What If? - part two

Today has been a truly awesome day! It was a day completely full of music, fun and creativity - all in the presence of some of the most incredible people on the planet. I am one extremely blessed (and grateful!) girl.

So, I decided that I'd like to expand on some of the thoughts and ideas that I touched on in my last blog, 'What If?' In it, I questioned why we listen to the negative voices in our minds that tell us that we can't (or shouldn't) do certain things. We are so very quick to believe in and accept what we THINK are our limitations, but when someone pays us a compliment, we try to tell ourselves that whatever was said couldn't be true, or that the person who said it is somehow biased (or maybe he/she even 'wants something' from us). Why are we so quick to believe something negative and limiting about ourselves, and we're even quicker to dismiss it when someone says something positive about us and our talents?

For the record, I struggle with this myself. I am very quick to accept the thought that I'm not a good singer/songwriter or performer. However, when someone acknowledges what he/she see as my talent, I am even quicker to argue or resist in some way what is being said. I tell myself that the person giving the compliment is just being nice, or that he/she is biased and doesn't want to say anything to hurt my feelings.

Soooo, my question for you is this - do you have someone in your life who unconditionally loves, accepts and supports you? Someone you could consider your own personal cheerleader. Someone who encourages you every step of the way - no matter what you get involved with. Well, what would happen if you simply BELIEVED what that person says about you? No resistance, no arguing, no judging what he/she is saying - I mean, quite simply, you just take his/her word for it that you are wonderful and talented - and that the world is a much better place because YOU are in it. What would your life looked like if you chose to believe the GOOD things that someone you love and trust says about you? What if, for just one day, you chose to listen to (and believe) ONLY the good things that you're being told - and you simply just dismiss anything negative that crosses your mind? What would happen to you? How would your life change?

My choir director in college was this type of person for me. She was my own personal cheerleader and was just like family to me the entire time I was in school. She believed in me even (and especially) when I didn't believe in myself. She would pick me up and dust me off whenever I tried something that didn't work and, and, whenever I was struggling with something, she was right there beside me, telling me that I could do it (whatever 'it' was at the time didn't matter - she believed I could do anything).

I loved and trusted this woman SO much that, one day, I actually chose to start believing her. I knew that she saw something within me that I couldn't see myself. I felt that, if she cared enough to believe in me, maybe I could trust her and start believing in myself...even just a little bit. This made all the difference in my life. Thanks to my trust in her all those years ago, I have been able to step outside of my comfort zone countless times since then and do many things that I never would have believed possible.

I am still very close with this woman to this day - and she is STILL one of my biggest cheerleaders! I am so very grateful for her loving presence in my life. I can honestly say that I wouldn't be who I am today without it (or her)!

So again, I am going to ask YOU - what would your life look like if you chose to start believing YOUR biggest cheerleaders? What if those people see something within you that you can't see within yourself? What if they are RIGHT that you're wonderful and talented - and that you can do anything you put your mind to?

We all get to choose what to believe (about ourselves and others) - I'm just suggesting that maybe - just maybe - it's okay to believe the GOOD stuff.

What If?

Okay, so, here is something I don't understand....

I know we all have limiting voices in our  minds/heads, telling us why we 'can't' (or shouldn't) do all sorts of things....but my question is, why in the world do we listen??

I mean, let's think about this for a minute....

Who ever told us that we're imperfect, or somehow limited in some way? Who ever told us that we couldn't go after something we want and actually get it? Who ever told us that, if we tried at something new, we probably wouldn't be any good at it? Who told us that we're not talented enough, good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, tall enough, skinny enough, or any of the other millions of 'enough's' that we always seem to fall short of?

I have a very dear friend who happens to be an incredible musician - but, somehow, he has allowed himself to believe that he's 'just not a good guitar player.' (He IS a good guitar player, by the way - an incredible one actually, but good luck telling him that!)

I see this happen time and time - and time - again...we suddenly develop a passion or level of excitement for something we think we'd like to try. Maybe someone has inspired or encouraged us to finally sign up for that painting class we always wanted to take. We register for the class, buy whatever materials we need, show up on time (or maybe even a little early because we are THAT excited!) and, as soon as we pick up that brush, the voices start...

'What am I doing here? I'm not an artist!'
'I've never held a paintbrush in my life. I don't have the slightest idea what I'm doing.'
'I'll never be any good at this. I should just quit now.'
'What made me ever think I could do this?'

The list goes on and on...that voice is relentless in making sure that we don't forget just how inadequate, imperfect and limited we really are. It won't stop until it has convinced us that we really don't belong there. That voice will do everything it can to get us to put that paintbrush down and just go home.

