Preseverance IS key

Well Bff, I guess this post proves why we are such good friends.  It has taken me all day and an hour to sit down and write, but here I am.  Like yourself, I am determined to persevere towards the goals that I've set for myself.  I made the deadline for the BOSA competition, but I missed the next deadline.  I sort of got the last two contests confused, so I was preparing for the wrong one at the wrong time.  I plan to make up for it by entering another contest.  The contest that I'll enter will be the Contemporary Christian Songwriting Contest, which has a deadline of July 30, 2011.

       While I can't say that I am going to new places every month, I have started tennis lessons.  This was something that was on my list, so I do feel that it's a step in the right direction.  I'm still looking for other avenues that might lead me to my desired results with my songwriting.   In any event, I believe that preseverance will be the key factor.

                                                                                           -Daphne-

No Excuses

As you can see from the date stamps, I haven't posted in over a month for which I have no excuse.  There are reasons like apathy, laziness, and procrastination and these reasons are a prime example of why my dreams tend to be deferred.  The good thing about the blog is that I have to continue to push forward as I have committed and my bff holds me accountable.  Thanks Dap!

Right now, I am in the process of completing the paper work for Dallas Baptist Univeristy to pursue a Masters in Christian Education.  Prayerfully that door will be opened so that I may walk through it.  I attended my sister's graduation last week and was very inspired by her dedication and perseverance.  Ahh...Perseverance!  I have discovered that perseverance is key to accomplishing your goals.  My sister, while working a full-time job, gained 2 Masters degrees in 5 years.  For some, it may have not taken as long but my sister continued "pressing towards the mark".  Dap, I think you referred to this as "chipping away".  Well, I agree!  Regardless of our challenges and setbacks, we have to continue to persevere and we will get there.

I do believe!

~ Tonya

Chip away

I did it!  I'm so proud of myself!  I sent the song to Shae about a week ago and I am simply ecstatic!  The bulk of my excitement stems from the mere fact that I was able to accomplish a goal that I set for myself.  You have no idea how long this goal has seemed impossible to accomplish.  Granted, it wasn't a walk in the park, but determination and persistence won in the end.  Now, on to 2nd quarter goals.  I've decided to enter several songwriting competitions this quarter.  The first is Bosa.  The deadline to submit material is April 29th, which is right around the corner, so I'm frantically working to meet this deadline.  The second competition ends on May 31st-The USA Songwriting Competition.  The last contest is called the Next Classic Love Song Competion and it ends on June 18th.  No doubt about it,  I'll definitely be busy for the remainder of the quarter.

Unfortunately, I've been so focused on finding reasons to write songs, that I haven't thought a lot about the outings that I should take this quarter.  I stated last quarter that instead of one big event, I'll venture out every month.  Since the end of this month is fastly approaching, I'll have to find something to do pretty quickly.  I'll bring those ideas to my next post. 

I have a question.  I've been thinking long and hard about what I'd like to accomplish.  Sometimes it overwhelms me, because I don't see how it's possible.  How do you attempt to accomplish something that seems to be impossible?  Maybe you chip away at it, huh...

                                                              -Daphne-

Our God....

is an awesome God!  I can't say that I've recently had major changes in my life that would cause me to want to honor God now.  However, listening to stories of others has caused me to want to give God all of the props not only for what He does but for who He is.  Many times we feel as if we are spinning our wheels to no avail but God is always in control and if we continue to place our trust in Him, we should have no worries or fears.  Knowing this allows me to continue to pursue my dreams because I know that it is He who gave them to me. 

With that said, I'm just excited about life right now.  The first quarter was good and I'm glad to be moving into the 2nd quarter.  I joined Toastmasters which was one of my goals for the 1st quarter.  I am also prepping to teach classes through our Christian education ministry at church.  My plan for the 2nd quarter is to continue to stay the course and include some volunteer work for various non profits.  I do have some ideas in my head so hopefully, I will be blogging about those soon.

Happy Dreaming!!!

~ Tonya

Go with the flow!

