Category Archives: Inspiration

Make That Mental Shift

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Emelia Sam talking about the dismantling of her first act and the mental shift that enabled her to start an exciting second act.

Here’s Emelia!

emeliasamcroppedFor most of my life, I’ve fallen in line. I did the “right” things. Said the “right” things. Pursued the “right” things. I followed the script that society dutifully laid out for me. “Pick something,” it said. So, I did and I made a practical decision to become a dentist.

There was only one problem.

Two years into dental school, I found out I abhorred general dentistry. But the script was written so I followed it to the end. In an attempt to escape, I entered a residency in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.

There was only one problem.

It didn’t resonate with me. I found it extremely interesting. I was initially captivated by the newness, but somewhere along the line, I realized I wasn’t enjoying it in the way my colleagues were. I thought to myself, “I have a right to be happy, too, don’t I?” But, I suppressed and finished the script.

I was fortunate enough to work in private practice combined with academia for two years. There was only one problem. I was dying little by little, day by day. As Maya Angelou has said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

emeliasamspiritualityThat’s when it began. The dismantling of my life as I saw it. All of a sudden, the set seemed foreign. I didn’t understand my supporting characters. And I was more than ready, to relinquish my uncomfortable role. The unraveling of the costume I had donned years before had begun. The First Act was coming to a close.

This was scary. Terrifying really. For the first time in my life, there was no set pattern to follow, It was up to me to make my own way. To improvise. To flow.

It took some time, but I have found my way to authenticity and continue to do so. I’ve returned to my creative core I once tried to ignore. My love of writing and contemplation have made their way to the forefront. This is the work I am supposed to put out into the world. The more I do it, the more aligned I feel with my true purpose.

I encourage others to shift from practicality to purpose. I’ve been there and I can attest to the fact that once you make that mental shift, life opens up.

I respect the lessons that I’ve learned along the way. Wherever I have been has been necessary for my evolution. I haven’t rejected my past because it has shaped who I am. I lived coloring within the lines and now I’m learning to paint my own pictures.

This time, there will be no script. I’m accepting the fluidity of life and eagerly awaiting the next plot twist. Yes. The Second Act is firmly underway…and I’m loving it.

emeliabook

Where to find Emelia…

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Joanne here again!

Thank you for sharing your amazing  journey, Emelia. I look forward to our online chats and take special note of your remarkable insights and advice.

I would encourage anyone reading this post to follow Emelia online. You will be inspired!

Never, Never, Never Give Up!

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

The theme of my upcoming novel, Between Land and Sea, is one of reinvention. Over the next two months, I plan to devote at least one post a week to this topic. In addition to sharing my own experiences, I will also feature other successful second acts.

joannefromcindyI am honored to welcome my first guest, JoAnne Myers.

Here’s JoAnne!

My adulthood began like many young women’s do; I became a wife and mother. I loved that role, but children leave the nest. I found myself with much too much time on my hands and sank into my first passion–art.

Over the years as my family grew, I wrote poetry and short stories–never completely severing my love for writing. I always had plenty of paper and pens on hand, and collected paints and brushes, anticipating the time I would be serious enough to actually start my painting career. My children and grandchildren knew of my love for the arts, and there was no surprise when I wrote seven books and decorated my home with dozens of paintings.

croppedpoetryI now have a four-book contract with Melange Books and my true crime biography, “The Crime of the Century,” is involved in a tug-of-war with four publishing companies interested in publishing it.

My advice for others is to never give up on your dreams. Life might get in the way, but keep your love for art always at arm’s length. No matter what heartaches life threw at me, I always believed in family values and following my dreams.

Where to find JoAnne…

Website | Blog | Amazon

Joanne here again!

Always enjoy meeting other Joannes or JoAnnes, especially creative ones.

Thank you for sharing your inspiring story, JoAnne. Best of luck with all your creative endeavors.

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Oprah and India Arie–Part II

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

oprahindiaarie

I’m so glad Oprah decided to continue the conversation with India Arie on today’s Super Soul Sunday.

At the young age of thirty-seven, the beautiful singer and songwriter has found that “sacred space of peace inside.” Glowing and radiating on screen, India openly discussed her remarkable journey of acceptance and surrender.

Losing money and losing her way in the music industry forced her to take a prolonged time-out. Only through prayer and meditation was she able to transform herself and restore emotional, spiritual and mental health.

Throughout the telecast, India and Oprah shared many wonderful insights that could easily serve as intentions or affirmations.

Let me be 100% guided by my soul.

Let me hear your voice and have the courage to follow.

You can stop at any time.

You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.

