2012...they could not stop the beat.

Music changes lives. People are drawn to beats, the lyrics, and the way others react when they hear a song. When I hear a song whose beats or lyrics strike a chord deep within my soul it goes on repeat. I can not get the music out of my head. There are plenty of songs that I hear and their beat is addictive because it's the current go to song or you find yourself in the moment - but there are some songs who change the way you choose to think about life. They give you added perspective on love, work, family, and friendships.

I volunteer with a nonprofit who believes in arts education and I remember fondly from one of their performances last season a line from one of the acts, "they could not stop the beat". It seemed like such a simple phrase, but after meeting an artist recently that I admire deeply for the thought that goes into his lyrics - I understand now more than ever that sometimes music can flow through you with no inhibitions.  There are times when I get lost in the lyrics or the beats and I actually wish I could just play snippets of songs to communicate. These moments would allow some of those people the closest to me to understand a little better.

dyism:
Lyrics and beats will forever give human beings the needed energy to change lives in some way or another.

dyism...finally off of hiatus

I went to visit my mum a few months ago while she was on travel for her job. It happened to be a pretty large convention and she was staying in the host hotel. It was obvious that the majority of people staying there for that particular week were conference attendees. It was the perfect city to have fun and catch up with her. I looked at the conference program booklet to make sure I didn't see any seminars that were of interest to me, which made it pretty easy to decide that on-site registration wasn't necessary or a priority.

During the time that we were there I would have lazy mornings, read and just relax while she was in the hustle of conference mode. We would meet up for lunch or dinner and just enjoy being together. I vividly remember one lunch because we were talking and one of the guys at the table was appalled that I was just chilling during while everyone else was going to seminars. At one point he looked at me intently and said "You're not even registered. You're going to miss everything!". I smiled politely and thought to myself that we came to this city for two very different reasons.

dyism:
Tunnel vision is only an impediment when you stop driving through the tunnel of life.

live. love. laugh - dyism wk of 7.18.2011

I was standing outside getting ready to get lunch last week and a phone call came in with an area code from Baton Rouge, my hometown. A bit perplexed that I didn't know the number, I answered cautiously and heard a voice that I will never forget. For 16 years of my life, 4 days a week I heard the same voice inspiring and demanding me to be my best. 

On the other line was the founder of my dance studio, Jerisse Grantham. Her love for dance, especially tap was infectious. Her studio was our second home; we were a family of people driven by a calling to move our feet and always "live, love, laugh". The last time I saw her was 11 years ago when she was preparing to have her first child and wouldn't leave the studio. I remember helping her lock up and telling her to call me when she got home. Ironically that's the first thing she mentioned to me on our call. 

You never know how much someone impacts your life or vice versa by simple interactions. That studio gave me an opportunity to express my love of the arts and forever changed me as a person. She reinforced what my parents taught me in terms of discipline, hard work, commitment, and living every day with no regrets. It was the perfect call to receive after questioning the last few months what's next. Her last statement to me was "Stop by the studio when you're in Baton Rouge, and whatever is next will be better than the last."

dyism:

It's worth remembering the lessons of our past, to make brighter futures.

doritos, skittles, bourbon - dyism wk of 6.13.2011

The interesting thing about writing about your own life is that sometimes people assume you're writing about them. Now I am writing about real time situations and people, but at least 50 percent of the time something similar has happened with someone else around me.

A few weeks ago I was having a conversation and we got on the topic of toxicity. We joked about some junk food being yummo like doritos, skittles, and bourbon - but they need to be consumed in moderation. It's the same way with people and habits in our lives. If you have anything in excess, you're backing yourself in a corner and possibly forcing claws to come out. After that conversation, I almost became obsessive with who and what needed to be purged and realized that wasn't necessary.

I've been so busy trying to figure out "what's next" that I didn't realize two old friendships growing stronger daily. They have always known the inner dork that I don't truly show to the world. It takes a special person to pull out some sides of me. All that to say one of them enjoys having deep conversations about self-fulfillment and he out the blue told me - know your worth.

dyism:

You need to add mental, physical, and/or emotional value in order to stay relevant in someone's life.

the single life - dyism wk of 6.6.2011

The single life can be taxing at times. Now people are probably wondering where this is going and why this is the topic of the week. I was quite the busy bee this week. On one occasion, I was sitting in a car with a close friend and she mentioned lightly that she received a promotion. I noticed that I seemed more excited than she did about her accomplishment. 

The next day, I was chilling with another girlfriend and she mentioned she was featured on a national network as an expert and made light of it as well. It got me to wondering if both of these single females had similar thought processes to mine. I don't really shout to the world or anybody when cool things happen in my life (confession, I do shout to my mum). I actually down play them for the most part. However, I will talk to my closest male and female friends more about my struggles.

Just as I concluded that single women don't toot their horns enough, a male friend who I haven't seen in ages tells me he's scooping me because I've been in MIA. I laughed and said ok. We go out  and are shooting the breeze and just enjoying life. I tease him and say that he's more than welcome to crash at my pool in the evenings like he's done for years and he tells me he bought a house last month that happens to have a pool. I'm elated but had an "a ha" moment that it's not single women - it's quite possibly a single people complex.

We don't have that one person outside of family that at the end of the day will truly embrace all of our A to Z moments. Sure we have friends, but let's be real - there can sometimes be boundaries about what you discuss. All of this to say, I plan on really embracing life's moments that deserve to be celebrated. So if you happen to be friend and you're reading this - I'm celebrating graduations, promotions, learning to cook a new dish, hanging a picture, and well you get the picture.

dyism:

Everyone needs a personal hype (wo)man.