things seemed to lack depth. Maybe it was my family’s preoccupation with the football game that was on, I’m not sure. Even though there was lots of play with the children and laughter throughout the house, it seemed to be missing a true sense of connection. I was left wanting more meaning and beauty from the situation.

At a recent seminar, I heard author, Alberto Villoldo, say that when we live at the level of the soul, we stop seeking meaning in situations, and instead bring meaning to each situation. We stop seeking beauty in our relationships, and rather bring beauty to each interaction.

Somehow I had forgotten this when it came to the Holidays and my family.

So here’s what I’m going to do the rest of this Holiday season:

I’m going to slow down.

I’m going to breathe deeply into my belly (especially when I’m present to Holiday chaos).

I’m going to really look my family members in the eye and connect with them on a heart level.

I’m going to bring my own meaning and depth to each encounter.

I’m going to approach everything in gratitude.

I’m going to choose to see the beauty in each situation.

What would you like to create this Holiday season?

May you have a magical holiday season and a visionary New Year.

Be More Lucky!

“I’m a lucky man, with fire in my hands”

- The Verve

I’ve always been a lucky guy. My mom says I have a horseshoe stuck squarely up my @*$$. We’ve all heard clichés regarding luck like it’s “when preparation meets opportunity”. I guess that’s one way of putting it. I tend to think it’s about being in right relationship with yourself, ridding yourself of any energy that’s holding you back, and then being open (and then accepting) to what the universe presents to you.

But what is “right relationship” with yourself?

How do you clear your energy?

And how can you calm your turbulent mind so that you can hear what the universe is trying to present to you?

Right Relationship

The indigenous Peruvians call Right Relationship being “in Ayni”, meaning “so as I give, so shall I be provided for”.

Right relationship is striving to always to be honest with yourself and to live with no regrets. It’s about being in integrity with your thoughts and actions. It’s bestowing peace upon yourself, with even those parts of you that you might not like so much.

For example, there’s something that I really don’t like about myself. For all of my open-hearted and action-oriented talk, I tend to waste more time than I’d like to admit. I’m rarely satisfied with the amount of action that I’m able to put towards my path and mission in any given day. I see this clearly about myself and I’m working on it. One of the things I’m meant to do more of is simply to write and express myself creatively. (All I know is that it’s happening right now as I write these words. Well, actually what’s happening is that I’m getting out of my way enough to allow the words to flow out of me.)

But in order to allow them to flow, I had to give myself some time. I had to create some space in my own mind to let these words come. But that’s me. What about you? Are you in or out of your own way today?

Turning this concept of “Ayni” inward, how can you give to yourself in a greater way so that you can make sure that you’re always provided for?

Energy Clearing

How are you feeling about what you’re up to?

Our feelings have an energy to them.

I’ve been thinking a lot about energy lately. We all go through experiences in our lives that cause us harm. This can be things from past relationships, job situations, family situations, etc. Even though we may not be thinking of these old wounds anymore, and in spite of our best efforts to try not to let them affect us, we still carry around the energy of them. (Just think how easy it is for us to fly off the handle or overeact when we’re in a situation that mirrors that past experience). We don’t want these things to affect us the way that they do, but when something triggers it, we can’t help but feel that emotion.

We all have buttons that can be pushed. People can spend years talking in therapy about their buttons and what happens when they are pushed. You can understand clearly how you react when your buttons are pushed.

What if I told you there was a way to simply remove the button?

Would you believe me?

I’ve been folding in Energy Clearing work with my life coaching clients for about the last year now. It’s been powerful work. Things that used to take months of trying to shift at the mental level, we’re now able to shift in one or two sessions energetically.

If you’d like to explore how you can release those things that have been pestering you for years, that in spite of all of your best efforts, still seem to persist and weigh you down, then email me back and tell me a little about your situation. If you’d like to see how you can step more freely and fully into your highest existence, then please be in touch. I’d be glad to see how I could be of service to you.

Calming Your Turbulent Mind to Hear What the Universe Is Presenting

We worry about a lot of crap.

So says Curly from the movie City Slickers. I agree. If you stop for a minute and just pay attention to your thoughts, you’ll come to the conclusion that your mind is mad.

Sometimes the best that can be achieved in meditation is to separate the thought from the thinker, meaning to watch yourself having your thoughts without becoming them. (An example would be – I’m having the thought that I could be disappointed because I can’t seem to quiet my mind vs. I’m annoyed.)

Think of your mind as a still lake. If a wind were to blow, then it would cause ripples in the lake, obscuring your reflection. Your thoughts are like those ripples. You’ll never hear anything as long as your inner lake is turbulent. It’s only by maintaining a sense of stillness that you can hear what the universe is presenting to you.

(Sounds great, John. But how do I maintain a sense of stillness?)

