Has your Ship come in?

A friend of mine snapped this picture of a plaque she saw and I LOVED it. Wish I knew where it was so I could go buy it! Guess I'll have to make one!

So often we meet people who have nothing but negative things to say and wonder when their turn for the 'good fortune' in life is. Well I think this quote says it all. Most people that appear "lucky" have put in the labor and risk that it took to swim out to meet their ship.

What is luck anyway? Laboring Under Correct Knowledge! A great formula for consistency. Last summer at the World Championships of Performing Arts Boot Camp I attended a seminar by Tess Taylor, an executive in the music business. I believe her words were it takes 10 years to create an 'overnight' success. What the general population percieves as sudden has been at least 10 years of labor for the one achieving success. Even the youtube sensation popstar Justin Bieber was turned down by every record label he went to, why because they said there was no market for him! So what did he and his team do? Spent the next few years creating that market!

At times I set out all prepared with everything I need for that swim and sometimes the swells are so high I lose sight of my ship and turn around not sure if its still there! But behind every success story is a story of trials, labor and just plain grit. Because they knew what they wanted badly enough to swim out to whatever distance they needed to in order to reach that ship! And they had the faith that if they just kept swimming they would actually FIND the ship!

That's the kind of person I am striving to be. If I just keep going I know I'll get there. Even if the ship looks different than I had originally pictured, it will still feel sweet to climb aboard. I can't help others do what I have not been willing to do myself! So watch me swim friends! Cheer me on! Swim on out with me, your ship might be anchored close to mine;0)!

Excuses Excuses!

I saw this on someone's facebook page the other day and thought I'd repost it on my blog as well. It really got me thinking about the amount of times I use this excuse. I never really thought about it being as ridiculous as a reason for not accomplishing things I really want to do as telling my college professor that the dog ate my homework.  Even if the dog had eaten my homework I still would have figured out a way to get my paper in on time in order to maintain my grades.

So what grade point average are we living our lives at? We often pride ourselves on the busyness of our lives. Because if we are busy then we must be accomplishing great things and leading very productive lives right? WRONG! Being busy is not enough. We need to be busy at the right things!

Sometimes things happen in our life that forces us to slow down and remind us of what's important! These are usually unexpected and unwanted little crisis! So before we have to be forced to have a crisis to recognize what is the most valuable way to spend our time take a look and get rid of the unnecessary busy that is actually keeping us from reaching our goals. Life will get just a little easier!

Here's to a great day!!!



SONGS ARE IN!!!! Vote your Favorite!

Exciting day in my life! My tracks came back from my producer! Take a listen to tracks 1-7! These are all the ones I co-wrote in Nashville last November. Let me know your favorite! Cast your vote for your favorite to decide which one would you like to see a music video for?

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss!!!

In honor of one of the greatest authors ever...... Dr. Seuss, on his birthday thought I'd share a few quotes that I find relevant at any age!

There is no one like you on this earth, so why waste your time trying to be someone else. Be confident in the talents, qualities, and strengths that God gave you. You are placed in people's life because the Lord knows they need what you have to offer!

Enjoy the Journey! My husband and I have been talking lately about how we need to be focused on our goals, but at the same time be happy along the way there. What are we learning and what memories are we creating as we move forward in life!!!

Think outside the box! Amazing how our eyes are opened to new solutions to the same old problems!

 My favorite explaination of Love!

I just went to a bridal shower yesterday and watched the bride to be bounce off the walls with excitement to marry this amazing man she found. The journey to find him came after a few wrong ones and broken hearts, but the right one is sooooo worth the wait.

And finally, always be learning.... it keeps us moving forward into the unknown. We can be a hamster on a wheel getting our exercise and enjoying a good run in place, or we can be the mouse in a maze, making wrong tunrs and hitting a few dead ends, but with the smell of our goals in the air always learning and moving forward!

Make it a GREAT Day!!!!

Life Solutions from a 3 year old!

As I was getting ready this morning I was only half listening to my 3 year old play with her toys, smiling at the cute little conversations she was having, until she caught my full attention with a question she posed to one of the little people she had in her hand.

"So Saralynn, What's your favorite problem?"

