Right now for me, music is more necessary than ever. If you need a quick mood booster, check out this funky song my husband found - Scratchy by Travis Wammack. He used to listen to this when he was 12! That's one of the things I love about my husband, his very eclectic taste in music. It goes WAY back.
My husband and I met at his punk rock record store, Zed Records in Long Beach. This week, I put up some punk rock DVD's for sale including Sid and Nancy - Criterion Collection - Special Edition. It's brand new, sealed and in excellent condition. Come check it out at my Amazon Store.
Now, let me tell you why I need music so bad lately. Two weeks ago I started teaching a helping and listening skills class at Long Beach City College.
When you listen, you learn A LOT, feel a lot and experience a lot. I've been through it all in the past 2 weeks. Students have spoke out about rape, gang life, mental illness, addiction, domestic violence and more. Many people want to transform their lives but have no idea how.
This new batch of students help me to realize once again the power of listening.
We use Motivational Interviewing techniques and every semester a group of students are transformed to a better way of life. Usually this includes better relationships with their families. I expect this semester to be no exception.
I started the session off by showing my students the following video which is a series of testimonials from previous semesters. I told the class that I wanted to "begin with the end in mind"; I wanted to intentionally provide a learning environment that would produce MORE students with stories of transformation than the semester before.
What that means is I decided to dig deep and dig fast so we wouldn't waste any time. We just got right down to the bones of the matter, quickly.
Maybe it's a bit like mining for gold, you have to dig through a lot of dirt, expend a lot of energy but the reward is worth the effort. I feel this way not only for my students but for me. I learn right along with everyone else and I'm having transformations of my own.
I'm sure I'll be writing more about that in future Galvanized Facebook Friday entries. For now, let's just say there's no room for victim mentality in my mind. In fact, I'm going to be like the pastor who's getting famous on Facebook and say FU to anyone and anything that upsets me.
If you have some things in life you want to say FU to, come check out the video I posted on the I am Galvanized Facebook page titled "Pastor says FU at church". While you're there, click "Like".
3 thoughts on “Galvanized Facebook Friday 04-01-11 – Music, Setting a Tone and Listening”
Very cool. I detected a little surfy music going on in this record as I envisioned Annette Funicello in her bikini along with Frankie Avalon dancing and singing in the sand.
WOW taking me back. Opps I am telling my age again! : )
It is so very real Sheri that each time I pull something out from the dreaded dark closet of my mind, which I have named my black box=memory. I to dig deep down, I will now see it in your light, the term “gold mining”. For each time I am able to grab the most deep seeded torments, that have inflicted me with so much pain for most of my life and bring it to the surface I am able to clean house and move forward, when I am done with the pain I will be able to eventually see my black box filling itself with gold (Tools). This will then motivate me to be strong from the inside & outside and not draw off my survival mode that keeps some of my bad behaviors on the surface. Today I refuse to believe I am a victim of my past, only a new Warrior of my future.
Sincerely,
I thank you. Helen L.
Thank you Helen for your comments. It’s great to share your journey with you. It isn’t always fun and comfortable but worth the effort. Living in drama and trauma is missing out on life and I want to live my remaining years to the fullest. I am Galvanized to take charge of my life!
Very cool. I detected a little surfy music going on in this record as I envisioned Annette Funicello in her bikini along with Frankie Avalon dancing and singing in the sand.
WOW taking me back. Opps I am telling my age again! : )
It is so very real Sheri that each time I pull something out from the dreaded dark closet of my mind, which I have named my black box=memory. I to dig deep down, I will now see it in your light, the term “gold mining”. For each time I am able to grab the most deep seeded torments, that have inflicted me with so much pain for most of my life and bring it to the surface I am able to clean house and move forward, when I am done with the pain I will be able to eventually see my black box filling itself with gold (Tools). This will then motivate me to be strong from the inside & outside and not draw off my survival mode that keeps some of my bad behaviors on the surface. Today I refuse to believe I am a victim of my past, only a new Warrior of my future.
Sincerely,
I thank you. Helen L.
Thank you Helen for your comments. It’s great to share your journey with you. It isn’t always fun and comfortable but worth the effort. Living in drama and trauma is missing out on life and I want to live my remaining years to the fullest. I am Galvanized to take charge of my life!