Long Time -- No Write

Hey, guys!!  I know you have missed me, and even if you haven’t I’m telling myself that you have because it makes me feel better.  Truth is, I’m juggling so many things right now that I just flat out haven’t had the time for regular posts.  One of the projects I’m working on???  A BOOK!!  Yes – there, I said it!  Yours truly is working hard to get a book published before the end of this year.  Which means all my writing, creative energy is spent there as opposed to here in the blog.  But I’ll be honest =whisper= I miss blogging.  There’s something so special about the conversations I’m allowed to have in this open forum.  It’s a thing non-bloggers probably don’t get, and that’s cool.

But, I come to you today with great news!   STEPPING ON A FEW TOES will be hitting the stage next week!  I’m participating in HONEY & POISON which is a monthly solo artist showcase held in Brooklyn, and I’m super excited.  It’s a free event, so all New Yorkers are encouraged to attend.  Here are the details:

HONEY & POISON

Thur, Sept. 19, 2013 @ 8pm

Two Moon Art House

315 4th Avenue

Park Slope, Brooklyn

Gang, I miss you guys dearly.  New York is being good to me, but I’m very much still in a state of transition.  So much is happening behind the scenes that I’m really not at the place to speak on just yet, but I’m praying you’ll hang in there with me (pretty please).

In the meantime, get excited about Fall, because she’s on her way!  For us on the east coast it means, sweaters, boots, scarfs, and heavy coats.  For my west coast family it means long sleeved shirts and jeans.  No matter where you are you should be getting the feeling that 2013 will soon be wrapping up.  So make a mad dash for your finish line.  It’s not too late to start a new project or complete one that’s been hanging out on that back burner for a little too long.  Roll up your sleeves and commit to getting something done.

Love you guys!!  And we shall chat soon!

My name is Jasmynne Shaye, and this is me STEPPING ON A FEW TOES. 

Don't Waste A Single Quarter

The calendar year is broken up into four quarters:

-- Q1 – Jan, Feb, Mar

-- Q2 – Apr, May, Jun

-- Q3 – Jul, Aug, Sep

-- Q4 – Oct, Nov, Dec

When you look at it this way, it seems much more manageable in terms of setting goals and formulating a plan to reach them.  “Twelve months” sounds so daunting, but four quarters sounds doable; and three months sounds even better than that!

Take a look at that breakdown above…Quarter 1 is done.  It’s over and gone and we are well into Quarter 2.  And when Quarter 2 comes to an end that’s half of our year that we can kiss good-bye.  It really moves much quicker than you think, doesn’t it?  But no matter how you slice and dice it, it’s still 365 days.  It’s still 52 weeks.  It’s still 12 months.

Don’t be afraid to set goals, and don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.  It’s only then that you really get to see what you’re made of – seriously.  You don’t know that you can leap a tall building until you try it.  If the only challenges you set for yourself are the ones you know you can manage – well that’s not really a challenge is it?

Test your limits and push your boundaries.  Find out who you are and what you’re made of.  You won’t know until you try.  And stop being afraid to fail.  Anyone worth their salt knows that failure is a necessary part of success.  The two go hand in hand.  It’s impossible to have one without the other.  Really.

So dig in there.  Set a goal for yourself.  Dream a little bigger than you did last year, and get ready to inspire others – because everyone’s watching. 

My year so far…

JANUARY

I received the final version and accompanying products for my STILL STANDING logo.  STILL STANDING is my personal message of survival that will be the final bit of punctuation necessary to round out my brand.  Items aren’t yet available for purchase, but they soon will be.  I want to thank Spencer Owens and his wonderful team at 1Six5 Designs for making my dream a reality.

FEBRUARY

I received the final word that STEPPING ON A FEW TOES would have its east coast debut in New York City on the campus of College of Mount Saint Vincent.

MARCH

STEPPING ON A FEW TOES had a successful east coast premiere in New York City on the campus of College of Mount Saint Vincent.  This presentation of the show was a part of the school’s tribute to Women’s History Month. 

I joined forces with, Bell Curves, one of the leading test prep agencies in New York.  The group offers test prep to populations that wouldn’t ordinarily be able to obtain such services. 

That it all for now.

My name is Jasmynne Shaye, and this is me STEPPING ON A FEW TOES. 

photo:  www.stockfreeimages.com  

Gain Confidence. Gain Strength.

