Learning to Listen to the Voice Within

Tonight I resumed my meditation class after a little hiatus. I tried doing it at home all the while, but sometimes in my excitement to start my day (aka turning on my computer) I skip breakfast and everything else and jump right in. 

However I do find time in the evenings and nights out on my front porch taking in the view of the garden, mountains, sunset and birds. When I breathe in that fresh air nothing else matters. On Sunday I think I spent the entire day out there finishing a book I started reading on my kindle in January: Yesterday I Cried by Iyanla Vanzant. I did not cry (although it made you want to), but I completed the rest of the book with a new appreciation for the author and the silent struggles people go through.

Tonight after being out of practice for about a month, I tried to still the chaos in my head while meditating and somewhere along the line, a voice spoke to me. With so many things on my mind, like my workshop, my book, my mother's melancholy, I fought to regain control of my meditative practice. I focussed on the mantra and the solutions to my "problems" emerged.

Although I don't know if I have the tenacity to attend every class, I now know the value of meditation. I've been doing it for years unconsciously, but now I've learnt how to do it right. In January, my facilitator says I will be sure to see a transformation. I pray for the patience and determination to witness that.

This may sound a little weird, but the "voice" told me that the solution to one of my challenges is to "do nothing at all...just be you" and do what comes naturally: "resume blogging everyday" and let the answers find you. Though I can't divulge right now what question this was in response to, I am intent on listening to that voice of wisdom.

This is Day 1.

Stay tuned.

Peace & Love

My Second Open Mic Session Experience at the Bocas Lit Fest!

Had fun reading from my soon-to-be-published book on Thursday at the Bocas Lit Fest Open mic session! It was a rush to look up and connect with the audience as I read the words in my heart and soul that I carried with me for so long. 

Thanks to my photo-taker-outer Firstlady Abigail for doing a good job despite the windy day! Peace & Love xox

photo credit - C. K. Correia © 2015. All rights reserved.

My Stroll Down Memory Lane

Happy May 1st!

I just remembered I wanted to blog on May 1st before the date changes! Arggh...so I now have about 35 minutes...let's see if I can make it.

Just a quick recap of my week and what I learnt!

Yesterday I spoke at my second Open mic session at the Bocas Lit Fest which is a huge literature 5-day festival where I live. The first was in 2012 when I read from my first book - THINKING OUT LOUD. This year I read from my soon-to-be-published memoir. The crowd seemed to have responded well...I saw some people actually "thinking" about what I was reading as I looked up and connected with the audience. They applauded as with all the other authors/poets, but you can never judge the responses at these events. I was elated and grateful for the opportunity to connect.

This week I realized how fragile life is, since a good friend of mine is now hospitalized. I kept in touch with her all week and my heart goes out to her and her family. I am also praying for another friend who is also not well.

I sent the FINAL draft of my manuscript to my editor earlier this week. It's only a matter of days now, till I publish. The excitement begins. I can't wait. All my hard work and sleepless nights are finally gonna pay off. Thanks for the tremendous support I've received thus far. Words can't explain. I can't wait for you to read it and experience my journey over the last six years :-) Love and thanks to my beta readers and editor most of all...Would not have made it this far if it wasn't for your expert advice and tips. 

Yesterday I also visited my last place of employment in Trinidad before I moved to Tobago and it brought back a mix of emotions. Some of my final years were very unhappy because of my lack of fulfilment (which I spoke about in the book). So being back in the lunchroom, washroom, boardroom (where I conducted several interviews) and my old cubicle found me regressing to that period in my life. It made me appreciate what I have now even more and how far I've come. 

On the upside, I LOVED visiting my old co-workers...my buddies....my partners in crime. My boys of IT, my girls of HR and everyone else in between. I had all intentions of just stopping in to use the washroom, but ended up "liming" (hanging out) until after closing time! lol. I just got carried away in the moment. 

It was loads of fun as we strolled down memory lane and remembered all the fun times and inside jokes we had over the years. (You don't know it, but you'all added light to my days during those last few years of employment.) I even got advice on my upcoming workshop from the guru of all gurus aka "the walking encyclopaedia" = Nigel lol (Hope you're reading this blog!) Please delete those pics!  #Priceless #FriendsForLife  #LoveYouGuys

Hope your week was well spent. It's never too late to do all the things you always wanted to. Cherish the ones you love because time is precious and life unpredictable. Soak it all in while you can.

