Who Am I Really??

I would only roll my eyes when someone told me “Be Yourself.” What did that mean? How could I be myself when I didn’t know who I was? How could I be myself when I didn’t even like me? As a preteen, I resented everyone who spouted that line at me. Being myself was painful. Mom and dad were splitting up. I wasn’t kind to my little sister and I didn’t know why. I wasn’t getting good grades. I wasn’t popular. My teeth were growing faster than the rest of me. I couldn’t keep my long hair clean enough not to look greasy. I was lonely. I was needy. I was not much fun to be around. In short, being myself was no picnic! In fact I’d rather be anyone else but me! It wasn’t until I was in my 30s that I learned that “Who I am” is a choice every minute of every day!

 

Trying on characteristic attributes, smiling more often, being helpful, listening harder, paying attention or staying angry, being judgmental and critical, oversleeping and being lazy were like trying on pieces of clothing. I was comfortable in beat up jeans and ratty old t shirts because dressing down was my norm. Wearing my wounds on my sleeve, so to speak, was also my norm. Dressing up and looking nice on the other hand was so foreign to me that at special events that required better, cleaner clothing I was uncomfortable. Nothing seemed to fit me right and I certainly didn’t “fit” in! But everything I was used to wearing, from my grungies to my distain were only habits borne out of choice! I chose to look like a rag-a-muffin. I chose to be unhappy. Those choices were not always on a conscious level obviously, but they were choices nonetheless. I had had lots of practice!

 

Practice makes prefect! When I learned that I had been choosing my way of life all my life I was shocked, bewildered and pissed off! I was who I was and how I was because of the divorce, society, TV, school, friends, boyfriends…I had a litany of people and events to blame it on. As I practiced, however, doing it differently, new habits formed. As I observed how kindness begot kindness and how anger begot anger I began to make different choices. As I chose to be a better person, a better person I became! I learned that anger is a valuable emotion that I can express by singing loudly or journaling or moving my body in any physical activity. There are many ways in which to “let it out” without hurting anyone, including me. It just takes a little practice cultivating new habits!

 

So the next time you hear someone say “Just be yourself,” smile, take a breath and remember that “who you are” is always a choice. It’s always your choice and you can always make another choice!

I get to choose who I am every minute of every day!

 

Dad and I in Europe

Image

In 1992 when I had finally graduated from college my dad took me on the trip of a lifetime. He and I in Europe. We visited as many countries as possible within a 2 week trip. Notice I found a cat!

My dad is such a great photographer!
What great memories! Enjoy the photos.

This is worth reposting!

Lauren Lane Powell

Grandmama’s Waltz Click to hear SONG

My beautiful, wonderful Grandmama made her transition 15 years ago today.

She was 87. I am so grateful to have been so close to her. Therein lies the story, her story, our story.

As a fine artist and art teacher she raised my dad as a single parent long before it was “popular.” She had a hard life and wore it on her sleeve. I grew up knowing her to be very judgmental, unforgiving and hyper critical. As much as she loved life and appreciated the beauty of everything around her, she seemed to dislike people in general. When she did hug me, it was cold and prickly. She didn’t understand me at all as I grew into a young woman and held a grudge as if it were a trophy.

All of that changed when I moved to Sarasota, Florida at 20 years…

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Loving My Life on the Road

This is the article I published in an e-magazine put out for musicians and ministers of Unity Church Worldwide. I thought it was also appropriate for my blog. Enjoy!

I feel very honored to have been asked to write about my life on the road for the first re-issue of Sound Connections.  I’ve been touring full time for 12 and a half years. I am home for a week at a time every month.  When I tell people that they gasp! “How can you be away from home for that long?” I reply that I get a week off every month. How many people get to say that? It a matter of perspective! Isn’t everything?

Driving by myself affords me ample opportunities for self-reflection. I rarely listen to my books on tape or my Sirius radio because I have so much fun redefining who I am, what I do and how I do it.  I sing, meditate (with eyes open!) tone for my body when muscles start to ache and I take a break every single hour without fail to stretch and do some yoga for my self-care. I breathe deeply and stay relaxed at all times. In traffic I blow bubbles out the window! I get quite a few reactions from passers by!  One gal pulled along side and asked, “What are you doing?” Without thinking I declared, “I am changing the way traffic jams feel!”  She said’ “You know, you really are!” Another time I was told, “You’re having fun and we get to enjoy it!” He got it!!

I have learned patience and flexibility on the road. I never know how an event will flow, how much money I will make, where I will be staying or whom I’ll meet. Most often the host or hostess of my workshops will find me a room of my own in someone’s home. I make life-long friends everywhere I go. I am told I am a great guest because I need for nothing. I have my protein shake in the morning. Lunch is often at a café where I can get online and do some work. Dinner is often a granola bar, a hand full of almonds and cranberries. If my hostess doesn’t have a coffee maker I have my French press in the van at the ready. I am very self-sufficient.

