* This is a guest post by singer and artist, Nana.
Inspired by my mother, a classical pianist, I started playing the piano at the age of 4. By the time I was 5, I was performing.
Music was my world and the stage was my comfort zone. For many years, I practiced four hours a day.
Along with music, I dedicated my time and energy as a child to learning about the human experience – what “life” was about. I read many books on such topics as self-help, past lives, classical literature, philosophy and religion. I gained hands-on experience in these areas by listening and talking to everyone I encountered. I always felt my calling was to help others.
So how did a young girl who played classical piano and loved to help others end up singing a song called “Blessed Life” and pursuing her music dreams?
During my teenage years, I decided that classical piano was a lonely experience and announced to my parents that I was going to get a job and live life! Yes, I was only 13 years old at the time. My parents were apprehensive and felt devastated about my decision to work and dance in nightclubs.
Though they were disappointed in my life decisions, I spent much of the 1990s in the New York City dance scene, which was still authentic and resembled that of the 1970s. I knew in my heart that dancing was a journey with a purpose. Also, I figured, why wait until I was 18 to get wild and crazy? I might as well get it out of my system when I was younger.
I explored dance music, customs, liberations of the soul and collective experiences of love, kindness and unity on a mass level. For me, dancing was an expressive and spiritual experience.
This understanding augmented my experiences of music, art, self-expression and outrageous customs that later took me on a journey far into the dessert – what we in Burning Man call the PLAYA. The scene there took art, love and community to another level, and inspired me to become the person I am today.
The roads I traveled widened my artistic and musical understanding. I experienced a sense of community on a deep level and understood the things that moved and motivated people.
All this time, deep down inside, I knew that I wanted to write music. I had always known that I wanted to sing, dance and be on stage, but even though those were my callings, I hadn’t written a song yet!!
The time came when I had to help with my family business and, consequently, take on a full-time job. At work I interacted with intelligent people and built relationships with them by helping with their skin problems. I was putting my experiences with learning and healing into practice.
For a portion of my working years I helped clients who came into the skin care shop. In addition to assisting with their skin issues, I offered life advice, book suggestions and even techniques they could use to heal themselves. Having these clients return or write emails saying that my suggestions were useful and changed their lives became music to my ears.
As I helped people improve their skin and their health, a little voice inside me was whispering, saying that I needed to sing, dance and entertain. As the years passed, I got a journal and began writing songs. I wrote on the subway to and from work, jotting down my experiences, thoughts about life and descriptions of things I encountered on a daily basis.
I decided I would “relate to the human experience” through song and create a message that would lift up and resonate with people. I wanted to write songs that inspired others to take action – to love themselves, keep going, help others, etc.
Years went by and these songs – and my dream – remained in my heart. Then I met my life partner, who became my best friend and my biggest supporter. Someone wanted to help me and now it was my turn to learn the lesson of receiving. To give is great, but to receive is another gift and an art one must learn. The balance of giving and receiving is the key to life. If you only give, you will end up bitter; to learn to receive keeps the universe balanced.
A year went by before I became acquainted with the person who would lead and stimulate my music project – a well-established professional who handled many famous artists.
I went to him with three home-recorded songs and told him my vision – “MUSIC WITH A MESSAGE.” I wanted to help and inspire the world and use music as a way to communicate new forms of art. I wanted to bring together people who have love in their hearts and inspire them to create change in the world. I needed someone like him to represent and help me.
With lots of positive thinking, affirmations and support from the universe, I started the journey this past January.
Although I faced many challenges and bumps in the road, I didn’t give up on this project that I call “music with a message” or “revolution/evolution of self.”
I know I have a long way to go and that I’m in the beginning stages of this journey.
I hope you enjoy my first song, on which I collaborated with the great producer Kyle Kelso. The song is “Blessed Life,” and its video contains elements of the club scene, Burning Man-inspired customs, LED light and, of course, regular people I encountered while wandering around New York City.
I hope you feel inspired and share the light and the message to be “Blessed Always!” And I hope you, too, take action on your dreams today, no matter how big or small they are.
Here are six steps you can take to live a more holistic and conscious life, one that enables you to pursue your dreams and live your light:
1. Read.
Books inspire and give you the tools you need to better your life. These are the top, must-read books that have changed and inspired me.
- Louise Hay – You Can Heal Your Life
- Brian L. Weiss – Many Lives, Many Masters
- Paulo Coelho – The Pilgrimage and The Alchemist
- Carlos Castaneda – The Power Of Silence
- Nick Flynn – Another Bullshit Night in Suck City
- Hermann Hesse – Siddhartha
- Juan Mascaro – Bhagavad Gita and The Upanishads
2. Use sage for energy cleansing and healing.
Get a bundle of sage and cleanse either daily or weekly.
It’s like taking a shower, or vacuuming and dusting.
Open all your windows, light the sage and run it around your body. Then go to each room, including all the corners, and ask to cleanse the energy around you and in your home.
Ask to release everything you don’t need. Invite all new, positive energy.
Trust me – you will feel the difference.
3. Use affirmations.
This is so important. If you want to achieve something, you must get a journal and write, write, write. If you come to my home you will see stacks of notebooks and pages upon pages filled with the same statement, written over and over. In every one of your life’s time frames, you have different needs and goals, different things you must get done.
Write what you want, and do so in positive, present tense (i.e., as though you already have it). This lets your subconscious mind envision what you want, and helps the universe bring it to you. You become open to having it.
A few examples of affirmations:
- I HAVE A BRAND-NEW, ENERGY-EFFICIENT RED CAR.
- I LOVE MY NEW JOB, I ENJOY THE DAILY ACTIVITIES I DO AND I HAVE A GREAT SALARY THAT SUPPORTS ME ABUNDANTLY.
- I LOVE MY NEW PARTNER (even if you don’t have one yet). HE/SHE (list qualities)…IS KIND, IS LOVING, IS FUNNY, IS HEALTHY, IS BALANCED, LOVES ME JOYFULLY.
When getting started, you might want to obtain a deck of affirmation cards from Louise Hay (she has many options), then pick one card daily and complete the affirmation. Repeat it at home and in your head.
4. Exercise.
My mom always says, “Healthy body, healthy mind.”
You need to stretch every day and complete some type of physical activity that will engage your body and mind. Take a walk around your home for 30 minutes a day, or go jogging or hiking on the weekends. Hit up a gym. Whatever it is, do something. Your body needs circulation and activity.
5. Give back and receive.
Help others, whether by listening to them and offering advice, or by doing a favor for them. Also, remember that when your turn comes to receive, accept the help and say, “Thank you.” If you find that no one gives back to you, open your heart and ask for help from the universe. Help will come, and you must stay open to receiving it. You will be surprised to discover who lends a hand or smiles at you when you least expect it.
6. Love yourself.
The world is full of demands. We may not achieve our goals quickly, and we may even fail, but we must remember that our worth doesn’t depend on the amount of money we make or the powerful positions we hold or the material things (nice though they are) we own. We are souls – energy – light. Every night give yourself a hug. No matter how tough your day was, tell yourself, “I love you,” and give yourself a hug.
I would love to hear from you, whether you have questions, feedback or thoughts. Please like my Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter feed. You can also visit my iTunes station or website to stay in touch.
MUCH LOVE TO ALL MY ALCHEMISTS OUT THERE,
NANA
P.S. If you feel inspired by my video, please share it with others who you think will enjoy it.