I’ve learned that there are two parts of our minds, the conscious and unconscious. All negativity, fear, and turbulence comes from the unconscious part of our minds. Genie O’Malley, my friend and author of Clear Mind, New Planet, says that you know it’s your unconscious because it asks you a question. Usually, it’s something along the lines of “Who do you think you are that you can achieve that?”

She has a revolutionary breath technique that literally dissolves the unconscious mind, so that you experience more love and light in your life. (See www.BreathInstitute.com if you’d like more info.)

Another way is to sense instead of think. There’s a scene from the Tudors(I love that show!) where a musician is sitting under a tree. Another guy comes by and asks “What are you thinking about?”. He replies, “I’m not thinking, I’m listening”.

We all have the capability to stop thinking so damn much and just sense. Just start hearing, seeing, tasting, and feeling more. In any given moment, there are many things to notice. (Please take a break from the newsletter, pay attention, and see what you can sense in this moment. The universe may even have a message for you.)

So How Can You Cultivate More Luck?

Well, first you have to rid yourself of the energy that’s holding you back. Then you have to have a pure intention, one that serves not just yourself, but others in the highest way. One that will require you to put the intention out to the universe with a pure heart.

Next, you have to clear your mind so you can see and hear(sense) what the universe is presenting to you. Then(and this is the crucial, final step), you have to accept the gift. Do you feel that you’re worthy to accept the beautiful gifts that are right in front of you, or right around the corner waiting for you?

You can do some beautiful work in releasing energy, putting out intentions, and calming your mind to hear the heartbeat of the universe, but if you aren’t truly willing to accept the gifts, then you’ll only be floundering around with spiritual concepts. You’ll have a mixmash of experiences that can be cool and heart opening, and maybe even enlightening. But only by accepting the gifts, will you allow yourself to move forward on your path.

And after all, isn’t that what we really want? We want to feel like we’re moving forward. Not backwards, not sideways, not in a zigzag or loopy way, but just forward. There may not be such a thing as a straight line in nature. So what? Our paths probably won’t be linear and straight, but there still has to be a way to move forward.

Be your own lucky man(or woman) and move forward in your life.

By the way, if you’d like to hear the song, Lucky Man, by the Verve, check out the youtube video by clicking here.

Tonight at 8pm(Eastern Time): Free Teleclass – Match Your Inner and Outer Worlds

Tonight at 8pm(EST), I’m having a free teleclass tonight around how you can manifest more success by having a deeper connection with yourself and a greater connection to others.

Come see what it takes to align your inner and outer worlds.

What people connect to is the energy that you project.  If you want more fans or to truly get on the radar with industry, or to build a more successful business, then learn how to increase your energy flow by being more open-hearted in your approach to all things: your live performance, your social media activities, and your interactions with friends and fans.

• Discover the entire energy of your inner world
• Create a greater sense of calm in your inner world
• Apply the 3-step process to have your outer world match your inner world
• Manifest your strongest desires by making your strongest impression with your outer world

Date: TONIGHT, Wednesday, September 15th

Time: 8pm, Eastern Standard Time(sharp!)

Teleclass phone number: 1-712-580-7706

Access Code: 84539330

If you’d like to be on the call tonight, at 8pm sharp just dial the phone number and follow the instructions to enter the access code. You’ll then be on the call.

Highlights from last week’s newsletter:

You put all of your energy into the music or business that you create, right?

It’s crucial that your visuals honor that by having the same kind of intensity. Think of it as having your outer world clearly reflect your inner world. No matter how grounded you may be personally(your relationship with your inner world) or how beautiful your music or business might be(again, inner world), if you don’t have visuals and a live performance(outer world) that clearly represent that, then you’ll be in chaos. There’s always stress when the outer world doesn’t match up, regardless of how much inner world work that you do.

I have a process that I lead a person through to have their outer world match their inner world. I feel that it’s about lining up your outer world: your style, your live performance, your website, your band, your friends, etc. with your inner world. If you don’t, then most likely, it’s not going to work. You might have great songs or ideas, but if can’t replicate them in all of the ways that you come across, there’s going to be a disconnect with potential fans or clients. You won’t be giving yourself the best chance of being successful and reaching others.

It’s more important than ever to have a visual presentation that includes the energy of your very best self.

It’s no secret that you’re always sending out a message about who you are, about the energy that you’re projecting. It comes through in your creativity, lyrics, business ideas, live performances, and also in all of the other ways that you come across: your photos, wardrobe, accessories, logo, even your bio and business card; they have an energy to them. In my view, in order to be successful, there are two key questions: Is that energy true? And is it consistent?