Until next time,

Remember to Make it Count

Peace & Love

Do You Want to Chart Your Destiny?

 #ChartingYourDestiny 2015 is finally here! :-)

If you're in Trinidad, you won't want to miss this event on Saturday 23rd May, 2015. Based on the tenets of my first book #THINKINGOUTLOUD....Here are some of the things we will talk about:

• Finding your true passion/purpose in life... 

• Discovering what are the most important people and things in life...

• Letting go of fear and negativity which may be inhibiting the path to your dreams...

• Realizing your full potential/self-actualization....

• Letting go of the past and so much more! 

All in a FUN atmosphere:-)

The group activities and ice-breakers causes you to reflect and bring about a catharsis.

Includes the tastiest, gourmet lunch & post workshop celebration that won't burn a whole in your pocket with the early bird specials and group discounts! 

Want to learn more? Email hicomegaconsulting@gmail.com for a registration package with details, my full bio and photos of alumni. Looking forward to seeing you there

20 seats max, so don't delay!

Fore more you can "Like" me on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingoutLoudbyCarolynCorreia

FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

"We can each define ambition and progress for ourselves. The goal is to work toward a world where expectations are not set by the stereotypes that hold us back, but by our personal passion, talents and interests." - Sheryl Sandberg

click to enlargen

Kindred Souls

This weekend I attended readings from two authors: Akosua Dardaine Edwards (author of “What Did I Learn Today” and “Nyabo” (Madam) Why are you Here”) the latter which talks about what she learnt whilst working in Africa. I felt connected to her journey, yet with a distinct identity of my own.

Today I listened to Dr. Jennylyn James (author of three memoirs of her experiences living in Ireland, California and Canada). Her passion and exuberance were infectious. These authors have inspired me to keep trucking with my second book and get it out into the hands of my readers.

Like another author I’m following Vanessa Salazar, writing is my number one passion and I can’t NOT write. My dream is to return to Tobago every now and then; wake up, sit on my old back porch and take in the wondrous scenery and do nothing but write. I loved living there and everything about #IslandLife ….That’s me back in 2013 at a friend’s villa.

When I get hungry, I’d pick something from the garden, go inside and cook, have a glass of wine. When I need a break, I’d drive to Bacolet, Black Rock or Pigeon Point and have a beer with some friends, take a dip in the ocean (not in that order!) and repeat as necessary.

Arnos Vale, Tobago © C. K. Correia 2013

I plan to do my workshops every two months and copywriting to pay the bills and just write books and articles for several magazines and newspapers. That would be my ideal life. When I can afford it, I’d take a trip to somewhere new and exotic.

I’ve learnt this weekend, that the world is just waiting for us to discover new cultures, personalities and ways of life. I am of the view that if we don’t, our vision and world view will be myopic. We really don’t know what we’re missing when we stay in one spot for too long.

Do you think I will succeed with my dream!? What are some of your dreams?! Do share! Remember anything is possible once you keep at it and don’t give up. Keep hope alive.

Until next time.

Peace & Love,

Carolyn xo

Book #2 Update

Thought I'd share some comments from my beta readers over the past few weeks on my manuscript of my new book/memoir:

• Preface: "Love this portion right here… It humanizes the content, makes it oh so real… Allows readers to foster that connection with you from the get go... Great stuff."

• "Really like how chapter 1 unfolds just as the theme says"

• "Chapter 4 is excellent. Like how it flows, and keeps with the ideal theme of gratitude and acceptance."

• Chapter 5: "Love this title…Think it's compelling to draw in the reader…A nice contrast to the positive flow of the book…Profound for the person who is driven “hell-hard” to make their transition/change, and gets anxious, frustrated with themselves, and lives the spoken prophecy of failure, because they are not patient with themselves."

• "Like the summary and pointed learnings/outcomes of the chapters"

Will keep you posted on further developments! I'm humbled and grateful and even more motivated to continue. This is what's is all about :)

The countdown to publication is on! The planning of the book launch has been underway since February. 

