i he(art) seattle

Today I attended a Get Motivated! Seminar in Seattle WA. At first I was not going to attend but the lure of seeing Bill Cosby and Colin Powell speak in one day won me over. Those two were not even the only greats that spoke there… it was a full line up of business, leadership, team building, and finance focused folks that motivated and inspired a full house in Key Arena to get up get out and get something. Motivation is good for the soul!

Here are 8 top tips I learned from this even that I’d like to share:

1. Persevere. This was touched on by mostly all the speakers but Colin Powell said it best when he reminded us, “It isn’t where you start, it’s where you end up.” I would add to that that it’s not even where you may be right now… it’s where you are headed. Make that vision for yourself and keep at it daily.
2. Recognize others. Powell also said he writes notes on index cards with his name on them to people often just saying “Job well done” and “Thank you for your service.” That personal touch and appreciation can go along way and it makes you feel good to notice others giving it there all. He also mentioned discipline in teams and if a person is not caring their weight calling them on it. I think so many times we let people get away with things and it effects us. Stand up for yourself and your values and speak your mind to others. At least you and they know where you stand.
3. Laugh at yourself. Bill Cosby joked, “So you guys need to be motivated. You need us to come up here and tell you to get motivated.” His entire speech was full of quips like that and it helps me to see that, well, it’s funny to be de-motivated. I mean, this is my life and it’s my job to stay encouraged and get myself back on track if I’m not. BUT it’s also not the end of the world if I need a little help… just smile and dust yourself off and keep it pushing.
4. Believe in yourself no matter what. A very weird white guy (he’d love that I said that) named Jack Smith had a lot to say about confidence. He told us how he didn’t do too well in school and his teachers said he wouldn’t amount to much. They gave him the typical speech on how he wasn’t qualified for this and that as a career and he said he really didn’t listen to them. He said the difference between people who never gave up and people who did was that they didn’t listen to any naysayer’s and just did it anyway. They just believed in themselves no matter what. Sure we always have our down days but after you take the blow… don’t throw in the towel.
5. Walk with your passion. Powell spoke on this and how important it is to walk with an intensity of belief in yourself and what you do.
6. Trust others to follow. Powell again spoke on how a good leader empowers his troops to have what they need to get the job done. This is even helpful in finding mentors or people to follow… do they empower their troops?
7. Keep someone in your corner that challenges you. Funny thing is, all the men, Cosby, Collin and Dan Rather talked about their wives and how these women challenged them. They spoke on how their wives keep them humble and reminded them of their humanity even when the rest of the world saw them as perfect. Its so important to have a partner that inspires you to do and be better and reminds you from where you came. It’s great to see great men speak of the great women that are in their corners and not at the door playing the mat.
8. Change every day. Krish Dhanam spoke on spirituality, love and God. He was a student of Zig Ziglar and said that Zig had a prayer basically asking God to work in his life each day changing him in the ways that he needed them. This speaks to how everyday we wake up with a new chance to move forward and grow and be changed. We are works in progress with the privilege of growth with God (or whomever we believe in).

This full moon was called the Super Moon! It was very bright and quite high and luminous in the sky. It was also supposed to have been the closest it’s been to Earth in ever. It’s interesting how the world is changing right before our eyes. Not only is our earth trembling with natural disasters but we are having economic strife all over the globe. People are starting to ponder on what really matters.

For me yoga, mediation, art making, and the most important my connections and relationships with my closest friends, family, and even acquitances. I have been meeting and developing friendships with so many new wonderful people (yes, that means YOU!)… and deepening my relationships with close friends and family. I love sharing my experiences with others in teaching, leading by example, and by being supportive. I want to be a better listener, more patient, and able to live within the moment. This requires stillness and faith on my part and also courage to reach out and at times be vulnerable. My board this month is simple, I wish to focus on being strong and supportive in the relationships in my life. To be a good listening ear and a brave friend to speak wisdom and encouragement into others.

Thanks to Jamie at Jamie Ridler Studios for the idea of monthly full moon dreamboards!

Today Jamie at Jamie Ridler Studios asked us the question, “What do we wish for the world” for this Wednesday’s Wishcast.

For a moment, I read all the latest news reports hoping to gather something wise to say about Japan’s tsunami aftermath and nuclear crisis and, well, it was hard for me… I have been distant from the news lately and from media in general. I’ve wanted to disconnect from the crazy obsessions, reality tv dramas, and overall anger and crud that makes headlines now-a-days. But this is life. This is not a dress rehearsal and it’s not going to stop. Day after day we never know what life may bring us, it’s best to show up and be present even amidst the craziness and the tragedies… the good and bad; is all a part of the experience.

Last night I watched an excellent but very sad movie, Never Let Me Go, based on the Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel by the same name. It was, at it’s core, about love but also even more-so about death and knowing our time here on earth is limited. I was left in tears and also in my memories of my life and my experiences, the people I have touched and been touched by, those that stayed up until now, those that were only here for a season, and those who are no longer alive.

The thing is that tomorrow is not promised to any of us… we live to die and that’s a fact. My wish for the world is that we can focus more on just that… on living, on experiencing ourselves truly and authenticly, and deepening our connection to each other in this world; because you never know if or when even the closest and tightest knits we have may unravel.

For this world I wish for us all to live for today, taking the hardship with the joy, seeing the humanity in each other, glorifying that, and recognizing it as what we have and what we live for.

