#5 – November 2005

VIKKI FLAWITH, SINGER/SONGWRITER & VOICE TEACHER, VICTORIA, BC

Hi! I can't believe it's Hallowe'en time again!

Hot news this month: 

~ My weird & spooky vocal electronica piece, Frowespell, was part of a Hallowe'en broadcast on York University's CKRG 89.9 FM on Friday October 28th

~ my song, Dragonfire, produced by Dan Spedding, with back-up vocals by soprano Catherine Lewis, will be released on November 20th as part of 'The Mississippian & Friends Around the World - World Peace Compilation I,' which is being sold to raise funds for the children's charity Schattenkinder e.V

~ my song, It's a Shame, Don't They Matter is going to be performed in some US schools as part 'Side Efx', a show produced by LA songwriter Jon Batson to help raise awareness of, and hopefully put an end to, violence in schools 

~ I have my own domain now!  www.vikkiflawith.com

~ I'm the proud owner of a brand new maple-backed 6-string steel acoustic Martin guitar, from Mexico!

~ I continue to meet and collaborate with some wonderful folks, most recently: Dale Peaden, Dean Taylor & Lucian Blaga, Dave Walton, James Mitchell, and all the great musicians in my 'internet band', "The Collaborators" - Cliff Hitchcock, Vic Bonner, Morris Rainville, Joe Wrabek & more!

~ as some of you know, I am heading off to Hollywood this weekend (that rolls so nicely off the tongue and sounds very impressive) to attend a music conference, the 'Taxi Road Rally'.  I will be challenged to step up to the plate, meet & greet people, make chit chat, and present myself as an artist who has something to say and a voice to say it with.  This will be, for me, a test of how far I've come in believing in myself and what I do.  I carry all that you have shared with me in my heart as I undertake this journey.  Knowing all of you has made me a better, stronger person.  As I step into this cosmic future that leads I do not know where, I'd like to take a moment to thank you for being in my life. 

I intend to blog my trip as best I can.  Check it out at www.theshysinger-songwriter.blogspot.com over the next two weeks!  ~ Vikki

I thought I'd share this article, by Jan Marie Dore, Professional Certified Life Coach, with you.  In our busy lives, I think it's good to take time to slow down, sit down, and contemplate the blessings that we enjoy everyday.

Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude
The practice of gratitude is a powerful tool for recreating your life so that you regularly experience happiness, joy, and contentment. Gratitude is simply a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for all that is. Grateful thoughts align your heart, mind, and soul.

Opportunities are given to you in every moment to be grateful for what you have and what you experience. Beauty, richness, and love already exist in your life. There are gifts and opportunities in every situation. The core of gratefulness is having an awareness of these opportunities inherent in life events and circumstances, and then thoughtfully choosing your response.

Gratefulness is about enjoying the sights, sounds, smells and abundance all around you, appreciating all of your emotions and feelings, and celebrating the blessings of family and community.

We all have the ability to make our lives even richer and more positive by noticing daily events, appreciating the benefits we receive, and being mindful of surprises. You have the power to control whether your thoughts will be positive and focused on what’s going well in your life or negative and focused on what is not going well.

You can be an example of happiness and gratefulness by expressing appreciation to people on a regular basis. Let the people you care about know that you are grateful they are in your lives – and why.

Having much to be thankful for does not diminish the reality of sadness, disappointment, or discouragement, or the need to feel those feelings at times. You can, though, intentionally reframe painful or disappointing events as opportunities for growth and learning, and deliberately look for the silver linings.

Begin to notice if your words and thoughts are full of complaints about what is lacking in your life. By applying gratitude daily in your life, it’s possible to achieve peace and contentment in a demanding, overwhelming, and sometimes disappointing world. It’s a habit of mind!

Here are five intentional practices to feel more peace and contentment and to make your life richer and more positive:

1) Gratitude Journal

Create your own personal gratitude journal - a place to list your blessings on a regular basis. Record the small and large gifts and moments that are enriching your life every day. You can also create a family gratitude journal where everyone makes entries.

2) Gratitude Ritual

Create a gratitude ritual. Before going to bed at night, glance back over your day and reflect on moments of grace, abundance, joy, friendship, and contentment – the things that you enjoyed or felt blessed by that day. Nightly, record three things that went well each day and why they went well.