It’s not just what you say. It’s how you show up.

Healing the world starts with you.

Prayer is where I know I can go and always be heard.

When you breathe and ask for calm, it always comes.

I have risked everything to tell the truth. Just tell the truth. (Maya Angelou)

Oprah and India Arie

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

oprahindiaarie

Singer. Songwriter. Poet. Grammy Award Winner.

The beautiful and poised young woman who sat down with Oprah on yesterday’s Super Soul Sunday took the music world by storm at age twenty-four. She impressed all of us with her musical affirmations, among them the memorable “I learned to love unconditionally/Because I am a queen.” Later, she went on to sell over ten million albums and win four Grammys.

Along the way, India Arie faced many personal challenges.

Early in her career, she received the worst snub in Grammy history when she was nominated in seven categories and lost each one. For months on end, she was surrounded by that conversation and continued to feel the hurt and humiliation.

In 2009, she found herself at a spiritual crossroads after dealing with a broken engagement and an exhausting cross-country tour. She shocked her music label, her fans and her family when she retired and went into seclusion. Knowing that her soul was sick and that she needed a cure, India moved to an island where she slept, prayed and watched the water.

India admitted that unworthiness was once part of her calling card. Afraid of failing and succeeding, she yearned to stay in a safe place. She strongly believes that the breakdown was God’s way of giving her a breakthrough.  She finally felt secure enough to ask and answer that all-important question:

What would I do if I knew I was 100% worthy of this?

Quotable quotes from India Arie and Oprah…

Your self worth is your job.

All physical ailments start in the spirit.

Your sense of authentic power is directly proportional to how aligned you are.

The voice of the world will drown out the voice of God, if you allow it.

You are responsible for your own life. Don’t wait until the end of your life to figure that out.

Be clear about your intention and the universe will rise to meet you wherever you are.

You are it. You are the one you have been waiting for.



Oprah and Phil Jackson

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

oprahjackson

Holy Roller. Student of Philosophy. Truth Seeker. Zen Master. One of the greatest basketball coaches of all time. Best-selling author of Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success. Tallest guest on Super Soul Sunday.

Born in a strict religious home, Phil Jackson recalls spending most of his time in church. While his parents groomed him to become a minister, Jackson found his true calling in sports. Basketball and baseball were his doors to freedom and a college education. During his first semester at college, he received a rude spiritual awakening. Learning about Darwinism threw a monkey wrench into the mind of the good catechism student who had memorized 175 scriptures. He changed his major to philosophy, psychology and religion.

During the telecast, Jackson shared some of his experiences as player and coach in a world filled with “a lot of tall egos and money.” He has firsthand knowledge of the harsh realities that exist within the NBA. The players live in a constant state of anxiety, worried that they will be hurt or humiliated, cut or traded.

As a coach, Jackson focused on building up the mental strength of the players. He provided opportunities to explore by introducing them to yoga, Tai Chi and meditation. In the end, meditation stuck.

Three Zen Principles that have shaped Phil Jackson’s life…

Giving up control

He begins each day with a quiet mind and prefers to sit back and observe. A tactic that served him well in his dealings with Dennis Rodham, the rebel and rule bender who was well known for his aggressive plays and his antics off the basketball court.

Trust in the moment

Even in the tensest moment, Jackson is able to center himself. He advises anyone struggling with this principle to ask themselves the following question: Is what’s happening at this moment going to destroy your life?

Living in compassion

When Oprah commented that it is difficult to be compassionate about our competitors, Jackson countered with, “I’ll bring out the best in you and you bring out the best in me.”

Quotable Quotes…

Basketball is a spiritual game.

One breath | One mind

A leader has to create the space for other people to step in and be bigger.

That’s what stardom is all about: Making everyone else better.

Some of us are doing our best and don’t even know it.

The difference between religion and spirituality is doctrine.

Let it go, like a cloud passing through the sky. Breathe through it.

A Spectacular Second Act

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

cathymarieFor the longest time, Cathy Marie Buchanan hesitated to call herself a writer.

With her impressive credentials, BSc in Biochemistry and an MBA, Buchanan obtained positions in finance and marketing at IBM. During her academic years, however, she steered away from anything that reminded her of the less-than-stellar performance in Grade 13 English. A self-proclaimed poor speller, she avoided all essay-based courses. It wasn’t until much later that she stumbled upon evening classes in creative writing.

In spite of the late start in her forties, Buchanan wrote and launched two highly acclaimed novels: The Day the Falls Stood Still and The Painted Girls. Both books have been enthusiastically received and reviewed in Canada and the United States. The Painted Girls has been optioned for a TV series with the CW Network.

