Creating Mircales

Rainbow Way!, a photo by DimitriS Photography on Flickr.

When we are open to possibilities; when we are receptive to truth and knowledge beyond reason, miracles happen. Being open to possibilities does not mean being passive. It doesn't mean sitting in front of the television with glazed eyes and numbed senses. Being open to possibilities means being proactive. It is taking back your power and being engaged in your world.

Believe that success, truth, love, peace, and joy are all yours and then share them with everyone you encounter. Share truth and love with every relative, friend, passerby, telemarketer, and store clerk you meet. Share peace and joy with every customer, client, student, teacher, taxicab driver, plant, and animal that comes your way. Only through giving do you receive. Nothing manifests outside of a divine plan. Nothing. Whatever you give abundantly, you will receive abundantly. This is the Divine Law. Do this and experience miracles that will blow your mind.

Change Is Gonna Come

smile, a photo by Lacaille_ on Flickr.

When I am faced with a challenge, I do one of several things:

a) retreat to my lair and draft an action plan
b) cry
c) pray that a one way ticket to Paris falls from the heavens and into my hands
d) ask for divine guidance
e) all of the above

Time and again letter “d” proves to be the best choice, yet far too often it is my last choice. I will cry, fuss and cuss before I begin to get still and listen to the divine voice of wisdom within me. And it always has the perfect answer.

So the real challenge in life isn’t the daily frustrations I face. The challenge isn’t the illusion that things are not unfolding as they should be unfolding. The real challenge is responding to the alleged hardship properly. It is learning how to immediately tune in to the voice of divine guidance verses the voice of insanity.

I was watching Oprah’s Life Class web cast last night when I heard Iyanla Vanzant say something that tickled my ears. She said that when faced with a challenge, she responds by affirming, “I can’t wait to see what good is going to come out of this!” Hearing her say this was a powerful wake up call for me. Believing that something wonderful is rising from the ashes of sorrow gives me clearer perspective of my life journey. This is what the still, small voice always whispers to me: change is gonna come, and it’s gonna be all good.

Ah The Beauty That Is Music...

Ah The Beauty That Is Music..., a photo by mandoka on Flickr.

Music is amazing. It is so amazing that I cannot find the words to express how amazing it is. What’s even more remarkable is that I, a music teacher, often times forget the power of music. Music can soothe, calm and help alleviate an emotional wound. It can also exacerbate, irritate and awaken those feelings that we classify as bad. Music seeps under our skin and resonates within our bodies. It tickles our soul; it purges our pain and celebrates our love.

October was a challenging month for me emotionally. There were moments when I felt pain in its rawest form. There were moments when I felt confused and blindsided, helpless and alone; and yet, the still small voice within me whispered softly, “Everything is perfect, Ebony. You’ll be okay. You are okay.” A song would then pop in my head – never the same song, always different, yet always keen.

The Prince of Egypt soundtrack contributed to my personal radio station. The Whitney Houston and Mariah Carrey duet, When You Believe, strengthened my spirit and renewed my faith in life's unlimited opportunities. My favorite lyric is “who knows what miracles you can achieve when you believe?” With two heavy hitters like Houston and Carrey delivering an inspirational song with real emotional depth, I felt the pain in my body rise from my toenails, up my thighs, through my chest, up my throat and out my mouth and eyes. Unlimited opportunities. Miracles happen now.

Last night I played a recording of Bach’s Suite 3, Air On The “G” String and wept. I wasn’t expecting to cry. It was such a pure and unadulterated response: it shook my core. What brought that on? I don’t completely understand why I cried. I do know that the music spoke to something deep within me. It got under my skin and summoned the weariness residing inside me to leave like Lady MacBeth ordering her banquet guests to leave at once. When the music ended and I finished crying, I felt cleansed.

What type of music leaves you feeling cleansed and renewed with hope? What songs does your personal radio station stream during life’s challenges? If you’ve never tried listening to music to uplift your spirit, try it now. Sit down, get comfortable and truly listen. Music can change your life. Miracles happen now.

Monday Minute #60

1. What part of 'no' do you not understand?
I understand "no" completely. I even know how to say it in three different languages: English, Spanish, and French.

2. Which current reality show do you think you could win?
If I had rock star partner, I think I could kick butt in the Amazing Race.

3 . Would you amputate your right arm for ten million dollars?
No. But I would amputate your right arm for ten million dollars. Hahaha. J/K.

4. If I say, just bring it - what you got?
Dessert. Count on me to bring the sweets. Woot woot.

and finally...

5. You are opening a restaurant. What type or theme of food are you serving?
Pizza. I would totally be the Bubba Gump of pizza. I would fry it, bake it, toast it, and roast it, baby.

Iggy Punk

So I'm reading this book, Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, and the punk rocker lifestyle fascinates me. Perhaps I should qualify that by saying that some the punk rocker lifestyles fascinate me because not all punk rockers lead crazy, reckless lives. There's always an exception. But for those who do speed down life's highway with a beer in one hand and a needle in the other, in the words of Ricky Ricardo, "aye yai yai!"

I'm about a hundred pages in and I've learned more about Iggy Pop than I'd care to know. I'm sure that theses days Iggy is a wise man who would welcome you into his home and offer you a glass of wine and a canape, but when he was a young rocker in the Stooges -- Lawdy! I already knew that he used stage gimmicks a la the legendary Jim Morrison: exposing himself, yelling obscenities and antagonizing his audience. I knew that he tossed globs of peanut butter at his audience, but I didn't know that he added hamburger meat to the mix, and I didn't know that he vomited regularly on stage. Gross. I haven't mentioned his recklessness off stage. I'll save that for another post.

There are two things that fascinate me about Iggy Pop:

1. He's still alive after leading a hard life.

2. His audience loved him.

Maybe I'm disconnected from the hip world of punk rock, but I don't understand why an audience would enjoy having raw meat and peanut butter tossed at them while being called mother*&$%. Neither do I understand why an audience would enjoy watching a performer puke onstage. According to the authors, Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain, Iggy's shows were considered art. Miles Davis attended Stooges's concerts and enjoyed them. He even snorted coke with the guys backstage at their New York shows. Hmmm. There is something mighty powerful about the united punk spirit.