Have you ever gone to the movies by yourself?  Ever grabbed a table for one at a restaurant to enjoy some lunch or dinner?  Ever enjoyed some summer sun at the beach or in the park solo?  Ever dared to be seen at a bar, a party, or a club without a buddy or your entourage?  Are you settled and comfortable in your skin or do you feel like all eyes are on you when you’re out alone?  There’s something to be said for those individuals that have no problem going and doing all by themselves.  And for those that can’t seem to muster the courage to do so, I’ve gotta ask why.  What is it that keeps you from stepping out without the company of others?  Do you throw a stare of judgment to those that you see dining alone?  In secret do you have pity for them because they appear friendless in your eyes?  Or do you look on with envy wishing you had the guts to enjoy a spell of public solitude?  Either way, whether your stare is one of judgment or envy, the bottom line is the same.  You lack the confidence that they possess. 

Confidence is such a tricky thing because our family, friends and environment begin building up or tearing down our confidence when we’re infants.  The way we’re treated by our parents in our infancy directly impacts on how we interact with others once we begin school.  And how we’re treated in grade school directly impacts how we get along in high school.  And those high school and college interactions mold and shape our behavior for years to come.  So I get it and I hope others do as well.  When anyone talks about confidence, there’s a lifetime of interactions that need to be involved in that conversation.  It’s never as simple as what happened last week or last month.  If it were, it would be much easier to fix.  Confidence, over confidence, and lack of confidence are issues that run deep for us all and it’s nothing that comes with an over-the-counter cure.  This is an area that’s all about self-reflection and personal accountability.  It may take time, but the self-discovery is well worth it.  We should all make a point to examine our pasts to uncover those things that either gave us confidence or destroyed it.  Little by little you’ll begin to see where the right turns were made and what wrong ones to avoid in the future. 

Then it’s time to employ some personal responsibility.  Perhaps our parents weren’t perfect.  Maybe the kids on the playground were a little cruel.  But now we’re here and it’s time to make a decision not to let our past dictate our future.  It’s time for us to be confident IN SPITE of our pasts.  And trust me, it won’t happen overnight, and it’s not easy as pie – but it’s so dog’on empowering.  When you get to the place where you’re able to hold your head up high regardless of how you were picked on in school…regardless of how your parents treated you…regardless of what your high school friends thought of you… When you get to that place – there truly is no turning back and others will flock to you because you will have what they so desperately crave.

Confidence.  It’s a tricky thing, but it’s not impossible.

My name is Jasmynne Shaye, and this is me STEPPING ON A FEW TOES. 

photo:  www.stockfreeimages.com

NO FEAR

There are a hundred other things I should probably be doing right now to get ready for tonight’s performance, but at this very moment, I’m feeling the need to write – so here I am.  And I’m gonna try to make it quick.

To anyone who may be reading this, and to the people that you verbally share it with:  don’t be afraid to dream and don’t be afraid to be different.  Don’t be afraid to take chances and don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

I sit before you right now as a girl whose family hails from the rural township of Leland, NC.  It’s so small and unknown that it’s so much easier to tell people that your family is from Wilmington.  As if Wilmington is a metropolis, right?  But thanks to Michael Jordan, most people have at least heard of it. 

I digress…

My family is filled with hardworking people that followed societal norms by either going to college and then work, or getting jobs straight out of high school.  But at a very young age I knew I didn’t want to do that but I was embarrassed and ashamed to speak of my dreams to my family for fear of ridicule.  I even remember a conversation with my father when he said, “You want to major in something that will allow you to get a real job.”  Ouch.  Yep.  That stung a little. 

But when I made the decision to leave North Carolina for Los Angeles, I was an adult (so to speak) and no one could stop me – and it was by far one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.  I won’t take the time right now to catalog my entire LA experience, but if not for Los Angeles, there would be no STEPPING ON A FEW TOES. 

LA isn’t even a theatre town and I managed to mount my show eight times over the course of four years.  A one-woman show…in Los Angeles…a town where everyone and everything is fake, here I was sharing a slice of reality and they were listening.  I was blown away.

Fast forward and I have the wacky idea of heading back to my east coast roots, but this time the plane would take me to New York.  A one-way ticket.  Because I believe this is where my show is supposed to be.  And tonight…this evening of March 6^th, STEPPING ON A FEW TOES will be making its east coast premiere right here in New York City.  Please understand that I’m nowhere near finished, and I have in no way “arrived” but a dream of mine is being realized tonight, and I need you to believe that the same is very possible for you.

I love you guys for reading and supporting. 

Don’t be afraid to dream. 

Don’t be afraid to be different. 

Don’t be afraid to take chances. 

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

My name is Jasmynne Shaye, and this is me STEPPING ON A FEW TOES.