Never knowing what will happen when, has also taught me to trust. I trust in the process. I trust in God and I trust myself more and more everyday!  “Just trust.” becomes my mantra. IF money does not flow in from one source, I know it will flow from another. It always does…if I trust. I wouldn’t be honest though if I didn’t confess that at times, when money is not flowing in that trusting becomes difficult. When I am in that place, when I can’t sing to feel better, when I can’t meditate to bring myself to a higher vibration, when prayers don’t seem to work and I still feel contracted, That is when I go within and ask- “Who Can I forgive right now to bring my abundance to me?” When my body is less than perfect and yoga, a biweekly massage and walking doesn’t help, I go within and ask- “Who Can I forgive right now to feel better?’ When any part of my life feels the least bit tense or stressed and I ask that question, I always get an answer! Then the work begins! Now I give workshops called “The Vibrations of Forgiveness.”

Using the power of the breath and the voice for my inner work creates miracles every single time! I am more open. Blocks have been removed and the flow increases right before my very eyes! My newest workshop incorporates this process about and around the Body Temple because in order to be of service to God and human kind, I require a healthy body! BIG forgiveness issues come up often to remind me that I didn’t always love my body. In fact, in my 20s I pretty badly abused it! Forgiving myself and my body has shifted everything and on my 50^th birthday I reached and now maintain a healthy 118 pounds!! My new “Body by GOD” workshop was born and is more popular than ever!

All of this came about because I learned how to love all of my life-or it wouldn’t work at all! Believing that all I wanted to do is sing, I thought teaching was something I was falling back on. But learning to love teaching, saying out loud through gritted teeth “ I love my students” changed everything. I am an awesome teacher! I can teach anyone to sing on key in an hour but when I hated teaching it just didn’t work!  I learned how to love the driving across the country, on purpose. Now I really do! I learned how to love marketing myself and guess what!? Not only am I good at it, I teach that now too! “Honoring Your Inner Entrepreneur” has participants thinking and feeling way outside the box, with the right brain to allow Spirit’s guidance in our very business! A 7-8 hour class goes by so quickly because we have so much fun recreating ourselves together with God fully in charge!

My main workshops, the “Harmonies of Healing” and the “Toning Circle” are still my mainstays. These remind people how to use their own voice as an instrument of peace and healing by deepening the breath and singing, speaking and toning authentically and naturally. Stress is released; pain is reduced; peace and harmony is restored.  Of course I still do concerts. I love to sing and I love my own music! I am a prolific composer. The workshops allow me to do all of that and more!

While I am quickly branching out into healing art centers, hospitals, hospice, conferences and seminars and while I am now working with church boards, Reike practitioners and other healers, my first love is still with Unity. Unity is my family and I love being a part of its ever-changing evolution and growth. Typically I do the whole Sunday service-Message/meditation/music. My talk title for 2012 is “The Dynamic Energies of FAITH!”

I speak of embodying what we know by being the peace we want to see in the world as Ghandi taught.  I speak of smiling on purpose all of the time at everyone I make eye contact with.  If I am not shining my light though this face of mine constantly, I miss the opportunity to tithe to the world. If I am negative in thought, word or deed I am not in alignment with Truth. If I am not in a state of constant prayer and meditation I am not in the flow of the now moment.

By design  I LOVE my life so much tears of joy often erupt when I think of how blessed I am. I cry those tears often! Let them flow!!!

Please visit my evolving website. www.harmoniesofhealing.com

My facebook is Lauren Lane Powell and my pages are “Harmonies of Healing” and “Holy Shift!”

I am now blogging when time is created

https://singforyoursoul.wordpress.com

and twittering a little bit! https://twitter.com/#!/HarmoniesHeal

My original music is on CDs. My workshops are on DVDs and CDs. My Sunday services are available on CD upon request. My sheet music can be found on www.heartwindmusic.com

I’ll soon be doing webinars and podcasts and my e-book, audio-book and video-book should be finished this year! I have many pieces on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjSRvxxCcrA&context=C3a2a170ADOEgsToPDskIrgHllF28mL2olXqeGY1ME

takes you to my theme song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R_prBR3amw&context=C3ed2542ADOEgsToPDskL8-G_4134NAmKc9OfVMR5Q

take you to my video trailer introduction of my passion for the voice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnxT8ns_C5M&context=C348a971ADOEgsToPDskL0CF49jTcu5ddd4wig_ECX

Introduces “toning” with the voice and the singing bowls as means by which to heal body mind and Spirit.

