March 27, 2011 Genova, Italy
Life is unpredictable and full of surprises. Anything you want can happen.
Just know that (while you work on it of course) and you'll notice surprises and opportunities popping out of least expected places, at the least expected times and more doors opening. Voila! You find yourself on the roll instead of on a slow stroll!
One fine day I was talking to my good friend and a singer songwriter Shaun Barrowes, an American Idol finalist, I said to him “I'm going on a European tour.” Even though no dates were scheduled yet, I was just determined that it was going to happen. Then he said “Me too” - his dates were scheduled. He offered to go together! Right after that we were making it happen together. Both Indie Singer Songwriters launched on a successful tour across Europe. Shaun surely gave me a great jump start into touring. There were promoters engaged in this cause too. Then I came back and did a US tour with April Meservy. That was my 2010. A year that I would have never even imagined in my own mind: full of amazing performances, growing audiences, traveling through beautiful cities of European counties and west of the US, a year of growth, miracles, variety, dreams come true and meeting many amazing friends along the way.
So how did it all begin?
When I first started thinking about recording my own album “Revving Wings” it was years ago and for years I stumbled on many impediments that prevented me from accomplishing this. This is going to be a simplified version of the story by the way.
So, I came to Los Angeles after my graduation in Music Composition. It took me 2-3 years to even sit down and jot down a plan for making of the album! My mindset was optimistic but I stumbled on many obstacles during the writing of this plan. And here is a list: lack of the label behind me that believed in me, lack of my own money if I give up the label idea, lack of a producer who'd agree to work on speck (free until the album sells) who ALSO understands my music and will make it unique in the way I like it, lack of time and so on. It took me years to eliminate or work around those major obstacles and figure out the right route for ME to take. Don't we all go through this?
After eliminating those major ones one by one, I stumbled on three more evil ones: perfectionism, thinking inside the box and thinking small. Have you been there? The funniest and the toughest thing about these obstacles is that we are OBLIVIOUS to the fact that we have them. We think we are great thinkers: we think outside the box, we dream big, and we take pride in knowing what we want! BUZZZZZZZZ!
Stop and ask yourself some honest questions.
Wake up and look around you! How long have you been stuck in one place emotionally, mentally and physically? And what have you accomplished so far? Then may come a gloomy reality. When you are presented with this reality (your own doing or a mutual effort of friends, coaches, job managers, life mentors – anyone who cares enough about you to finally shake you up) you are first in disbelief!! You feel you've done all you could, you tell stories of why things haven't happened and the things that happened to you to stop you from moving forward. This stories are only true in your mind – in reality they are made up by your limitations and beliefs. Then you submit yourself to trusting your own self to say to you, “there is another way, there is more you can do, and you can do this differently,” and that's when BIG changes and great things start to happen. There is new movement inside you, outside you, all around you. Before you thought you have engaged all your faculties, but now you let you and other people show you there are better ways to engage them to actually start seeing results. You expect more from you too.
So I killed my perfectionist, he died a slow and long death (I hope he isn't coming back)! I also realized I needed to let other people coach and help me even more. So, with a couple “mentors” we put together a seemingly hard-to-believe but realistic and quantifiable plan with deadlines, real and imaginary people's names (to be filled in the blank shortly), monetary fees (budget) and timelines attached to the all the action steps. I started to dare to dream big and real during the making of this plan while still delivering many speeches to my mentors that contained my least favorite yet most used word “BUT." (The usage of which has decreased gradually.)
Starting then I talked about everything in such a way if it has already happened or is happening. Then by the end of the album I couldn't believe the massive movement that was created in my life by me with help of others. This Massive Movement provided me with momentum and that's when I told Shaun Barrowes I was going on a Euro tour. After that the tour just happened.
So Anything Can Happen! I wish you the best: dream BIG, create movement in your life, don't be afraid to challenge your own thinking, and find others to help you brainstorm and help make things come true!
Hope there is something here that hit home for those of you that read this, whatever stage of your life or achieving your dreams you are in. And if you have anything to add or share I welcome that. After all we are all chasing our dreams, and have learned different things along the way. Why not help others with what we learned! So share whatever you feel like.
Feed your dreams and your love with care!
