Happy New Year!

As the new year begins, I'm sure we are all thinking about new year's resolutions and things we would like to do differently this year.  Personally, I've found resolutions to be completely useless in the past, serving not to inspire, but rather defeat.  I mean let's be serious...even if you want to read more "read 10 books this year" is really not an effective way to make it happen.  It's sort of setting yourself up for an automatic defeat.  If you read 8, that will be awesome, but you will feel bad, because you didn't make it all the way until book number 10.  And at the end of the day, is that really what we're going to remember come December 31, 2012? I have a feeling that most of you have probably had similar experiences.  If super specific resolutions work for you, then more power to you; however, I've found in the last few years that having a new year's mantra is far more effective.  What kind of changes can we make in the way we live?  That's what I want to focus on.


So what's my mantra for 2012?

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment 

that there is something more important than fear."

Ambrose Redmoon

I'm going to let you in on a little secret...figure out how to do THIS (above) and your life will be constantly changing in a positive way.  One of the upsides to dealing with OCD from such an early age and having to overcome intensive treatment, is that I learned first hand that fear is just a smoke-screen.  Once you realize that something abstract is holding you back from virtually everything in life, it all comes down to you.  Are you going to let fear run your life today or are you going to kick fear in the ass? No, it's definitely not easy, but let me tell you it is MORE than worth it!

This year, I want to apply this mantra to my music.  I've come along way (I have started recording now!), but I still have a long way to go before I am up on stage shaking my thing (ugh, stage fright)!  But I have decided that my musical aspirations and the inner Sasha Fierce that I know I have inside of me is far more important that the fear I have about doing those things.  I think a lot of times people think that bravery comes from a lack of fear.  Thank God, I've finally realized courage is one of the most terrifying things you can be...fear DOESN'T go away, courageous people aren't supernaturally brave...they've just decided that something is more important than that fear.

So for any of you out there afraid to take a chance (me, me, me!), be afriad, be TERRIFIED, but DO. IT. ANYWAY. 

Here's to an amazing New Year!

XOXO,

Kristin