I found an incredible life coach here in Nashville. I go for my coaching sessions and end up pouring out all my thoughts and she says,
"You really need to be a writer. I suggest a blog with your words and photos. I can see it now... People would love to hear these thoughts, but I think it'd also be good for you."
That's not the advice I expected. And I fought it for a little bit. Saying I don't want to be that person who has a blog and shares their opinion all over the internet. I hate soap boxes! But she said I didn't need to be "that person". Don't stand on a soap box. Be real, and just share. The world is changed by your example not your opinion.
So I'm gonna journal about my day to day life here in Nashville.
I know my mom will read it, at least. ;)
6/6/2018:
I remember feeling so much satisfaction at the end of the day yesterday, seeing how little efforts and little pieces of life eventually add up. Because you know those days when you think you got nothing done, like that one day last week- I felt like I hardly accomplished anything. Those days you think, “Man, what a loser”. Haha! But looking back on that “fail” of a day--- that was the day I started submitting messages to local magazine companies (in my pjs), and one wrote back asking to meet in person- and that meeting was yesterday. It all adds up in the end.
I got up and watched YouTube tutorials on meditation. Thanks to my amazing co-worker and friend, Rachael (pictured left), who inspired me by talking of the benefits of meditation while we picked Shallots on the farm. I was convinced to give it a try.
I took 5 min to be still and focus on breathing. They say to start small so I did, expecting to get nothing out of my first time. I hear it takes a month sometimes to notice any changes but I felt a difference just after 5 min. I never noticed how good breathing felt- you know that bridge between breathing in and out? Nope, I never knew it existed either until yesterday and how peaceful and good it feels. I know this sounds way-out-there but it’s true, we just never take time to experience it.
I also felt more awareness and a stronger mind throughout my day.
I kept noticing my breath (breathing well), and when my mind would start to get distracted, by wandering or worrying I knew I had the strength to tell my monkey mind, “ok, back at your task at hand!” because that’s what you do when you meditate, so you get good at practicing that and strengthening that part of your brain.
I noticed that I lived more in the present moment: all from 5 minutes on my floor, breathing in and breathing out.
I drove to The Gulch to meet the Nashville executive for the magazine (and expo) “The Pink Bride”, which is TN’s leading resource for brides. We met in the Thompson Hotel lobby- it was so gorgeous (think valet parking, guys opening doors… in suits.) However, I wore blue jeans, because after all, this is Nashville, such a laid-back country city. But my shirt was nice, guys, and I wore leather heels. Haha! Anyway, the meeting was a lot more fun and relaxed than I had anticipated.
My question was if I could get my photos published in their magazine and what it took to be a part of an expo. And to explore if that is something I would even want to do. I didn’t realize at the time that they meet with you and ask about your business and goals and see if they’d let you in. So we were just chatting about my business goals as if we were friends, and by the end she said I had a green light. So that was cool. However, to get photos published in the magazine, you have to run an ad for two issues, which is $800 and then they'll also publish some of your photos throughout the magazine. I drove by the Music City Center afterwards to see where the expo would be held and it was massive! I always wondered what that building was with a roof that looked like waves. (that's not it in that photo, I just thought it was a pretty building so I took a pic)
I then went to a coffee shop, The Red Bicycle, (Nashville is known for renting red bikes to folks for exploring the city). I have to confess that I was trying to be like the cool kids who edit photos in hip coffee shops. But after coming home I decided I liked editing in my peaceful room best. I did pick up a coffee made by Matchless, which is a company I discovered from volunteering at a Farm Dinner. (They were a vendor there). It is “coffee soda”. Iced coffee, that is fizzy like soda, with a hint of orange. Insane! I love it so much, especially with our hot, humid days!!!!
The sad thing, is that I can’t drink coffee. It had been years since I drank a cup of coffee so I decided to try again. Sure enough, I felt terrible afterwards. I feel paralyzed and get a heavy brain fog. I researched it a bit and it all made sense. My Dr. told me my adrenaline and cortisol levels are the highest she’s ever seen (that’s where all my energy comes from haha!) and caffeine just causes your body to make MORE adrenaline & cortisol. So by then I’m probably almost dead from the amount I have pumping through my blood. Ha!
That night I got home, sent out the photo job I had edited at the super hip coffee shop ;) and talked to the owner of Red Hawk Aerial who is gonna help me get some aerial video footage of Nashville next week for a video I’m making.
I’ll have to tell ya more about this later.