In my coaching work, the first step in building a public image is that you have to know what you’re going for; you have to know what your direction is. In other words, you have to get clear on what kind of energy you’d LIKE to project. I have my clients understand this by pulling from two places – their favorite rockstars and their own uniqueness. See, the traits that you admire about your favorite rockstars are probably the traits that you most aspire to have in your own life. It’s about taking elements of those traits, combining them with what makes you special(your greatest gifts, talents, strengths, and quirks) to form your own image direction.

Then you have to define what this direction looks like by going through magazines and online photos and choosing the items that you not only like, but that represent your themes in some way. The key to this in-depth process is that when you present yourself in a way that’s in line with your imaging themes, you FEEL that way. And when you feel that way, you will then COME ACROSS that way, making the impression that you’d like to make on people, hence increasing your chances of success with what you’re up to.

It’s then important to always portray this one, consistent energy if you want to get known as that. It’s about BEING that way in all of the ways that you come across.

(Why I’m doing tonight’s teleclass)

I’ve decided to start sharing more of myself and my processes. I’ve realized that there’s just too much information that I’m sitting on that can make a difference with people. For me, my feeling of success is directly related to the contribution that I’m making. So I’m going to start giving more of it away for free. Of course, if people want more of me, they can sign up for a coaching session. So tonight I’ll be expanding on these concepts and helping you to have your outer world match your inner world so that you can manifest the desires of your dreams.

Come join me.

Can You Tell Heaven from Hell?

So you think you can tell Heaven from Hell,blue skies from pain.

Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?

A smile from a veil? Do you think you can tell?

Did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?

Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze? Cold comfort for change?

Did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?

- Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd 

Can you tell Heaven from Hell?  (What do I mean when I ask that?)

I mean can you tell which way the wind was blowing went you went to work this morning? Did you notice how your sweety smelled the last time you saw her or him? Did you notice the colors on the bird flying over you this weekend? Did you even notice that there was a bird chirping and flying right next to you?

The problem with talking about awareness is that most people don’t know that they’re unaware. Our senses have become so bombarded that we’re simply overloaded. We don’t notice anymore.

The difference between heaven and hell is a choice. It’s a choice to be aware. It is a choice to notice.

Sure, we all have to deal with the practical matters of life. There’s rent or a mortgage, bills, family stuff, career issues, and more. Yes, there are things to take care of, crossroads to navigate, and challenges to overcome.

But what is the undercurrent of your life?

Where are you emotionally?

Hey man. Hey woman. Hey Rockstar. Are you happy?

Look. Look.

We’re not noticing how we’re cutting people off when they’re in the middle of saying something that is important to them. We’re not seeing that our children would like a little more time with us today. We’re not hearing the cry of own mother. The cry of our earth mother. She’s hurting. She’s wounded. It’s a call to each and every one of us to do what we can. Can you personally swim down there in a wetsuit and scuba diving gear and plug that hole? Probably not.

But what can you do? What are the actions that you are able to take for the planet? Can you see how you can use less electricity or to recycle every little thing possible? Is there a way to consume less? It all makes a difference. What you do makes a difference. Yes, you. We all have to believe that. If we don’t, we’re screwed.

But I digress.

I was talking about being able to tell Heaven from Hell. About exchanging your part in life for a lead role in a cage. (What does that mean?) I mean, what is your part in life? What are you up to? Are you honoring what you are here to give? Or are you just playing a lead role in a cage.

For me, the cage is the well-worn path. It’s doing what you’re doing because it’s what other people think you should do. It’s not listening to your own inner voice, the voice that is crying out inside you to do something significant, to honor your own calling. It doesn’t have to be a calling to be an artist or to create a business.(but it can!) It could simply be a calling to notice more, to feel more, to love more.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already an artist or are creating a business. Great. Be on your own majestic path. But how can you bring a greater sense of awareness to both your overall vision and in the small interactions and choices that you’re making this day?

Notice.

Feel.

Love.

Are you breaking any class rules?

Last week, I met a friend at her sister’s daycare center in the East Village. When I walked in, I couldn’t help but notice the class rules posted for the children to follow. 

 

Check out this photo that I took of them: 

 

Of course, these are simple enough. However for me, they were breathtakingly profound. Here are my rockstar ruminations on the children’s class rules.

 

1. We listen, the first time

 

The ability to listen is totally underrated. Especially, being able to hear the voice that resides within ourselves. How often do we not here what our intuition is trying to telling us? We’ve all heard to trust our intuition, but are we doing it? How can you honor that which you feel?

The rule also states to listen, the first time. How many times do we have to hurt ourselves before we learn the lessons that we’re meant to learn? Or can we listen and learn the first time? I don’t know about you, but I never seem to learn the first time. It often feels like I need to be banged over the head several times before I learn the lesson that I’m meant to learn. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

 

 

2. We use our walking feet

 

For me, this means taking action. Not much happens by just sitting around and dreaming of a better life. It’s easy to dream about a successful career or the ideal relationship. It takes active participation in our own lives to make it happen. The business requires a strategic gameplan and weekly action steps, with accountability so that you follow through with what you said you would do. The ideal relationship requires a day to day commitment to BE the right partner, a man or woman of self-love that continually attracts another beautiful soul of self-love.