3) Evening Meal

Blessing Pause before your evening meal to acknowledge the things that make your life abundant and meaningful.

4) The Gratitude Alphabet

This exercise works like magic when you need a change in attitude. Either aloud or in writing, beginning with "A", think of the first thing that comes to mind that you are grateful for that starts with that letter and say (or write) ‘I am grateful for ______.‘ Do this quickly without too much thought. Continue until you have reached "Z". You might also share this exercise with your loved ones, speaking aloud alternate letters. I am grateful for Apples.. I am grateful for Beauty.. I am grateful for Chocolate.. I am grateful for DVD’s.. I am grateful for Email.. I am grateful for Friends.. I am grateful for Grass.. I am grateful for Hugs …. you get the . idea

5) Gratitude Affirmation

Practice gratitude by reading this affirmation on contentment: This day, I am content. I am grateful for what I have and for what I do not have. I learn from both joys and disappointments. I refrain from criticism and fault-finding. I don't try to change others. I accept myself as I am and as I change.

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This article is written by Jan Marie Dore, Professional Certified Life Coach, Speaker and Writer. She has been a practitioner and, more recently, a teacher of yoga and meditation for more than 20 years. She incorporates the practices of wellness, centering, breath, mindfulness, creative alertness, self reflection, cultivating awareness of the now, and creative "time out" into her coaching and speaking philosophy. She aspires to show others ways to access their deeper selves, find the deeper underlying reality of who they really are, and design their lives from the inside out. For free resources and programs on work-life balance and living your best life, visit Jan's website at http://www.janmariedore.com. To sign up for Jan’s ezine, send a blank email to Subscribe@janmariedore.com

LISTEN TO MY WORKS-IN-PROGRESS:

www.soundclick.com/vikkiflawith

CHECK OUT MY NEW MUSIC WEB SITE:

www.vikkiflawith.com

ARE YOU ON MYSPACE?

www.myspace.com/vikkiflawith

READ MY SONGWRITING JOURNAL:

theshysinger-songwriter.blogspot.com/

A FINAL THOUGHT:

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. "

Albert Einstein

NOTES & LINKS:

l Alexander Technique: “teaches a person to recognize and change habits that interfere with well integrated functioning. The student is guided by the teacher's tactile and verbal cues, which are designed to elicit a specific reorganization of the body, primarily focused on the head to spine relationship. The student participates in a new kinesthetic experience, allowing the natural ease of movement to emerge.”  Gwen Dobie is a well-respected practitioner of AT and is located in James Bay.  Give her a ring at 389-0611 for an appointment.

l Demo Recording:  DJ Promotions Recording Studio, located in Brentwood Bay, offers a variety of services.  Producer Dan Spedding is a terrific guitarist, a creative and versatile musician, and an all-around nice guy.  Check out his website, or contact him at 818-4568.

l Do It All Entertainment:  Drew Arrington is my favourite karaoke host, he's a singing D.J. too.  Check out his site for dates & places.  Fun!

l Namaste B&B: Located on the harbour in beautiful Ucluelet, BC.  Only a short drive to Long Beach & Tofino, this wonderful home-away-from-home B&B is owned and operated by sculptor Linda Lemay.  I highly recommend it!  Give her a call at 250-726-2580 anytime you plan a trip to the Island's gorgeous west coast.

l Sacred Space ReDesign: ReDesign gives you the look of an interior designer....without the excessive cost. It is the creative - and practical - process of using and enhancing your current furnishings, art and accessories to recreate your space, using the well-established principles of interior design: line, shape, rhythm, balance and proportion in reorganizing and reframing your residence - www.sacredspaceredesign.com

l Songwriters Association of Canada – www.songwriters.ca

l Taxi – www.taxi.com – good articles on songwriting & the music biz

Vikki Flawith, Singer/Songwriter & Voice Teacher

"What I really want my students to 'get' from my studio is the knowledge that the life of an artist is a process. We must find time for our art in our daily lives, for it is when we are in the act of creating, or studying (practicing) that we affect what is unseen in us. The act of 'doing' over and over again trains the subconscious to do things in a new, more holistic and natural way. Thus each 'doing' is a tiny but transformative event on the path to self-discovery and creativity. Each step, each practice, each song, each lesson, each performance, is part of a whole -- a joyfully artistic life."

Email: diva@vikkiflawith.com ~  Web: www.theshysinger.com