Well, the end of the first quarter is approaching.  It's been an adventure.  Well, I am happy to report that I did attend Savor Dallas.  It was absolutely wonderful!  There was so much good food.  I enjoyed myself so much that I plan to attend again next year.  I took a few pics that night, just to prove that I actually graced the event with my presence. 
    
I must confess, I didn't accomplish all of my 1st quarter goals.  I suffered a major setback on my songwriting, but I haven't given up on it yet.  I was unable to transfer my song from a tape to a cd, but I hope to purchase the machine that I need to do this within the next few weeks.  Giving up is simply not an option, and the fact that I didn't meet my March 31st deadline will not deter me from accomplishing the goal.  Now, it's time for me to start thinking about 2nd quarter.  What shall I do?  I'll have an answer for this question on my next post.

I'm really excited about what the new quarter holds.  Like yourself, I am seeing many things that I've never seen before and I am realizing that a lot of what I deem to be complicated, is simply me wanting to completely analyze the situation.  Instead, I should simply go with the flow.  That seems to be my mantra for this year.  I really don't have to know everything from A-Z.  Right now, all I need is "A."   So, I'll roll with that and ask questions about "B" when I get to that point.

One step closer

Well, March is almost ending and I feel very good in terms of my progress.  Today, I attended my first of many Toastmasters' meeting.  I'm so excited because I had been planning to attend since last year and of course procrastination was the culprit in hindering me from attending the meetings.  So there!  I did it!

Now that we are embarking on the 2nd quarter, my goals are to begin building out that new idea I shared with you.  Not quite ready to share it on the blog but once it gets closer to completion I will definitely be sharing. 

Can I just say that God is so awesome!  I've been reading Proverbs and each day it has blessed me and I can see where God is showing me and teaching me new life applications so that I may have the wisdom of which I've been praying.

Sorry for my random thoughts, I'm just in a good place right now and can't contain my excitement.

~ Tonya

Possibilities

Tweaking...I like that.  I've thought about this a great deal.  One of the things that stands out is that in order to tweak something, it's gotta be at least half right. You don't have to start from the beginning, you simply begin making adjustments from the point that you began drifting off course.  I think of it like driving, when the car starts to veer off course, you simply adjust the wheel slightly.  Yanking the wheel from side to side is much too drastic to keep the car on the road.  Tweaking...I like that!

Well, we're headed into the 2nd quarter of 2011. The month of March is racing to  it's end.  I must say that I'm still excited about this year.  There is still a lot to accomplish.  Life is still full of possiblilities and with a little bit of hard work and some tweaking, who knows what can happen!

Tweaking

Well, it's March.  How are you feeling so far?  I know you have your 3/31 deadling and I believe you will be on target.  I have to say that even with minor setbacks and spells of laziness, I've progressed quite nicely.  Each day I am more and more confident in the path I am taking and I believe that I am one step closer to my many dreams.

In church today, my pastor made a profound statement that has been on my mind all day.  He said, "don't discover who you are, define who you are."  I have a whole lot of thinking to do on that one.  Over the course of the years, I'm sure the decisions I've made have had an impact on defining who I am but the beautiful thing is that I can change or tweak that definition at any time in my life.  I think it's time to tweak....

~Tonya

setback

Well, I wasn't able to get to a computer for a minute, but I'm back now.  I totally understand the challenges of staying on task.  There is always something else that we can be doing.  However, there will always be something else, so if we are ever to achieve anything, we must eventually get to a point of maintaining focus and I believe that we are headed in the right direction now.  I have been working on completing my first qtr song all weekend.  I ran into a setback today.  While I'd thought that I would be able to simply record the song on a cassette tape and then burn this onto a cd, the sound is too distorted, so I'll have to find another way.  This is not good.  Still, I have a March 31st deadline...


                                                                                                              -Daphne-

Staying on Task

Why is it so hard to stay focused and stay on task?  There are so many distractions out there.  From watching Family Guy to surfing the net, it seems as if it's easier to waste time on mindless activities.  I must admit that this is one of my nemesis.  I can spend hours on facebook and channel surfing then get frustrated with myself for wasting so much time.  Some days are better than others.  On those days I have a my to-do-list and I'm checking off tasks.  Other days, I wonder what happened to the time.  I guess the moral of the story is I need to create more to-do-lists.

