As most of you probably know, this blog is about following my trail as I create my dream in the hopes to encourage you as you do the same. I’ve found a big part of that process to be to apply the things I learn and to use all the resources at my fingertips. In addition to that, learning to treat your passion like a business can help you make tons of progress, but it’s a fine line to not let it become a soul sucking monster. How can you find the balance?
Squeaky CLean Fun
Well, I’ve been super busy forging my new partnership with Chris Rachel Oseland of Palmyran Rebel Events. We are two geeky girls who are making a huge effort to really push preconceived boundaries of success….Being in promotions, production and performing really requires us to be able to wear many hats – Going from business meeting to costumed weirdo in zero seconds flat.
We needed a break from the heaviness of our meeting today, so we went in search of balance and stepped outside the restaurant we were meeting at to have some Iphone photo fun! As we ran around taking photos and releasing all tension as we got ridiculously silly, I came across a moose – and I just knew I had to tame this wild and majestic beast.
A very influential person in my life, Sharon Fountain (of Performance Development Corporation and president of the National Association of Self Esteem) has a wonderful analogy in which she uses the moose…. a dead moose actually. She uses a moose on the floor in between two people to represent something that can keep two people from communicating. The moose represents some issue between the two that neither wants to deal with. So it lays there. The people step over and around it, but it’s still there and eventually begins to stink and taint their experience. Until the moose is dealt with, things will continue to become more and more unpleasant.
This is also a great way to think about issues within ourselves that keep us from hearing our inner guidance and allowing our dreams to communicate to us on how to achieve them. Many of us love to hear the positive feel good stuff of spirituality that promises us a purposeful life, but (as one of my songs say) following our dreams means confronting our nightmares. We have to deal with the moose.
I’ve outlined the steps to this in interpretive photo dance!
Step one: (sadly I did not get a photo for the first step).
First step is seeing the moose and realizing what it is. I did this today by coming to a screeching halt in the parking lot of Lynn’s Paradise Cafe, lifting my arm to point and screaming “MOOOOOOOSE!!!!!!!!“.
I recently realized that I’d put off admitting some things from my life had made me sad and that it was okay to be sad about them. There were some things about myself I’d been refusing to see. They recently came to light, and I was willing to take a deep breath and say hello.
The first step is always the hardest!
Step Two
Be willing to take on the challenge of the Moose! It may be that you’ve gotten a bit out of shape like me. First step is to believe and decide that regardless of your current shape, you CAN tame the moose! Begin it! The first step is always the hardest!
Although I saw a moose in some areas of my life, I put off making the first step to dealing with them for quite some time. Once I made the first step, I was committed and the process was in motion.
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all?
Step Three
Keep Going. You may not be able to see the progress that you’ve made while in the midst of trying to overcome the moose; you may feel all turned upside down at times, but you are actually getting somewhere. Don’t get stuck, and remember you can turn around if you find yourself a little off course.
I’ve done a lot of work within the last year, and sometimes it feels like I’ve gotten no where, or find a new thing rising up within me to deal with. Then I take a moment to reflect on how different my life is in comparison to three years ago and I am tremendously proud of myself.
holy cow! no moose! I'm on a moose!
Step Four
Don’t let fear stop you. Just take a moment to reflect and look at how far you’ve come. Have faith that you are almost there.
Although I see many bright things on the horizon, it doesn’t mean that I don’t daily deal with the temptation to fear or doubt. Forging a faith strong enough to move mountains takes daily practice.
aww, I love you, moose.
Step Five
Learn to love the moose. Oh that’s right. I said it.
I recently had the revelation that spirituality wasn’t about removing the items from yourself that you don’t like or refusing to let them come to mind, but rather learning to embrace and love ALL those parts of yourself – including the moose - how? by dealing with them of course!
Step Six
Claim VICTORY as the wild moose rider you are! Ride that moose with all the pride you can muster. It might not go away, but now you know it for what it is, have learned to rise above it and can ride it like a pro when it comes around 
I embrace what comes my way to deal with and allow it to surface when it needs to, but am more experienced in ways to work with it instead of fighting it. For example, I found certain things trying to haunt me/accuse me, so I imagined little gargoyles for each of them that I mentally patted on the head while cooing things like “Awww, do you want some attention? Poor little baby needs some love”.
What kind of Moose have you been hiding from? What lies in your past that you have not ever admitted, dealt with? What are you refusing to see about yourself? What nightmares are keeping you from the realization of your dreams? What kind of silliness can you begin to help you learn to ride your moose?
Don't sulk! Be a rebel and sneak on to the ride it anyways!
Voices may always rise to tell you that you’re not good enough, pretty enough, strong enough…… Don’t let any voices tell you that you’re not tall enough to ride the moose.
IIIIIIII DID IT!!!!!!!!
If you’re not ready to tackle the moose yet, don’t forget to take pride and joy in tackling some smaller beasts within your life first as you work your way up.
Yes…We did a lot of laughing today. Please tweet, facebook, ping the moose! Share us with your friends, family and loved ones who might also enjoy a laugh…Help your loved ones ride the moose, too!
Don’t forget, if you are getting this via email, you have to come to www.doggeddreamcreations.com/divinityrising to see the photos!
Hey everyone! I’m so excited about tonight! I’m performing at the Mother Lodge festival in Louisville, Kentucky with NYC Lady Rizo and a slew of other talented performers like Tyrone Cotton, JP Lebangood, Adam Rapp and Craig Wright.
If you can’t make it Friday night to see the release of Broken, you can come to Artography at Creation Gardens on 725 E Market St on Saturday, where the exhibit will be set up/I will be performing. There will be over 100 artists, bands, music, and a good chunk of proceeds go to support three important nonprofit organizations, including the Fairness Campaign. Saturday’s festivities begin at 4 p.m. and tickets are $15 Check out the full list of stuff going on at this amazing festival!
