Singing As A Spiritual Practice

BEGIN AGAIN

We are living in very uncertain times. Our future feels tenuous and the world seems to lack a sense of hope and prosperity. With a great deal of our energy spent on daily survival, it seems almost frivolous to entertain the thought of fulfilling our dreams. Since most of us have been taught to obtain safety and security in our lives by not being different and playing the middle politically, we think of success in terms of material gains. However, achieving monetary success by forfeiting our creative inner spirit is not a real measure of success. Hope is an ability to trust in the attainment of a desired goal and if we lose this ability to dream, our future both as individuals and as a nation remains in jeopardy. Without hope there are no creative resources.

Commitment to self-awareness and individual expression is a key element to artistic success and risk-taking becomes a way of life for an artist. Self-expression is all about taking chances, charting new artistic territories to discover our real selves. Traveling the path to personal ownership is a very challenging and often painful experience and acceptance plays a strong role in this growth process. If you can not accept the truth of who you are, your dreams and desires no longer have a basis in reality and therefore become unattainable; your life isn't real, your dreams are not valid. Becoming "real" is all about growing, but in order to grow we must first learn to let go of our fears. Fear of judgment and shame can lead to creative immobilization making it impossible to grow, but seeking out the truth in our lives will always lead to freedom of the soul.

It is never too late to change whatever your age or station in life; in fact the only constant in life is change. During this season of renewal and rebirth why not attempt to open up your desires, dare to dream. All change has to start from within, and when people are truly expressing themselves, there exists a spirit of "hope" in the air. Remember, never doubt the power within people to change the world.