At last night’s reading (Guelph Public Library), she discussed the historical background behind the two novels and gave us insight into her writing process.

While listening, I realized why she has been described as the perfect author.

Her painstaking research takes six months to complete. Glimpses of the well-disciplined scientist are evident in the descriptive detail; she leaves very few stones unturned. After reading numerous texts and essays about Marie van Goethem, the girl behind Degas’ famed sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, Buchanan went to Paris to complete the last phase of her research. She walked the streets that Marie walked, sat in on a class of fourteen-year-old ballet students, and attended a ballet.

The actual writing of the first draft and the final rewrite each took one-and-a-half years. An improvement, she joked, over The Day the Falls Stood Still which took two-and-a-half years to rewrite.

She may have left the corporate world behind, but she still maintains her professionalism. To this day, she works Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, and disciplines herself to write before visiting Twitter and Facebook.

A spectacular second act and inspiration for all of us!


Oprah and Karen Armstrong

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

oprahkaren

Karen Armstrong, one of the world’s leading scholars on world religions, sat down with Oprah on yesterday’s Super Soul Sunday.

She started on a linear path, entering the convent at age seventeen. While her family was not particularly devout, Karen hoped to experience transcendent moments as God became less of a remote and shadowy reality.

The reality was very different.

Up at 5:30 for morning prayers and meditation, Karen discovered that she was completely unable to pray and could not wrap her mind around meditation. From 9:30 to 12:30, she sat with the other novices doing “insufferable needlework.” Each day, her stitches were examined and ripped apart. Upset and angry, Karen found it hard to believe that God really cared about crooked seams. These daily rituals were there to keep pride and ego in check, but it was a complete waste of time for Karen. Overly concerned with her perceived failures, she was deeply embedded in ego.

More shocking was the lack of emotional comfort in pre-Vatican convents. The nuns were not allowed to befriend or comfort each other. When Karen started to have fainting spells, she was told the spells were a sign of weakness and that she was using them to draw attention to herself. On a road trip to a summer retreat, Karen developed severe nose bleeds. When she asked for a tissue, the request was denied because the box belonged to the community.

After seven stressful years (1962-1969) cut off from the world, she left the convent. Anorexic and suicidal, Karen actually believed she would end up in a locked ward. The fainting and nose bleeds continued. She had a Grand Mal seizure in 1976 and finally received a diagnosis: epilepsy.

In spite of the many hardships endured, Karen did recall several kind nuns and one positive conversation that sustained her through many dark years. While dying, a very kind Mother Superior said, “You’re a good girl, Sister, and don’t forget I told you so.”

She was anti-religious for thirteen years. God became real to her again while writing the book, A History of God. Her book, The Spiral Staircase, is a moving and revealing look at her extraordinary life.

Quotable Quotes…

Little, unrelated acts of kindness can lighten someone’s load.

The biblical God is a starter kit.

There is no religion without action.

God is that which cannot be expressed.

Oprah and Dr. Brian Weiss

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

drweiss

It is a topic that is definitely out of my comfort zone.

So, I was surprised to find myself following Dr. Brian Weiss’ conversation with Oprah on yesterday’s Super Soul Sunday.

Skeptical but curious, I suspended judgment as I listened to the traditionally educated psychiatrist describe how he came to practice past life regression therapy.

In 1980, Dr. Weiss took on Catherine, a new patient who was suffering from recurring nightmares and anxiety attacks. While under hypnosis, Catherine “crossed the invisible boundary of her current life and entered the realm of other lifetimes.” She regressed back to 1863 B.C. where she had lived as Aronda, an 18-year-old girl. Later, Catherine began to channel messages from master spirits which contained revelations about Dr. Weiss’ family and his dead son.

As Head of Psychiatry at a major hospital, he was afraid of sharing his new-found insights. But realizing that his life would never be the same again, he became a leader in the field of past-life therapy.

The best-selling author of Many Lives, Many Masters has now released another book, Miracles Happen, which he co-authored with his daughter, Amy.

Amy’s story is also a fascinating one.

When she was diagnosed with cataracts at age 25, she asked: “Why do I have the eyes of an old man?” While searching for answers, she decided to try regression therapy and went all the way back to the Middle Ages. She learned that she had inhabited the body of an old man whose eyes were blinded by fire. After her cataracts disappeared, she finally understood her father’s work intellectually and emotionally.

Quotable Quotes

Reincarnation doesn’t have to be scary. There’s more than one chance to get it right.

Sadness clouds the eyes.

All of nature is resurrection.

Energy does not have boundaries.

This, the end, is only the beginning.