Other videos both my own and my sister Kristen’s can be found on my dad’s youtube channel: lpowell201

PS Part of my passion is helping others do what I do-Loving my life, living my dreams and laughing all the way to the bank! I am more than willing to talk with, email or otherwise communicate my systems of marketing and self-promotion. Is your life truly blissful? It can be! Let me show you how!! Donations graciously received!

singforyoursoul@aol.com   727-798-3569

Patience Pays off and Promotes Peace!

OK Gotta Share! I have many packages to send promised to people weeks ago. Finally got it done at a PO in Jupiter. I was blessed to be a trainee’s 3rd customer! I felt her anguish, confusion and impatience with herself.  Her trainer was loving and very supportive. I reminded the trainee that in 30 days this will all be behind her she will feel so much easier about her new job. I guess she was my age or older…second, third career-can be scary.  I reminded her to breathe and I began to send her love and peace. I breathed for her. It took quite a long time as I sent a package to Australia along with other stuff. All brand new info to the trainee. I felt my energetic arms wrap her up in a warm hug. 

 I felt the long line behind me-impatient for the most part. I sent them love and peace. When our transactions were complete I gave her and her trainer a card that says “Thank you for being who you are and doing what you do. Who you are is important. What you do Matters.” Tears welled up in the trainees eyes as she said “thank you so much! I really needed this!” I reminded her that THAT is who she is-always, special, worthy and important.  I did many wonderful things yesterday but that hour long connection felt like the most important!

 How does God show up in your life?

I posted this on facebook and sent a copy to my customer in Australia. This is her synchronistic reply!

 Hi Lauren,  The purple goddess dress arrived today.  Thank you.

 Thank you also for your story.  Interestingly it took about 20 minutes for me to receive the dress, as an Australia Post trainee, I would say a woman in her 40’s was processing it.  As it had been electronically tracked the whole way she had to electronically log it out to me. ..and she didn’t know how…. And was being taught … and there was a queue. The lady I was dealing with got it sorted eventually.  I thought of you as I sent her white light.

 I’ve tried the dress on and will wear it out to dinner tonight with knowledge of the grace that has brought it to me.

How does God-ess show up in my life?

Every day as I look out of the window I feel blessed.  Every meal when I thank the Goddess for the woman who shares my life.  Every moment when I feel my extraordinary luck in being alive in this time and place, and all the wonderful “coincidences” that occur day after day.

Thank you for persisting, and for being the type of woman who is a able to provide this beautiful garment across the world.

Sincerely  Carol

God Bless you all and keeping look for how God/Goddess shows up in your life!

 

Extend Only Love: A Series of Processes that Promote Peace

Re-parenting: A process I learned from my sister Lauren Lane Powell. We co-wrote the song. Visualize someone who pushes your buttons as an infant whom you can truly love. Find the feeling place of love. Generate love in your heart center and see it extending from there to engulf that infant.  Radiate love and joy and promise and hope.  See that infant receiving everything it needs and deserves as an innocent child of God. Imagine that infant growing into the kind of being that serves only the greatest and highest good. Sing “I get to love to peace, I get to love you to joy, I get to love you to do the right thing, I get to love to make the right choice. The energy of peace, the energy of joy, the power to decide has always been our choice, and I don’t have to know just how, maybe it’s not for me to know, I surrender it to God and then I let it go. I get to love to peace, I get to love you to joy, I get to love you to do the right thing, I get to love to make the right choice.” Know that the essence of every living being is God. The energy of Love is far stronger than that of fear or anger. Positive change occurs when we infuse our thoughts with the power of Love. Ask for help in seeing this person or situation differently. Your little willingness to see things differently allows the Holy Spirit to work on your behalf in ways unseen. Trust that all is well. 

written by Kristen Hartnagel http://www.kristenhartnagel.com

 

Wedding Anniversary

14 years of wedded Bliss!

Tomorrow is our 14th Wedding Anniversary. In April I blogged about our engagement.  October 11th we married at Unity Church of Peace in South Bend Indiana. Rev Annie Tremble was our minister.  My mom sang. My sister sang. I sang. We all sang!

Bryan Edington opened on the guitar with mom singing lead on The Rose as my sister and my stepson walked down. She joined mom in harmony for the second verse.

The third verse, that beautiful high harmony that bring it home was sung by me! Microphone hidden in my flowers, on my daddy’s arm floating down the aisle “When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long…”

Mary Ann my stepmom read a Cheyenne prayer, Dada read from the Profit, Kristen sang Bread’s “If.” Mom sang a song I wrote “To Love Someone.” Her question months before was “How can I sing that in public? I cry every time!” She came every week to my voice studio and we worked until she was almost sick of the song and she did it that day very well!

When planning the recessional I reminded Phil that as an frequent wedding singer myself I often sang “When I’m 64” by the Beatles. My husband quoted the first line “When I get older. losing my hair…” Honey, that’s a sick joke!