Even though, I am not always on task, I do feel as if I'm making progress.  I'm learning so much at work and I have committed to creating a 2 yr plan.  More to come on my 2 yr plan.  However, I can say that I have taken a step towards pursuing an aspect of my dreams.  In the past couple years, I have discovered a passion for teaching and sharing knowledge.  In 2009, I took the Teachers and Leadership Certification at my church so that I would be able to teach classes through our Bible Institute.  Though, I completed the course with an A, I had not stepped out to teach a class.  I was a co-teacher with the hubby but that doesn't count.  Anyway!  This week, I decided to teach a class during our summer session.  I am super excited and nervous at the same time, but I know this is what I want and need to go to the next level. 

~  Tonya

Progress Report

...so I figured that it's time for an update, a progress report.  In the last couple of weeks, I haven't done very well on working out.  I think that I have a pretty good reason-the weather.  I was doing pretty good, but whenever I stop, it's very hard to start back again.  Still, it ain't over yet!  Hopefully, I'll be able to start back up as soon as the snow and ice melt.

I have written and completely composed Shae's music (to the best of my ability).  The only thing left to do is to get the song copywritten, buy some cds, and make Shae's copy.  I've been working on this music for quite a while.  Surprisingly, working on my own music really helps me to play better than any music lesson can.  Anyway, my challenge has always been trying to play the tunes that I hear in my head.  While I still have a lot of work to do in that area, it is getting better and that makes me very HAPPY!

Finally, I still have my cooking event to attend in March.  I realized that I've cheated myself in this category by setting up only one event to attend, so I'll handle this differently next quarter.  I'll set up at least 3 events to attend, one per month.  This way, I can begin reporting something every month.  Well, that's where I am now.  I'm making progress slowly, but surely...

                                                                                                       -Daphne-

The Calming Effect

 In an effort to "carve myself out of the wall", I have to change my thinking as well.  In a previous post, I mentioned being an introvert.  This is a quality that I've never liked about myself.  I wished I could have been more of that out-going, boisterous, "life of the party" kind of person, but being shy and  slow to speak made that wish impossible.  Sunday, after church, I was talking to a set of twin teenaged young ladies and they made the comment that I was "so calm".  "You know, peaceful," they said.  This wasn't the first time I had heard this comment about myself but never really thought about it until later in the day.  It occurred to me that being "calm" was a good thing and that it was actually the outward display of being an introvert.

Earlier that day, Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson, was the guest preacher at our church and he talked about turning your disadvantage into an advantage because "our disadvantage is the difference that will make the difference."  For so long, I felt that being an introvert was a disadvantage and that has kept me from going farther in life.  However, if I were to change my thinking and see it as "being calm", then my entire approach to pursuing my dreams would have to be different.  I will call it "The Calming Effect".

Now all I have to do is learn how to use it to my advantage....

~ Tonya

The other half of the battle

I read a scripture the other night that is slowly changing my life.  It read:  Be careful how you think, because your thoughts set the boundaries for your life.  It stood out to me that the passage read, "Be careful HOW you think."  I realized that "how you think" is very different from "what you think."  The word "how" focuses more on the way you think, what is behind your thoughts, why you think the way you do.  Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks.  I have been my own stumbling block because of the way that I think.  I've come up with reasons why certain things can't be done.  Therefore, I am the reason why my life looks the way it does.  Nobody and nothing else can be blamed for it.

Now, I'm a very imaginative person.  I've always imagined my life looking totally different.  Things are not so bad now, but they could be better.  First, I must sit down and examine exactly which things I want to change.  Second, I've got to figure out what my thoughts have been regarding these issues.  Then, at last, I must change the way that I think about them.  I sort of envision myself undergoing a total makeover.  When I emerge, I'll look like someone totally new.  I won't even sound like the same person.  Certainly, if I my train of thought changes, you'll hear a new viewpoint and a different voice.  So, I'll actually begin thinking like the Daphne that I imagine myself being.  Hence, the question becomes: What does the Daphne (that I'd like to become) think about this?  How would she handle this issue?

