Archive for the ‘Videos’ Category
The Gift of Gabriella
Tuesday, March 8th, 2011
Last week, Valerie from Upstate New York commented on my blog about the Playlist that got me through the Honolulu Marathon. She shared some of her favorite workout tunes like Wish Liszt (Toy Shop Madness) Piano Tribute Players, Love Drunk Piano Tribute to Boys Like Girls and Diablo Rojo by Rodrigo y Gabriella.
I decided to explore a few of her selections just to see what I'd find.
What I found was a musical act called Rodrigo Y Gabriella and I found their performance mesmerizing. Being the rock and roll girl that I am, when faced with a choice of which of their videos I wanted to watch I headed for a cover of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven followed by a cover of Metallica's Orion, which was worth sharing so here you go: (click here to watch on YouTube.)
Speaking of rock and roll girls, Gabriella definitely knows how to rock the guitar which she alternately uses as a percussion instrument.
Gabriella immerses herself in her art and is an inspiration to watch. By the time I got to the end of the video, I was roused, galvanized and a tiny bit teary-eyed. Check it out, it's worth 2:46 of your time.
Galvanized Facebook Friday 03-04-11 – Stretching the Comfort Zone
Friday, March 4th, 2011"People think chutzpah is in the genes. It isn't.. it's in the needing and wanting and being willing to fall on your face. It isn't fun.. who wants all that rejection, but life is sweeter if you make yourself do uncomfortable things." - Helen Gurley BrownThat was the quote I read the morning after my speech contest and it was just what I needed to hear. As I mentioned in last week's post, I competed in the Tall Tales contest and represented Division One, Area A2 Toastmasters. I signed up for the contest to challenge my fears and grow as a person and I accomplished my mission. I was pushed and pulled emotionally every step of the way. The entire experience was way out of my comfort zone. I may have looked comfortable but my insides were in a state of turmoil. I did it anyway and it was exhilarating.
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| From Toastmasters/ Speaking |
"Life is a good teacher and a good friend. Things are always in transition, if we could only realize it. To stay with that shakiness - to stay with a broken heart, with a rumbling stomach, with the feeling of hopelessness and wanting to get revenge - that is the path of true awakening. Sticking with that uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic - this is the spiritual path." - Pema ChodronAfter the contest, I celebrated the accomplishment of facing my fears and went to see live music at Industry Cafe & Jazz with my friend Linderella. Linderella (AKA Linda Saito) was recently honored at Industry Cafe & Jazz. Here's a video of her singing. Listening to her voice and seeing her smile with soothe your soul. Another great tool to help me make it through the utter terror of competing in a speech contest was free Yoga on the Bluff in Long Beach. I went twice this week and it was heavenly both times. I don't have a photo of the actual class in session but it takes place right here at Junipero and Ocean. There's nothing like doing Yoga while looking out at the ocean. Talk about bliss. [caption id="attachment_1518" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The view from Junipero and Ocean. Just to the right of this is where the free yoga classes in Long Beach are held"]
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The philosophy of Yoga is that you can breathe through any difficulty, any pain, any stiffness.
You can stretch yourself, you can be flexible, you can do things you didn't think you could do.
The teachers always say you can take the lessons you learn on the yoga mat out into the real world. I put that premise to the test this week and it proved to be true. With that in mind, I will definitely return to Yoga on the Bluff and I look forward to flowing through the next great adventure with grace, ease. Galvanized Facebook Friday 02-25-11 – Creativity Crash Course
Friday, February 25th, 2011
If I had to give this week a title, it would be Creativity Crash Course.
You see, I'm on this whole "love not fear" kick which calls for an incredible amount of creativity because fear is very sneaky and has endless ways of manifesting itself. I had to face a bunch of fears this week. Fear of losing my husband, fear of sickness, fear of being out of control, fears of being "found out", fears of not being good enough, fear of public speaking and more. Fear knocked on the door of my peace many times and each time, I had to deny it's pleas and make a conscious decision to choose love.
Let me give you a couple of examples.
This week, my husband and I have spent more time than usual dealing with doctors. He's been in serious pain, and I've stepped into the role of caretaker more deeply than usual. My husband has kidney stones and he has blood in his urine. I know, I know, "Too Much Information" but I have to say, when I saw that blood, my heart dropped.
It wasn't just about the blood, it was the fear that my husband could die and it was the fear of having to go on without him. It was unsettling to say the least. But if I was to choose love, not fear, I had to switch my mind to how I could make his experience a little less painful. How could I be of service?
Sometimes I felt like I was fighting with myself. Against the me that wants to ask "what about me?" Against the me that wants to dwell on the fear and drama of what might happen if/when I lose my husband "someday". I think the pull to dwell on drama goes way back, at least as far as the teenage years of watching soap operas and reading teen magazines, but I can speak from experience that choosing love feels a lot better than living in fear.