“Ok then, how about “Zip-a-dee Do Da?” I asked. Phil replied “Only if we use Kazoos!”

The pianist gave us a flowing overture and all of us on stage took Kazoos out and played them all the way out of the sanctuary! The response we got more of was “That was so much fun we want to see it again!”  Thus began our live together as husband and wife. We had lived together for 6 years already. the wedding just seemed to deepen our relationship.

I married my best friend. We are polite to one another. I believe we truly respect one another. I love this man more now than even last week! It grows as we do. God Bless a Great relationship! Thank you my husband for being who you are. I love you. Happy Anniversary!

September 2nd, 50 years ago today!

Wow, Who would have thunk 50 years could be so full? …full of love, full of heartache, full of laughter, full of tears, full of excitement, full of fear, full of healing!!? 50 years of action packed life!

At 4:03 am this morning 50 years ago I entered the world-this time around-to experience all that life has to offer! My mommy sang me into the world. Right now she is sleeping in the next room. She and I will go to my favorite retreat later today in Dayton where I celebrate my birthday every year. This year with mom with me the celebration couldn’t be any better! IF we do choose our parents I sure picked great ones! After the retreat Maryann and Dad are throwing me a party-on the way to Wheatland Music Festival with Phil! Could life be any better!?

So Happy Birthday to me! I can hardly wait to see what magic the next 50 years have in store!

Mentors Make a Difference!

As the mentors meet with their mentees for the last time this year, the atmosphere is bittersweet. Sweet because there is music in the air and they have grown to really care for one another. Bitter, because senior mentors are moving on and will be missed!

Today, they all came together for the first time. Usually, mentors meet with their mentees in classrooms so they only see their family of five freshmen. But this time the entire freshmen class came into the gym for this culminating event.

A few mentors shared how being a mentor has impacted their life. Kati Kontor told her story about how she came to Gavit from a private school where she had a 3.8 GPA. She very quickly began to hang out with “the wrong crowd”. She said her absences went from something like two in a year to 20 in a semester. Her grades fell and she ended up with a 1.8 GPA her freshmen year. Her message was clear, she became a mentor because she wished she would have had the positive influence of an upperclassman to help her see how she was heading down a destructive path. She said she hopes her influence has made a difference in the lives of some of her freshmen. The trouble is, Kati explained, even though I am now getting good grades again and I’m looking into colleges, my GPA is not very strong since I blew it my freshmen year. I hope I saved some of you from having to learn the hard way like I did. There was applause and even a few tears as the freshmen learned why mentoring has meant so much to them.

Then it was time for the activity. Mentors each instructed their team to silently construct a castle out of index cards. They were to build the most elaborate, detailed castle possible within a limited amount of time. When time was up, they admired their creations and felt proud of what they built as a team.

Then, they were told they had to connect their castle to two other castles by silently building bridges. That’s all the instructions they heard. They looked to their mentors for more cards with which to build their bridges and when their mentors shrugged their shoulders, it dawned on them what must be done. They had to take cards from their own magnificent castles in order to construct bridges.

To observe their faces as this aha moment dawns on each mind across the gym floor is quite amazing. When they were finished, they circled around their “village” and recognized the visual interpretation of what their mentors have been striving for all year – connecting community.

It is very powerful when students take part in creating the kind of climate they want for their school. These mentors volunteer their time, some over 50 hours, so they can help their freshmen class transition into high school. They learn what they teach and become stronger leaders, incorporating the academic and social strategies they shared with their mentees. The result is more students taking responsibility for their own educational experience – and that of their classmates as well. Mentors do indeed make a difference.

Thanks you guys!

Kristen Hartnagel

Photo courtesy of Katie Goodrich, Lead Executive Mentor at Gavit HS

As our cruise ship passed Bonn, the birthplace of Beethoven, her voice rang out…

Lauren had graduated the school of music at Indiana University and she and I went to Europe to celebrate. We were cruising the Rhine river enjoying a brew and the many castles along the way when the public address announced we were passing the birthplace of Beethoven. Lauren leapt to her feet and strode to the bow of the boat and began singing.
The music department at I.U. had performed Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the final concert and Lauren was in the Choir. She was singing, A cappella, the Ode to Joy in German and all conversations stopped. Every eye turned toward the bow and when she was finished all hell broke loose. People rushed to talk to her. I could not get close enough to hear all that was said as I was taking photos (wish I had a movie camera along). Later she told of the warmth of those who came to congratulate her. The appreciation soon turned to amazement as, one-by-one, she told them in English that she could not speak German and did not know what they were trying to tell her. Once this truth was out the verbal garlands were repeated in English. Several people came over to me when it was learned that I was her father and they told me she had sung the entire piece in perfect German.
This was a high point, among many, in our adventures together over the years. This blog is yet another adventure we get to share.