Fear of failure has been an issue that I've battled with too.  I would venture to say that everyone has dealt with it in one regard or another.  I think that the main reason why this fear has held me back so long is because I've always viewed failure as a setback.  However, when I think about it, faulure can actually propel you forward.  It just may not happen the way that I'd like it to happen or the way that I think it should happen.  Fear of failure and the uncertainty of the outcome have worked hand in hand in holding me back from achieving what I want.  Well, if knowing is half the battle, it's now time to get started on the other half.

                                                                                                        -Daphne-

Fear of Failure

BFF, you are so right when addressing the idea of transparency.  I believe the most difficult part of being transparent is showing that we are not perfect.  Gasp!!!  Now, some will challenge that notion and say, "I don't think I'm perfect."  However, if we really take a long hard look at ourselves, though we may not see ourselves as perfect, perfect is how we want to be seen. 

I will be the first to admit that I haven't always been transparent so much so that I would try to fool myself into believing that everything is ok all of the time.  LOL!  Insane, right!  So!  I'm going to take your last blog as a challenge for me to be more transparent.  Starting now....

On yesterday, I realized that my biggest downfall or the one thing that has impeded my success is the fear of failure.  I've always heard that fear can keep you from success but I never believed I was fearful.  Earlier in life I considered myself to be a go-getter - one to go after what she wants and I did go after many things.  However, it occurred to me that my pursuits have been more on the safe side.  Ambitions that I knew I could attain.  On the flip-side, when it came to ideas or dreams that were more of a stretch, I failed miserably.  The reason being, I didn't try....

In previous blogs, I shared that I've had so many ideas, dreams, visions of which I've wanted to pursue.  Excited about each new idea, I would first have to buy a new notebook to write it down, talk passionately about it to those who were close to me, and then nothing.  I learned that the "nothing" came from fear.  I actually talked myself out of it regardless of how many people said it was a great idea.  I would convince myself that it wouldn't be good enough or it wasn't needed.  I hate to admit it but being transparent, I would think that I wasn't good enough to do it.  I felt like I was missing something.....

I was...  I was missing confidence.  I believe that through this blog, I will be able to defeat the fear that has resided in me and increase my confidence in pursuing my dreams.  As we continue to grow, I want our readers to be inspired, be transparent, be confident, and catch their dreams!

~ Tonya

Transparency

Thanks, friend.  I needed that.  I guess I'll have to make that my daily affirmation too.  Tonya, the other day you asked me what our blog is supposed to accomplish.  My response to you was that I want us to inspire others to catch their dreams.  Your question stuck with me though and caused me to take a step back. 

When I decided to commit to blogging, it was because I wanted to document my journey to catching my dreams.  And I realized that this cannot be done without some level of transparency.  I must be willing to be real every day and every single time that I post it must be what's true for me at that moment, or else it's all a lie.   My life won't be roses and sunshine everyday.  Still, the reader should be able to benefit from the posts no matter what.  I'd like to convey to the readers that stormy, rainy days should be expected on their journey, but these times won't last.  The same is true for the good times.  My posts should be a story about the journey of the whole person; this would include my mental state, accomplishments, and failures...because you know that there will be failures.

Nonetheless, I hope that my posts will inspire someone else to try.  This way, even if you fail the first time around, it will still be regarded as an accomplishment.  So with that said, I make a promise that my posts will do just that from now on.

A Great Day to Conquer the World

As I peruse facebook, I constantly encounter posts that read, "It's just another day."  It seems that not only you, bff, but many others are discouraged day in and out.  There are days when we're motivated and riding high but then there are days where we're at what seems to be our lowest.  However, I dare to challenge those feelings of despair, anxiety, discouragement or any of the feelings that keep us low and say that today is a GREAT day to conquer the world! 

Really, it's all in our attitude.  Like, the words spoken at Pheona's wedding, we have to wake up each day and say "Today is a great day."  By waking up with a positive attitude and affirming words, it will dictate how we react to the challenges we face for that day. 

Did you ever watch the cartoon, "Animaniacs"?  One of the mini-cartoons of that of "Pinky and the Brain" and their goal each episode was to conquer the world.  Though they were never successful, each time they had a plan and never gave up.  I think we have to have the same drive and ambition.  We must conquer the world by operating in our gifts and talents no matter where we are in life - even if we're in the development states.  It's one step closer to conquering the world.