 

It also means not just reading a newsletter and nodding your head, but taking an action that is in line with your highest aspirations. Use your walking feet. You gotta move if you’re gonna make things happen.

3. We always use our words

 

We can’t just assume that people will be able to read what’s on our minds. Are you experiencing any sort of conflict with anyone at the moment? If so, how can you use “our” words? To paraphrase Stephen Covey, how can you first seek to understand, then seek to be understood?

 

The rule also states that we always use our words. Are you taking the time to communicate what’s on your heart? Are you expressing what you feel? You probably spoke to your mom on this past Sunday for Mother’s Day. How long will she have to wait for the next conversation?

For the musicians reading this, how can you use your words more wisely and creatively? What is the raw honesty that you can bring to the song or situation that you’re pondering?

 

4. We get what we get and we don’t get upset

 

To me, this is absolutely brilliant.

 

How much time do we spend fretting about our lot in life? How often do we spend unintentionally playing the role of victim, feeling misunderstood or complaining to ourselves that the situation just isn’t fair?

We all experience loss and trauma. I recently had a former client who lost her dog to cancer and shattered her arm in the course of one month. She recently wrote, “I don’t believe things we love or are meant to have are ever lost. They simply change form. Every time something is “lost” or “taken from us” or “completed”, it gives room for the birth of something greater than we had before – IF we choose for that to be our reality. We can of course choose to be a victim of our suffering, as many of us do. Or we can choose to learn from our experience and embrace it with joy and gratitude. To not embrace all that life brings us, is to be against life. And to be against life is the greatest crime we can ever commit.”

 

Having this kind of presence to see her greater path with such clarity is a rare and beautiful thing. It’s what makes Tiff Randol an extraordinary person and artist.

I actually believe that the lot that we get in life is exactly what we’re meant to get. That we are each in exactly the correct place to learn the lessons that we are meant to learn. This may not always be convenient, but truths rarely are. Abundance is all around. However, we get in accordance to what we give. In my meditation yesterday I heard, “If you want more, give more”. (So I’m striving to do that, even in this newsletter communication.) We are each constantly co-creating with the universe. I believe it’s about playing your part. It’s not just fate, where it’s up to the universe and you can just sit back. However, sometimes it’s not completely up to you either. But you must still play your part. So play your part. Get what you get. And be thankful for it.

Also, please don’t let the upset of things clip at your strength and power. Don’t let others bring you down. They can only do so with your permission. Don’t get pissed. Get even by being honest with yourself and speaking your own truth.

5. We take care of others and our school

 

Is what you’re up to only for you?

Of course not.

The greatest endeavors are about what you have to GIVE. So see you how you can use your greatest gifts in service to others to care for them; to give them tools so that they may care for themselves; to uplift them with your music or business to make this planet a place of peace, purpose, and prosperity.

The rule also states that we take care of our school. What do you view as your school?

I view mine as every soul on Earth. It consists of people, animals, and nature. Mother Earth actually requires that we take a complete view right now. Take care of yourself first so that you’re then better able to take care of all those around you.

 

 

Are you seeing people?

Ever notice how you can look at someone, and not really see them? One of the things that struck me about the movie, Avatar, recently was the beautiful concept that the indigenous people had of “I see you”. Meaning, I see in you. I see your essence.

This goes beyond mere eye contact. You can be looking someone in the eye and still not connect with them.

How can you make the effort to truly see people for who they are? In this fast-paced life, such a simple concept like this is so easily forgotten.

The old proverb, “The eyes are the windows of the soul,” contains a powerful truth. Brennan Manning says that “Our eyes reveal whether our souls are spacious or cramped, hospitable or critical, compassionate or judgmental. The way we see other people is usually the way we see ourselves.”

As a Rockstar, it’s imperative to connect with those around you. It’s important to unite yourself with your band, team members, potential partners, and especially your fans. How can this unity happen if you’re not truly seeing people? Strong relationships require a strong connection. The degree to which you’re able to see others and connect with them will be the degree to which you’re successful.

I believe it starts with how you see yourself.

Are you willing to look into your own heart and see what’s holding you back? Are you willing to look into the shadows of your life and shine a light there? This work is rarely pleasant. But it’s necessary if we are to truly evolve and grow. By looking within and making peace with those parts of ourselves that we feel are not worthy to be on this planet, we can be more accepting of others. We can see people in a softer, more gentle way. We can connect with others more fully and manifest what we really desire.

Take this concept on, whether it’s in your next meeting, live performance, with your best friend, or with the next stranger that you see.

See what a difference it makes for you and other person.