Special thanks to my beta readers, editor and special friends. Your support means the world to me.

Thanks for stopping by. You make it all worthwhile! Stay tuned to this space.

Why You Will Always Be Enough

First published on Elite Daily. Read it here: http://elitedaily.com/life/motivation/living-mindfully-and-thoughtfully/996673/

I once thought if I got a job I loved and had a flourishing personal life, I would be completely

Stonehaven Bay, Tobago 

and totally happy. I was wrong. When I got the job I always wanted and was at a high point in my personal life, I still found myself wanting more.

Let’s face it: Work takes up a lot of our time, so we might as well enjoy it, right? We look to it to satisfy our needs, in accordance to Maslow’s Hierarchy. 

It is how we achieve fulfilment, acceptance, recognition and respect for both ourselves and others. Knowing our work is making a difference in the lives of others boosts our self-esteem and confidence. But, how can we make it enough?

When I started my own business a year ago, I felt a change. I went from feeling agony, rising in the morning for my 8-to-4 job, to exuberant entrepreneurship. Now, I can’t wait to begin the day and discover all the possibilities that await. In fact, I don’t even want to go to sleep!

But, every now and then, I feel I should be doing more, no matter how many people tell me I'm doing so much already. I think it’s human nature to doubt yourself from time to time. We try to tell ourselves we shouldn't, then we meet or read about someone who is just like us, but doing so much more. You know what, though?

We are exactly where we need to be at any given moment. Our opportunities, capabilities and mindsets are different from said person. Once we know we are trying our best, there’s no need to compare our lives to anyone else’s because we don’t know the sacrifices they made to get where they are.

The only person we need to compare ourselves to, is our former selves. It’s healthy to always aspire to grow beyond yesterday’s goals. Life is fluid and always changing. We must move with life in order to achieve that for which we were created.

If we remained in one spot, we would stunt our growth; there would be no change. While everyone is getting ahead, we would be stuck in a time warp. Fear is real; sometimes, it stifles us and restricts us from living completely. It may be fear of failing, fear of the unknown or fear of what others may think of us for trying something new.

When we focus on living our own lives, what anyone else thinks suddenly becomes irrelevant. We overcome our fears when we visualize how incredible it would be to succeed.

Witnessing the smiling faces of all the people we can help with their dreams is a wonderful feeling. Whether it is a product we created, a service we provided or a feeling we invigorated, that feeling of fulfilment matches no other.

We owe it to ourselves to transcend our limitations and not be stunted by fear. We were made to stand out! We need to condition our minds to find the inner strength to channel our talents into meaningful outlets for expression.

I am certain everyone was born with this ability, but some fail to realize it because of environmental factors and/or the lack of positive reinforcement. We must surround ourselves with positive people who support our dreams and encourage us.

We have to learn to identify the “weak links” and let go of the negativity that cripples our progress and breaks our spirits. We can do anything if we intently and consistently focus on it. 

We must find ways to nurture our talents and motivate ourselves to reach our goals. Once we pursue a career for the right reason — which is to help others — we will reach our destiny in life.

The right situations and people will find us without effort, and all forms of abundance will flow into our lives. We will be at peace with ourselves, and we will no longer compare our journeys to others....We will finally be enough.

Love Me or Leave Me

Welcome to my new and returning visitors. I am elated to get new "hits" again from Switzerland, France and Russia. I LOVE to receive comments from my new and old friends from the UK, Trinidad & Tobago, USA and Jamaica. I just love me some google analytics :) 

Whether it's facebook, google, blogger, twitter or LinkedIn, I've struggled with this social media thing for a long time and I often wondered what does it take for a post to go viral or at least close to it as possible. Sometimes my posts do well, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes I lose "likes", followers and connections...but I can never unravel the reasons why. My friends ask me: "Does it matter?" Likes don't indicate sales or even interest, which is so true. Why do we as business owners, authors and artists place so much emphasis on racking up likes and followers?

We can also translate this to real life. What I've learnt from my many human, face-to-face interactions with friends, acquaintances and even family, is that no matter what you do and say in life, people are going to continue thinking what they like. The true blue (genuine) ones will always love you and support you and will keep coming back. They will love you even when you mess up, offend them from time to time, put your foot in your mouth or disagree with something or someone they like. 