With that said, my morning affirmations from today forward will be, "It's a Great Day to Conquer the World!"

~ Tonya

inevitable uncertainty?

I like the whole carving concept, because there are definitely some things that have to be cut and the decision to do something differently is a decision to walk against the crowd.

I often find myself looking for inspiration.  I listen for it in what others say, I read anything in sight, or I may come up with something catchy myself. After I find it, it sticks for a few days.  Yeah...so for a few days I am sitting on top of the world.  Then something ruffles my feathers and I'm back where I started-looking for inspiration again.  Is there an antidote for this or is this just the way that it will always be?  Life has so many uncertainties and being the person that I am, I absolutely hate uncertainty.  Still, it's the world that I live in.  I have so many questions right now.  Some days I feel as though I have all of the answers; other days I don't even have one.  I want so much.  I wish for so much, but is it really what I want?  Do I even know what I want?  I guess today may just be one of those days...

                                                                                                                    -Daphne-

Carving Myself Out of the Wall

I totally agree with you that determination is key and I have taken on a new determination.  For 33 years I have always felt more comfortable blending into the walls.  Actually, if I could be behind a wall and absolutely no one sees me would make it even better.  I've never been the one to want the spotlight on me.  Always a shy and bashful child growing up, I grew up to be a shy and bashful adult although some of my friends beg to differ.  Last week, I had a conversation with one of my bosses and he plainly stated, "You have to carve yourself out of the wall."  This bomb, if you will, was dropped on me after sharing with him my goals and aspirations as it relates to my career.  His words hit home hard!

So with that said, I am now determined to carve myself out of the wall.  Not sure how that will look but I look forward to sharing the progress on our blog....

More to come.....

~ Tonya

Determination is powerful

Yeah, your friend was right.  I second that emotion.  You definitely accomplish what you are determined about.  When you became determined to work out,  you did.  When you became determined that you wanted another job,  you found one.  When you became determined to move from TN, you did.  Girl, sometimes we fail to realize just how successful we've been at accomplishing the goals that we set our minds to.  I'd be willing to place a wager that there isn't one of these instances where you didn't get your desired results.  Just think about it.  Determination is powerful.  Basically, it allows you the courage to look into the face of impossibility and dare it to stand in your way. 

I realized that my last post didn't include anything about my workouts.  Yes, I did reinstate them, and I managed to workout 3 days last week.  Pray for me this week, because it's hard.  I guess I need to remind myself that determination is powerful...

                                                                                                                  Daphne

More than Talk

Wow!  You really did it.  You purchased the ticket.  Now, the next step is to actually attend the event.  You know how we do....we get so far then stop.  I will be expecting a post about your experience.

This year is definitely going to be more than just talk.  We have talked and talked and talked until finally it's time to make things happen.  We've had so many visions for our lives and I know that it will come to fruition.  The blog is an indicator of our commitment to action versus dialogue.  Our conversation on Saturday was great.  A lof ot times as I'm sharing with you, it encourages me as well which is why I always loved our Saturday talks. 

It's true that we make time for the things we want and some times for things we don't want.  We're both somewhat stubborn people and when we put our minds to something we get it done.  I think that we need to channel that stubborness in a way that it will become discipline.  I was talking to a friend of mine on Friday and I was telling him that I didn't have much discipline.  He said, "Tonya, yes you do have discipline.  Didn't you stop eating meat 2 years ago?"  It didn't occur to me that I apply discipline to certain areas of my life and when I'm committed to something there's no swaying me.  In the same way, I have to apply that same discipline to all areas of my life. 

So, what book am I reading?  I have begun reading "Becoming a Person of Influence" by John C. Maxwell.  My goal is to develop leadership skills and learn how to use the gifts/talents that are in me - the Introvert.   I'll speak more on being an introvert in my next post.