I chuckled to myself and thought, I should correct her, and almost instantly had the impression/insight, no she just course corrected me!

I thought, we don't love our problems, or have "favorite problems".....  do we?  How often do we talk about the problems we have in our lives? It could be health, finances, relationships, family, weight, whatever. We all have them. Our own favorite problem that seems to be a never ending struggle or recurring scenario in our life. But I don't WANT this problem you might argue, I didn't ASK for it, I would LOVE it if it would disappear. Really... well how often do you find yourself talking about the actual problem in all its juicy details and glory without ever turning the conversation to solutions. I do.  How many times do we go to the Lord in prayer to take this problem from us or help us through it, "cast your burdens at His feet" as the scriptures say, only to pick it back upagain at the end of your prayer, focus on it, dwell on it, stew over it and don't really ever actually turn it over to the Him to help find the solution because we are so busy having a problem!

As I explored this little concept I thought no wonder our problems seem to stick around so long. We hold on to them like security blankets, they start to define us, who we have become because we are carrying this, or dealing with this problem.  Its nice to have others pat us on the back and say you can do it, I'll pray for you, oh look how strong you are to deal with that, I don't know how you do it. Now I'm not trying to mock or offend. I can only speak from my own experiences with life. But I regret to say sometimes its fun to share my problems with people because it somehow helps me feel like I'm a good person for going through it.... when really what kind of person could I be if I was focused on finding and carrying out the solutions to the different problems that arise in my life.

 I learned recently in a seminar by Klemmer and Associates that we all deal with pain, what causes the pain in your life is different from what causes the pain in mine, but the emotions, reactions, and chemical response if you will in our bodies is all the same. Pain is pain.  It doesn't matter what caused it verses what caused someone else's, the fact is you have it. But rest assured then that the path to overcoming it is similar and we can help one another find joy again. Though the scenarios may be different the healing path is the same. How nice that we can walk the solutions path together!

So let's examine  the favorite problems in our life and start focusing on our favorite solutions! Thanks to my 3 year old for allowing me some beautiful insight into how to be a happier, kinder, more successful woman!

Fear or Faith?

I don't know about you all, but I find that usually when I go after something, the biggest thing that holds me back is my fear of stepping out into uncharted territory. So I was looking for performance opportunities and found a community one and thought, oh that would be fun. So I filled out the application and sent them a sample track. Then I read that the deadline to get an application in was oh, about a week and a half earlier. So I thought Oh well.... de-stress. Then 2 days later I got an email saying welcome to the show and you have 7 minutes of stage time. Begin doubts and fears creeping in. Now I'm not usually nervous to perform, but that would be because I've always done cover songs and usually been asked by people I know. Begin journey into uncharted territory.... I get to sing my own songs that I spent 3 weeks in Nashville working for and I get to perform for people I don't know and who don't love me to tell me I did great even when I mess up!

Now begin therapy ;0)! I read a quote by Bill Cosby that explains my fight everyday. He says,

Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it!

Its not that I don't want to perform, I love it, in fact thrive on it. The fun that it brings into people's lives in the audience. I can even see myself in a huge stadium having a great time on stage singing away with all my fans joining in. I guess the fear lies in the uncharted waters that it takes to cross to get to there from here.

Life is like that. To get to a new place in our life whether it be a new job, new house, better relationships, better body (let's be honest, we are all looking to lose that last 10lbs ;0)!) We have to do things we've never done before, which takes courage, determination, and faith. I've heard that 2 thoughts cannot coexist at the same time. You can have one thought right after another, but not at the same time. Light and dark do not coexist. Neither does fear and faith.  What we think determines our actions. Action creates results. Basic formula.  It can be in the direction we want to head or the exact opposite!

So I guess the power to choose what we think is ours. Focusing on our desired result gives positive, forward motion.  Make the decision to want it and let go of fear, and I think that we will be amazed at what we invite into our life!

Performance Coming up!!!!

Hey Everyone! Thought I'd let you all know I'm performing this coming Saturday at the Higley Performing Arts Center for the Gilbert Music Fest! The event goes from 10am-2pm and its the best price.... FREE! I'm the 5th act so come on time! See you there!