Is it really that simple? If you're willing to do the work, focus on creating, and make better art, is success bound to come your way? For decades, I was the person who talked a good game but seldom followed through. How we do anything is how we do everything, so this lack of taking action spilled over into every area of my life. I'm not proud of the way I insisted on living for far too long, but I believe that by exposing myself and being willing to be completely transparent to the world it … [Read more...]
It’s Over in the Blink of an Eye
It's Over in the Blink of an Eye, So Make Every Second Count As I'm writing this, it's Sunday, October 17th, 2021 and Black Poetry Day. Each year I make note of this day by reading a poem or two written by my favorite Black poets, sharing my favorite finds with my online community as well as friends and family, and then closing the book on what this day means to me. We live in a world where people must be put in boxes that recognize them for a variety of reasons: gender, ethnicity, age, … [Read more...]
The Writer’s Cat
The rain came down hard and the streets flooded on the evening Marilyn Monroe died. It was August of '62 in Los Angeles, with people focused on their everyday problems that felt like a sort of death to them before they saw the morning paper. It's only when actual death stares you in the face that you can have some perspective. My mother and I were in the car with her friend, a chubby woman whose name I can't remember and who was kind and respectful and laughed like her funny bone had been … [Read more...]
People Tell Us Who They Are
People tell us who they are. Over and over again, the people we encounter throughout our lives tell us who they are, what they believe in, when they will deliberately interface with people under various circumstances, and how they will interact with the world around them. Whether or not we choose to believe them in quite another story. Observe the details; listen to the words they say and those they do not say; don't make excuses for the behavior of others and demand of yourself the habit of … [Read more...]
The Long Girl
As they would say in Europe, she was a long girl. Taller than everyone else in our class, even the boys, and with short, dark wavy hair and bright hazel eyes, gangly and self-conscious in a way that made others uncomfortable. Her posture was terrible and when she came up to you it was with more of a lurch than a normal gait. We'd been good friends since I'd arrived as the new girl just before Christmas in second grade. Once we had a photograph taken by her father in his home studio and I … [Read more...]
Lack of Confidence: Turn This Around For Good
My Lack of Confidence Almost Cost Me Everything If you experience a lack of confidence, the good news is that you can change it. The only way you will build your self-confidence is to get out of your own head and accept that your subjective experiences may not be as straightforward as you think. Use that information to actively change your thought patterns to more realistic thoughts that motivate you to act positively in your life with confidence. My own lack of confidence was like a wall in … [Read more...]
On the Train Into Rotterdam
She was a beautiful baby. When I opened the envelope containing the slightly blurry photo, taken at the hospital just moments after this little angel drew her first Earthly breath, I knew I'd do whatever I had to do to see her in person. But that would be easier said than done. It was December of 2000 and I was a classroom teacher. I also worked in real estate part-time to make ends meet, and had little in savings. But none of that mattered as I gazed into her cherubic face at the mailbox that … [Read more...]
There’s a New Sheriff in Town
The email arrived while I was waiting for an important call and scrolling through my phone. The moment I saw it I knew exactly who it was from, what it was about, and who this new sheriff in town was - it was me. My next thought was one based in fear. I was fearful that the previous sheriff would be coming after me and ready to do who knew what to let me know she wasn't going down without a fight. The Wild West could be a dangerous place. As much as I'd like to tell you that the previous … [Read more...]
Podcasting: Finding Your Voice
My most recent podcast episode - #064 of Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing - dropped yesterday. After I reviewed and then published it, I took a step back to answer my own question of "Why do you podcast?" and precept that podcasting - finding your voice - is crucial to success. I believe that podcasting, finding your voice and sharing your message, allows me to grow and learn and reinvent myself. Allow me to explain what I mean by this... I began podcasting back in 2010. I'd been … [Read more...]
Creating Empowering Beliefs to Change Your Life
Creating Empowering Beliefs By Letting Go of Limiting Beliefs For most of my life, I was the poster child for limiting beliefs. If you researched that term, there was a photo of me. The look on my face said it all... "I was never enough." Then I decided to take full responsibility for my life and everything began to slowly but steadily turn around for me. Let's take a look at some limiting beliefs that destroy your self-confidence. Holding onto limiting beliefs destroys your self-confidence … [Read more...]