~ Tonya

Credibility

Yes!  Yes, I purchased my ticket to the Savor Dallas International Grand Tasting and I am so proud of myself and excited about attending.  We both have a long list of  the things that we'd like to experience, which includes the places that we've always wanted to go.  Well, attending a cooking event, hosted by a chef, has always been right at the top of my list.  Still, if we didn't have this blog, it would always just be something that I'd like to do.  I never would have accomplished it.  It's crazy, but the only reason why I haven't done it in the past is just because I wasn't willing to sit down and look for an event.  However, those days of being lazy are over. 

So, I contacted Shae and got her address for the song.  At that time, she informed me that I'll have to find a way to send her a cd of my song.  Now, I really wasn't planning to spend any money on a professional recording, so I had no earthly idea how I would accomplish this.  But, you really made a valid point during our Saturday conversation.  You said that we find ways to do everything that we really want to do.  You added that if I really wanted to find a way to do this, then I'd take the rest of the weekend to figure it out...and I did.  I learned how to transfer a song from a cassette to a cd, so I don't have to spend a lot of money on a professional recording.  I can send a true rough draft of the song to her.  Right now, I'm still learning how to play it, but I'll definitely have it recorded and out to her before the end of the quarter.

You know, this blog was a really good idea.  I just purchased my Savor Dallas ticket today, which is horrible because I procrastinated.   Still,  I knew that I couldn't post again without purchasing my ticket.  In the past, we set goals and were supposed to be accountable to each other, but I'd simply shrug it off when you asked me about it.  Now, you're asking me in public, so I'm obligated to make myself look credible :)  Honestly, I like that.  I like it a lot.  So...what book are you reading?

                                                                                                         -Daphne-

Day 6

Wow, Dap!  You're on it!  I'm glad you've started the year with a bang.  Keep the fireworks coming!  Did you buy the ticket for that cooking class???

It's the 6th day of 2011 and it's already a wonderfully blessed year.  I'm already learning a lot from my new bosses and know that they will have a positive influence on me as a grow and develop in leadership.  I have set some pretty aggressive goals and I'm ready to tackle each one.  One of my first goals as a part of reinventing myself is to read a book per month.  I know that's not much for some people but I have to start somewhere. Right?  I figured if I can get one book down I can increase it as time progresses.  Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that I have actually posted a calendar in the house and have been sticking to it.  I am so excited about this year.  I've already started it differently than all of the previous years. 

Gotta keep it going!

~ Tonya

Starting with a bang!

Happy New Year!!!  Well, 2011 is well underway and I am happy to report that I am off to a great start.   I got back into the routine of working out today.  It was my first time working out in 4 months.  I must admit that it was a bit of a challenge to get myself motivated.  After work,  I've grown accustomed to coming home and plopping down to watch TV.  Usually, I don't move until it's time to get ready for bed, so pulling myself up to work out was a major accomplishment.

Also, I've started on my song.  I called Shae to get her address and she informed me that she needed a cd, because she doesn't have a cassette player.  I have been working on creating the music for her song, but I don't know how to transfer the music from my keyboard onto a cd.  I guess I'll have to figure it out before March, huh.  I also have to figure out how to maximize my time on my goals, so that I can accomplish all of them by my deadline.

Finally, I have also found the cooking event that I am going to attend-Savor Dallas. The more that I think about it, the more that I realize that I probably need to purchase my ticket tonight, so that I won't back out or give myself a chance to make excuses.  Hence, I'm going to buy my ticket as soon as I'm done writing.  Well, as you can see, my new year is off with a bang and I am very excited about what my future holds.  I'll definitely keep you updated on my progress...Signing out!!!

                                                                                                              Daphne

New Year; Fulfilled Dreams

2011 is upon us and like you I am excited about what this year will bring.  It will definitely be a year of fulfilled dreams.  I had to take some time to truly ponder on expectations/aspirations for 2011 and I finally have it.  It came by way of watch night service at Friendship West Baptist Church.  Pastor Haynes talked about the importance of re-inventing onself.  Well there you have it!  I will be totally re-inventing myself in 2011.  First thing first, I will stop talking and start acting.  My goal is to continue growing and I am being re-invented so that in 2012 I will be a new person with some dreams fulfilled and pursuing others. 

In the words of Bishop T.D. Jakes, "Get Ready, get ready, get ready!"

~ Tonya