Day 448 - Courageous Vulnerably

There is a time for silence, and a time to speak up.

Walking that line can be a delicate walk of fear, being afraid to say the wrong thing, or to stake ourselves in words, only to be criticized from an angle we hadn't considered. Embarrassment.  I'm Bare Ass Ment. I'm meant to be bare ass, so what's the big whoop?

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to see, realize and understand that we're all in this this together, going through the same stuff, collectively and individually - and from within this understanding, humbly share what I have to share. The benefits of courageously expressing my experience of life and its inner workings are can be far reaching!

It's worth it for me to write this post, regardless of the measure of its impact on others, because the impact it is having on me = worth it! For me to take this moment, and slow down to a speed where I can confidently place words I want to stand by, publicly -- is a real test of conviction. (great word) It's not going to be perfect, but it builds and accumulates into a more and more fine tuned perspective and articulation of what's going on in me and in this world.

Regularly, courageously vulnerable

is an art form to be mastered! After witnessing several magnificently courageous beings spill their hearts at an open mic poetry night event, I was in beside myself, seeing myself in them, seeing myself in me, and like..."Whoa, I want to do that too!"

Challenge accepted, Self! If I can blog everyday, and I can take care of myself,  I can run a mile nonstop, and I can, I can, I can.... I can certainly stand up in front of a crowd and speak a few lines that really mean something for me. I care, and connecting with others to show and share how I care = is a pretty cool practice.

I commit myself to stepping in front of more people, challenging myself to share from that point of vulnerability that we can all relate with, and find my power.

I commit myself to, no matter how gloomy and/or fearful things get in my life, to always find my way back to center, back to breath, back to purpose, in its many forms. I stand for life equality and oneness. So what have I to show for my #protest to this delinquent reality we find ourselves in?

I forgive myself for accepting and allowing myself to channel my efforts into though-form only, and not actualize my efforts in a grounded, physical and real way. #consistency

At the end of a post, I re-read and edit what I have, once-over. And that's usually a piece of work I can confidently standby. Well, there's no editing IRL, so I consider this blog just practicing grounds. And it's cool because I find that people have a lot to say, but so do I -- so by releasing chunks of it here, I'm able to spend more time listening, and speaking only when fully clear and confident, rather than blabbering on about stuff I've half-processed in my head, many times already. Information can get loopy when it's not grounded in a practice or something alive!

So, thank you for being the public part of my Life Journey Journal. You support me to remember that I'm not just in my room alone on these fateful nights. I'm here with all of you.

Keep on, keeping on.

No matter where you are, take that breath and share your vulnerable self!

#PowerfulStuff

Day 311 - My Favorite Band

I've been waiting for this day. It caught me off guard and I'm having trouble with my writing flow. How do I convey the passion I've been feeling while listening to this music? How can I pay tribute to the band in a way that...I've got it. I'll just litter my post with links to some of my favorite songs and describe how 311 has played a significant role in my life.

Even though I only started really listening to 311 in my second year of college, it feels like I've been listening to them for eons. I was obsessed, and any true 311 fan would understand exactly why. I can't do it justice, but to give you an idea why: They mix the perfect groove with truth resonant lyrics. I really enjoy the melodies, guitar riffs and super sweet base lines, but it wasn't until I started listening to the lyrics that I started to reconsider everything. I became obsessed looking for verbal insight in the midst of awesome music.

credit

I didn't begin to crack the code when my friend showed me this song in high school, but the second time 311 popped into my life was right in the middle of my "spiritual awakening." It was music to my ears in every sense of the expression. I could try to go on and elaborate about how great the music felt in combination with the insightful lyrics, but I'll just leave you with this example: Sun Come Through.

When I came across the Desteni message of oneness and equality about a year after my 311 obsession kicked in, I kind of felt like a dear in headlights. Among other spiritual quests prior, 311 prepped me for what I was about to hear, yet at the same time, there were contradictions. My curiosity, open-mindedness, and definitive quest for truth kept me going in this pivotal moment along my spiritual path. Desteni was claiming all the enlightenment and ascension stuff that I was beginning to get deeper in (see post 217) was futile. I was lucky I didn't react and reject it. I held the contradictions in limbo while I continued exploring: How could equality be a living embodiment? The oneness part was easy. Even 311 is down for the unity!

That the gist of it. I continued with my curious investigation, my spiritual awakening turned into my Journey to Life, and it turns out I was strong all along! :)

Now I'm here to share how I got here with each post I publish. It's for you to walk with me. We're actually all in this journey to life together, equal and one. Wherever you are on your path, we are all "nothing but a walking sack of Earth," and thus individually responsible for our collective direction.

Will you be part of the peaceful revolution, or just another beautiful disaster?

Thanks for everything 311!







P.S. Thought I should mention Inner Light Spectrum <   my favorite song, barely.

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Support the Equal Life Foundation and check out the Equal Money platform. Tons of insight can also be garnered in the Desteni forum.

Enjoy Life & Be The Solution.

Day 287 - Re-Inspired by Social Media Professionals

I spontaneously dropped in on a Careers in Social Media and Digital Marketing panel put on by the Career Services Department at University of California, Santa Barbara. I had just spent 2 hours in the Career Center, reading books and taking notes, and when I was leaving to go the bathroom and go eat, I saw the sign. It started 5 minutes ago, but the decision process was fairly simple. This is a line of work that very much interests me. So I heard them out for one and a half hours.

Here are the key points from the panel:

• Get real world experience
• Show work ethic and commitment
• longevity within an organization is good
• Know your Strengths!
• Tell a good story
• Write a good headline
• Content is Key for modern SEO
• write a blog (hehe)
• Hard skills vs. Soft Skills
• technical ability vs. human interaction
• Google+ holds more potential for global networking
• GPA doesn't matter as much as the chemistry and attitude at first interview

It was pretty cool to be in this stimulating environment of business professionals and successful entrepreneurs. I found myself taking a bunch of notes and with wide eyes. I was an invigorated with this feeling of inspiration and "I can do this." When the feeling died down, I realized that when I return home and leave this collegiate environment, I will be faced with having to create myself without this external stimulation. 

I forgive myself for accepting and allowing myself to create a relationship toward other professionals that affects my work ethic and drive to become more. I realize this energy is seemingly great, until it fades and I am feeling the polar opposite. I commit myself to realizing when the negative polarity of inspiration is in effect and to investigate it and stop it.

I forgive myself for accepting and allowing myself to fear that I will not be able to accomplish success without external motivation. I realize that I can make full use of resources, connections and mentors, etc. The idea is that my starting point is within me and my work ethic is a self-movement, not an energetic-feeling reaction. I commit myself to establish my work ethic in achieving greatness without reliance on inspiration in separation of myself.

Special Thanks to the Panel Members: Jacques Habra, Kim Clark, Masen Yaffee & Tina Reed Johnson.