Do we ever stop to ask where that voice comes from? Or, even more importantly, do we ever stop to ask why in the world we EVER entertain what that voice is saying?? I mean, who ever told us we have to buy into all that limited, negative thinking anyway?

What if just for a moment, we stopped listening to that voice altogether? What if, just for a second, we opened ourselves up to the possibility that the voice we've been listening to for so long, is wrong? What if that voice is, not only wrong, but is actually lying to us - on purpose - in an effort to distract or derail us from what we're actually being called or guided to do?

No matter where this voice has come from - whether it has come from well-meaning parents who tried to protect us from life's disappointments by warning us not to get our hopes up about things, maybe it was our 3rd grade teacher who told us we'd never be able to sing, maybe it was a fellow student who told us we were ugly - no matter where that voice has come from, we are completely free to NOT listen to it any time we want. We simply need not buy into it. We are ALWAYS free to make another choice.

So, the next time that voice rears its ugly head and tries to make you second guess yourself (and/or your talent), please feel free to question it - or, better yet, just not listen to it at all.

Much love always,
~Jen

Update and just because

Okay, so it has been a LOOOOOOONG time since I blogged about anything. In my, very admittedly weak defense, life has gotten more than a little bit crazy and out of control over the last several months. That being said, I really have no excuse. There is ALWAYS time to write and, well, I just haven't done it in a really long time. I didn't make it a priority - until just recently - as in, over the past several weeks. So, here I am, writing again - it feels good - and I am grateful.

I've missed staying up a little too late, writing feverishly, fearlessly pouring out all my thoughts and emotions onto a piece of paper. A blank piece of paper is, without a doubt, the safest place I have ever known to go to in order to pour out EVERYTHING I am thinking and feeling. When writing, I never stop to think about how the page might react to something I might want/need to say. I don't stop and think to myself, 'Uh oh - maybe I shouldn't say THAT. How is the page going to react when I pour my heart out in that way?' I never think, 'What if the page doesn't like me....'. I never entertain the idea that a blank piece of paper could reject me - or reject whatever comes spilling out onto it from my pen.

I simply just....write. And write. And write. Sometimes a song comes out. Sometimes a poem. Sometimes a story of some sort. Sometimes nothing. And sometimes something will come out that would make absolutely no sense to anyone on the planet other than me - and SOMETIMES it doesn't even make sense to me!  I just sit and write - for the sake and joy of writing. I learned several years ago not to have any desired outcome when I sit down to write. It's my job to knock at the universe's door (that lovely blank piece of paper) and to be open to whom/whatever shows up.

So yes, I'm back into writing again - and I am VERY grateful for that.  As my life has shifted and changed greatly over the last several months, writing remains my one constant. I am blessed to have it and I vow to never take it for granted again. Like an old friend that I haven't seen in a very long time, my writing has welcomed and embraced me as if I never left. However, I know that I left - and I won't do it again.

Someone very close to me just recently asked me to promise that I would never stop writing again - no matter what. I made that promise to him (and to myself) - and I will keep it.

All that being said, it's time to sign off for now - I have a date with a blank piece of paper...

The Power of Music

Please check out the following video whenever you have a chance. It is so INCREDIBLY moving!! It combines the power of music with the innocence of a child...love, love, LOVE this!!



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/29/emotional-baby-moved-to-tears-by-moms-singing_n_4173272.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

Incredible!!

Please take a few minutes to watch this video - it's incredible! Another powerful example of 'regular' people doing extraordinary things!! Thanks to my good friend, Melissa Pasquinelli, for sharing this with me!! :-) 

Good Samaritans...

Please check out the link below whenever you have a chance. It is another inspiring story of 'regular' people doing amazing things. There truly are good samaritans all around us! Happy Monday!!


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/dairy-queen-worker-confronts-woman-blind-man-money-article-1.1460961


Love,
~Jen

Inspirational Story Alert!

I'm officially on a mission - I absolutely KNOW we live in a kind, loving, decent, wonderful world! If we would only open our eyes to the goodness that's all around us! So, that being said, several times each week (sometimes each day), I will be posting inspiring stories of 'regular' people doing amazing things. If you feel inspired or moved by a story I post, I would ask that you please share it on your page as well. Thank you!!! Love always, ~Jen :-)

Georgia Family Donates Cancelled Wedding's Reception to Homeless
http://abcnews.go.com/US/georgia-family-donates-cancelled-weddings-reception-homeless/story?id=20344600