How to Overcome Obstacles and Turn Them Into Allies

HOW TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES AND TURN THEM INTO ALLIES

Musical Obstacles

Article by Cymber Lily Quinn
Photo Credit: Victor of Valencia
Magazine: Issue #17

You know you want to get better at playing your instrument or singing. You know you should get back to music. But there’s something stopping you. You are stuck. What to do chica? 

Stop The Fight

Many of the old ways called for a fight, a push, a struggle as a way to overcome your obstacles. It worked if you were macho enough, but these days, I find it just plain ole’ tiring. 

Make Friends With Your Obstacles

Sounds crazy, right? Who wants to snuggle up to the snarling voices that keep telling you to make your music, and the other voices that tell you all the negative stuff. But one of the most alchemical, gentle, and transformative ways to remove your blocks and obstacles is to befriend them. Make a list of all the blocks you have, all the things that are bugging you right now. Then ask them some questions:

:: When were you created? Why? (Blocks are usually created in childhood to protect you.)
:: How old do you think I am now? (Blocks usually think you are still a kid.)
:: Are you ready to be updated for a new assignment? (Usually they are.)

Thank your blocks for protecting you, then mentally ask them to complete their work, so you can recycle them. Or throw them in the Cosmic Dumpster. 

Replacing Old Beliefs with New Ones

Once the old beliefs are gone, you want to replace them with new ones. These are new beliefs that are appropriate for where you are now in your life. 

Make a list all the new beliefs that you’d like to have...better relationships, more security, better connection with your community, and most importantly, ways back into your music, and ways back into confidence. 

Put this list where you can see it every day,  so you can retrain your mind to notice when you are experiencing your new beliefs. And when you see your new beliefs showing up in your life, make a note of that too. Changes are both slow and fast, depending on which part of your life is ready for change. 

The most magical part of this process, the most alchemical and transformative, is the process of welcoming the blocks, and understanding that they are a natural part of your life. Then you can transform them by updating them and giving them a new assignment.

3 Fast Ways to Hum Your Way to Happiness!

3 FAST WAYS TO HUM YOUR WAY TO HAPPINESS!

Article by Cymber Lily Quinn
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #21

3 Fast Ways To Hum Your Way To Happiness

You’re blue, unhappy, angry, depressed. You’re also holistic, groovy and know you should be able to pull yourself out of the Dungeon of Despair. And it’s that clean slate time of year…

What to do?

There are lots of great ways to lift your spirits: meditation, walking in nature, talking with friends. But what if none of those are available right now?

Ready to add something new to your toolkit?

It’s humming! Yes, simple humming.

Here are 3 ways you can use humming to improve your life!

Check Your Hummer. I’m not talking about an oversized vehicle. I’m talking about the harp you carry within you, the sacred harp - your own voice. Put your lips together, and send the sound out through your nose. It might tickle a little. That’s good.

Hum Your Bad Day Away. Had a bad hair day? Tell me about it, but do it only by humming. Really tell the story, but only by humming. When you take the words out and allow just the energy of the event through humming, it’s easier to release.

Hum Your Way to Happiness. Once you know your hummer is working, and you’ve released some sound gunk, you’re ready to connect to a source of happiness. You can either get very quiet and listen for your own song, and begin to hum. Or you can pick a simple song from your childhood that and hum that. Notice how the tune changes over time.

I hope you have a big smile on your face, and you’ve learned something new about your voice and how powerful it is in lifting your spirits.

Use liberally!

2 Foods That Will Kill Your Confidence (And What to do About It)

2 FOODS THAT WILL KILL YOUR CONFIDENCE
(AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT)

2 Foods That Will Kill Your Confidence

Article by Cymber Lily Quinn
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #18

You've probably heard the saying, "You are what you eat." That could not be more true when it comes to the relationship between food and confidence. And you might be totally surprised to learn which foods are significant confidence killers.

1| Sugar

Hate to break it to you, but sugar kills confidence. Yes, you get a brief high from eating sugar, but you also get the crash later. And the crash is when you begin to question why you became an artist in the first place ­­ what were you thinking? Then you dive into a tailspin, wondering if you will ever feel creative again.

You can skip all that and stay productive and confidence by skipping sugar in all its forms ­ white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and even healthier forms including honey, maple syrup and agave.

INSTEAD: Eat a complete sugar in the form of fruit. Don't drink apple juice. Eat the apple. The rest of the apple is designed to help you digest the sugars better. And eat fruit in moderation.

To get the taste of sugar, try an herb called Stevia. Two drops of Stevia tincture in your water will taste like two teaspoons of sugar ­ without the blood sugar roller coaster ride.

(And don't even think of sugar substitutes. Sweet­n­Low, Equal, and Splenda all contain chemicals known to cause cancer. Cancer will put a serious dent in your confidence for a while. Skip that.)

All sugar causes inflammation in the body. That's why when you eat a big sugary dessert, you feel like you have a hangover in the morning.And speaking of hangovers...

2| Alcohol

I wish this weren't true, but it is. Alcohol is just another form of sugar, and a huge source of inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a fire that the body must put out in order to function well.

Sugar induced inflammation robs the body of nutrients and energy that could be used to increase your creativity and confidence. While it might feel like drinking a glass or two before performing or creating improves the flow of ideas, this is probably not true, and definitely temporary.

INSTEAD: Drink water, only. Yep, it seems extreme perhaps, but how long have you been drinking fire? Your body is 70% water, and that water needs to be changed out every so often. Drink 3­4 pints of water per day, and you'll find your confidence levels rising, as the sugars and alcohol leaving your body.

Your Confidence Depends on Your Food

When the body is working well, it will lend its energies to your confidence and creative activities. Eat simple, whole foods ­­ you know, foods that you can pronounce and recognize. Drink only water ­ this simplifies shopping and ordering, too ­ and will save you lots of money. As your body becomes healthier, you'll watch your confidence soar, too!