Looking at the pictures of devastation in Japan, I saw a link to pictures of survivors… I saw people smiling, holding each other, a beautiful newborn, the elderly being helped, and those risking their own lives to save others. That glimmer of hope and that showing of service and love is what we need now and what I wish for us all, for our world.

This week Jamie asks, What gift do I wish to share?

I must say the gift of curiosity… I am forever learning and reading and listening and exploring.

I am more and more creating and making and doing and displaying.

I am so happy for this.

I wish to share this journey of curiosity, creativity, and clarity with others by example and through inspiring them to uncover their true desires and build their confidence through art practices.

Simple.

I have an amazing walking partner. She is in great shape, we have great conversation, and she gives me fitness advice. She works only 5 blocks from me enjoys walking the hillier streets of downtown streets of Seattle. But I didn’t always have a walking partner. Oh no.

Last year, I ran regularly then I got very very busy and couldn’t fit it into my evening or morning schedule. I even had to cancel my gym membership! Having no gym and no jogs to keep me fit, I had to do something. So I changed a few of my normal routines. For instance, I often listen to audiobooks on my bus commute to work. I decided to get off the bus a few stops sooner and walking those few blocks to work in the morning. I could listen to more of the books, get in a nice little stroll, and enjoy the brisk morning air. Then there was the elevator, I work on the top floor of a five-story building. I discovered the back stair entrance and vowed to only take the stairs in the mornings and after lunch. After a week of that I decided to add 2-3 walking lunches to my week. I break a sweat each day on the stairs… I really hit them hard each time. I was feeling pretty good about myself.

Then after a bad experience with a puddle on a rainy day walk, I decided to invest in some quality leather walking shoes. I’d been wearing whatever I wore to work that day and that just doesn’t cut it in rainy Seattle. I needed leather walking shoes if I was going to be serious about walking. So I got some, but not just any shoes… I got those Shape-ups SKECHERS. You know, the shoes that are designed for enhanced resistance training and accelerated muscle activation – basically they make your muscles work harder due to some fancy material wedged into the heal which makes the your butt get more tone with each step? I love these shoes! Every walking day, I pull them from under my desk at work (where they live), take off the shoes I wore that day and slip these puppies on… I feel very Mr.Rogers each time I do it. Which is awesome.

So how does this all relate to my finding a walking partner? Well, it’s a very Law of Attraction and The Secret type of thing… see, I started getting serious about my walking practice. From taking the stairs, to walking by myself, and especially buying my shoes and leaving them at my desk at work, I prepared myself for my partner – I kind of even “acted as if” she was already there.

It all worked out perfectly. I met my partner finally at a weekend retreat. She was clearly in very good shape and actually reminded me of my spinning instructor, private detective Auntie back home in Ohio. We totally hit it off and bonded at the retreat. Then a few weeks later, I saw her while grabbing lunch with my coworker. She reminded me that she worked downtown and we made sure we had each other’s cell numbers… set on getting in a walk that week. That was about a month ago. Now her and I walk about 2xs a week and it’s usually the highlight of my workday.

I guess the morale of the story is… if you want something in your life, you have to get ready for it first and you kind of have to “act as if” it’s already there waiting for around 12pm about to text you to meet it by the Starbucks on 4th Avenue.

This story has been brought to you by the numbers eight thirty five… it’s a contribution to @sheneeh‘s story tour.

So – what’s your story?

The Eight Thirty Five Story Tour is the online tour bus concept of storytelling one blog at a time, invented by Shenee Howard a storytelling designer extraordinaire. The tour features “a bunch of amazing people talking about stories on their sites for one day.” And I’ll be sharing a story soon too! Yay! Hope you can’t wait…

And check out Shenee on Twitter: @sheneeh

Me and Nikki on a cruise to the Bahamas

Happy Happy Birthday to my dearest friend, Nikki Jay. This post is totally dedicated to my best friend of basically my whole life. This song inspires me each and every time I hear it because it is sooo validating. I feel each time that this artist is singing to me.. about me… and I know that every woman that hears this song feels this way. It’s like a reminder of that wonderful quote, “To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.” And I want to dedicate this post to her and her amazing-ness. I hope that everyone can be inspired by this song and testament to friendship!

Nikki Jay and I used to play Barbies at age 12 together… I’m an honorary family member, she has the best siblings ever! her family is like a tribe and her mom is the best-est and got me to change my eating habits (for the better) at age 14. She is a beautiful model (literally, my BFF is a model) that inspired me to wear eyeshadow, doll myself up more, and not be afraid to take wonderful care of myself and be fabulous! She makes lovely jewelery out of glass beads that she creates and always gives me first dips on stuff and tells me all about her process. She is so inspiring to me and is an amazingly creative being by nature. She is a fashionista with super sassy style that loves to shop for sales whenever I come home for the holiday. She is my fellow Indian food lover that also loves Bollywood and finger cymbals. She is my roll dog whenever I want to take a trip or do some crazy race (like the Muddy Buddy) or visit colleges in NYC for my MFA. She is my sounding board, voice of reason, and inspiration in this wonderful journey called life. She’s my Gayle! That’s what it is! She’s my Gayle!! (Wow that would make me Oprah! NICE!!! LOL!)

The best thing about my BFF is she’s the humblest, kindest, most sweet and friendly person you’ll ever meet…. AND she shares her birthday with my Grandmother.

Nikki Jay, You are Awesome, Talented, and Amazing… Just the way you are!!! xoxoxo