They will love you when you make the same mistakes over and over again, when you're sick, heartbroken or flat broke. They will love you when you're doing well and when you're depressed and downtrodden. These folks will tell you when you're doing crap and when you need to "buck up" and change your ways. But no matter what you do, they will always be there for you even if time or waters separate you. These are the ones you want in your circle.

Au contraire, the ones who really don't like you, will never really be genuinely in your corner. Sometimes you can never really tell, but even if they fake it for a while, their true feelings will surface eventually. We have to understand that we are not doing anything wrong and we don't deserve this treatment. 

We also must know that there's nothing we can do to change the way they feel about you. It may not even be you, it can be something you represent to them. Some things just are the way they are. You must accept it in order to relate and move along in life. No hard feelings. Stop trying to impress, just be you and move on.

This philosophy holds true not only for professional relationships, but also personal ones. 

Some things just are.

I need to also accept that one less "like" or follower is not the end of the world. You win some, you lose some. I love you all the same and hope our time was fruitful.

If you want to share your experiences, please feel free to comment below or use the contact form on your right. I wanna hear from you!

Peace & Love

How I Learnt to "Unplug"

OK! So it seems that I'm once more a 'once-a-week blogger.' I'm not sure how I got here again, but somehow I've lost my zeal for blogging (not writing though):( For the first time, I've been deliberately postponing blogging...partly because I just didn't know what to blog about, then I worried unnecessarily about how my blog would be interpreted...After 7 years of blogging, I just had this thought! I often wondered when this day would come, but it's a fleeting thought because I love sharing with you.

Today I "unplugged". I found myself growing more and more tired as the weeks went by, so I returned to a practise that I exercised last year. Once a week, I would not turn on my computer and just devote my time to reading and catching up with family. 

I had planned to spend most of the day in bed, but that was not the case. After going to bed at 4 am this morning working on the FINAL draft of my book, I woke up excited, refreshed and ready to go again at 9:45 am. Drat! I purposely reminded myself that today I was going to take it easy and not get inundated with work. No emails. No book talk. No Skype. No workshop business. Just recharge and catch up.

photo credit - C. K.Correia 2015

I cooked the night before, so it was easy. I spent most of the day on my porch with the gently blowing breeze, taking in some sunshine and the magnificence of nature. The birds, the mountains, the plants and flowers. I stayed there until the sun set and dark crept in. 

During the day I meditated and read 9 chapters of one of the many books I started months ago. I chatted with my mother about everything and anything. I shared with her what I learnt from the various videos I've been researching. I watched her as she watered the plants while I (finally) painted my toes:) We drank tea and exchanged categorically good and bad stories of customer service both locally and abroad. 

We told stories about my Dad and listened to some Jamaican gospel-reggae! It's been over a year, but I could never finish telling her about my own tales about living in Tobago and all the people and situations I encountered. My funniest story was travelling back on the ferry close to midnight one night with thunder and lightning, then driving back home to a blackout! 

photo credit - C. K. Correia 2015

Grown men were seen to be "jumping" whenever thunder rolled and lightning lit up the night skies through the windows. Meanwhile the workers on the boat (so accustomed) laughed loud belly laughs! I was so amused that I bb'd my friends and emailed my sister abroad from my phone, describing to them what was happening. 

(Funny I wasn't really scared, but at the back of my mind I still kept thinking about the Titanic lol. To pass the time I had snacks and a beer at the bar while I watched a movie until the boat docked:)

photo credit - C. K. Correia 2015

Now this April day is almost done and I'm refreshed and recharged, ready to face another week. Just for one day we did not argue or disagree! We took a stroll down memory lane and loved it. We cried and laughed and released. 

I gave my brain a rest and did not worry about my publishing deadlines, unanswered emails, flyers, unwritten articles, interviews and marketing my workshop. 

It was refreshing and it's what good memories are made of. It's feels oh soo good to unplug every now and then. This is gonna be my Sunday ritual from now on. I may even throw in a second day! 

Please feel free to share with us how you unplug from the rest of the world by posting a comment below or via the contact form on your right!

Have a great week :)

Peace & Love