An Amiable Beginning

Four Practical Tips :

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word

2. Walking is also meditation

3. Read

4. Curiosity is a good thing

It seems rather fitting to create a sacred and somewhat spontaneous digital space for exchanging new information, experiences, and all of the oddities. So in honor of new beginnings here is are four tips to help with any new venture - below you will find a bit more in detail about what these tips can be interpreted as:

Your words have the power to guide and help you, they are a very powerful tool. Many dear friends and mentors along the way have stressed the importance of speaking your good into the world - whether it be in the recording studio or out and about in the city, their words have held true along road for creating and living sustainably. The saying is actually from The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. I'll spare the synopsis, for this is actually one of the four agreements itself. It is definitely worth a read and is also filled with many accessible and personable ways to interpret and practice life-long good thought patterns. To summarize this tip and to keep things short, adding even the slightest increase of awareness, focus, or intent towards what you are saying will better allow you to head towards your goals and ultimately to feel genuine well-being. Your words are powerful and important!

Yep, Meditation. The auspicious meditation that can take on many forms and many meanings, but at its core, the essence Meditation is about being present and also feeling present. One way to interpret this is that you can have a meditative experience via many different actions and activities, without sitting closing of the eyes. That’s what it is meant by walking in meditation. You can benefit from meditation in a similar fashion to the tried and true seated meditations, by doing something completely different and unique to yourself. For one person it may very well be closing their eyes and sitting cross-legged in the usual manner, practicing the asanas, pranayamas and mudras, a valiant useful experience, or there might be a better method for another individual, maybe something as accessible as standing in the park, hiking, riding a bike, or painting. The stigmas attached to meditation have lessened over the past century in the Americas, although there still is an ever so lingering hesitation towards meditation, and the action involved with meditating. And I am sharing this tip with the hope and belief that the stigma will one day be eradicated - once you find your meditation, so too will good things find you. It's possible you have experienced your personal meditation many times without even realizing it. Nonetheless, there are many ways to experience presence, rootedness, or really any genuine good-feeling thought. So, if you are feeling curious, find a chair, sit on the ground, or lay down, and for a quick 15 minute period close your eyes and focus on your breath and how it flows effortlessly - it is a great place to start.

Of the many music guest speaker events one, at Occidental College, carried a profound impact on the approach to reading. The guest speaker was Madonna's go-to live-engineer for touring and other live events, his full name has slipped through the mind although i believe his first name was Kevin. Sitting in the multi-use classroom auditorium, Kevin discussed and shared a brief snapshot of his life and the mindset of the recording pioneers from the 80's to the 2010's, it was very wholesome and personable. In the middle of the event Kevin began to speak on what actions in Madonna's life allowed her to achieve her dreams and allowed her to experience her unique success that was so daring. His answer was succinct and he said something along the lines of "I have never seen, nor met, someone who reads as much as Madonna." Kevin continued with a light of adoration in his eye and shared that her curiosity about books had no bounds. Whether they were science books, self-help books, business books - they were fair game to be picked up and read by her. In short, Madonna would read all the time and if she was not working on a recording, rehearsing, or on set, she was reading something.. On a personal level, reading can come as an ebb & flow and it isn't necessary to replicate or indulge into the same reading habits that Madonna lived by. Nonetheless, it is so important and freeing to read, for it helps generate that feel-good feeling of wonder and curiosity..which leads us to tip number 4

This one is simple and effective, just be curious. When working in music, and generally any field, the more information you seek the better equipped and more comfortable you will be. If you can't seem to find anything within to feel that curiosity, there are methods to practicing curiosity. A simple idea is to try a food item you've always wanted to taste, or one you'd never eat. The whole point is to question, and follow through with the act of seeking the answer, this feeds exponential growth and wisdom. In regards to music, try learning a new instrument or maybe even your first ever instrument, it is never too late. And if your are all about brain-health, there are many long-term health benefits from learning an instrument or new language, primarily that of increasing your memory. As always, go with the flow and constantly feed your curiosity - to trying new things!

Today will be the best.

Gen