Since my husband has been down and out, I've been in charge of walking the dog. I used to dread walking the dog but since I'm in the "love not fear" mode, I looked for ways I could enjoy the time. I put on my iPod, listened to some tunes and last night I had the inspiration to practice my speech for the Area 2 Toastmasters contest while I was out walking. It was a blast.
Talk about overcoming a fear. I was delivering my speech in a very loud, animated way as cars whizzed by on Ocean Blvd. Call it crazy or call it bold, all I know is I used to be afraid to practice my speech in the closet of my own home! Now, I could care less what people think. I'm a public speaker practicing for a speech contest, whadda ya expect?
I liked practicing my speech in that manner so much that I might do it again even if I don't have to. It made my practice time feel more realistic and powerful than practicing inside my home alone. I pretended the people in their cars and houses were my audience and I was telling them all a story. This helped me get more clear on my timing. It seemed like it was more true to how I want to communicate in front of the live audience.
And that brings me to another aspect of my Creativity Crash Course. I just won a speech contest at my Agape Toastmasters club, which means I go on to represent my club at the area contest which means another opportunity to overcome fear. A lot of fear. I am literally pushed up against my own wall. I'm competing in the Tall Tales contest and prior to February 19, I'd never told a Tall Tale. But since I won (gulp) I will be busting through a new barrier on March 2 when I tell a Tall Tale for the second time, only this time there will be a lot more people there and I won't know them as well as I know my fellow Toastmasters at Agape. I have daydreams of disappearing into thin air. I consider the possibility of backing out. Neither one is going to happen if I have anything to say about it. Love it is. Love for me, love for life.
Another fear-busting experience for me was co-facilitating a Money Magnetism teleseminar with my WE-WOW Master Mind partner, Nick Pfenningwerth of Creative Wealth Building on Wednesday night. I have to admit (even though I'm afraid) that money management has been my greatest life challenge to date. I literally have money fears and I was pressed face to face with them all week long. Nick made some excellent points about why people repel money and what they need to do to attract money. I did all the homework he recommended and I'm determined to make peace with money. Love not fear...right?
I guess the success for me is that I flowed through the whole week without freaking out completely, throwing a fit or any other unfavorable response to life. Thanks to learning and applying some of the aspects of CBT and A Course in Miracles as well as some amazing warrior workouts with Your Next Victory, I've been able to remain calm, peaceful and resourceful in a time of unpredictability and nervousness. My goal is to continue to handle life in a "love not fear" manner and to take on new challenges in the spirit of adventure and personal growth.
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| From Misc. |
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| From Toastmasters/ Speaking |
Galvanized Facebook Friday 02-18-11 – It’s Never Too Late
Friday, February 18th, 2011
By far, the wildest thing that happened to me this week is that I had a visit with my dad. I realize that a daughter visiting her dad isn't necessarily a big deal to anyone but if you knew the history of my family, and especially if you could read my journals or hear the thoughts I had about my dad throughout my life, then it would all make more sense. To put it in context, this is only the 4th time in my entire life that I've been face to face with my father and I'm 45 years old.
I started to write a little bit about the shift in our relationship about 2 years ago in this blog. The short story is, I had no contact with my father throughout my entire upbringing. I met him face to face for the first time when I was 20 and I spent most of my childhood alternately wanting desperately for him to come "save me" and hating his guts for leaving me. No letters, no phone calls, no nothing...only my mind creating stories of how my dad doesn't love me.
Well, that version of our relationship is old news and a new relationship is forming. This is only possible because we both sat face to face about 3 1/2 years ago and he asked to be forgiven. He explained himself. He let me ask questions and tell him my side of the story. This only took a couple of hours. Now we spend time talking about what is going on in the present and this week, we walked to Chronic Tacos in Long Beach and sat and enjoyed each others company. I got to show him my house and my office and he got to show me photos of the rest of the family. We have started a new relationship.
This week has been huge for letting go of the past. I got out an old trunk with journals in it from as far back as 1985. My husband and I had a field day destroying and discarding all the journals that were filled with angst, anger, insecurity and more. I feel like I'm operating from a clean slate. I have to credit A Course in Miracles and many of the other studies I've done over the years that helped me to let go of the pain and fear of the past and replace it with love. If you'd like an easy way to follow A Course in Miracles, check out this site: www.the-course-in-miracles.com
I came across a quote this week by Bruce Barton: "Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstances." I realized that most of the time we are stronger than we think we are and sometimes we have to come close to losing something we value before we dig deep into our resources and access all the strength we have.
This little gif with the cat and the bear (above) is a good reminder for me. I also enjoyed the following TED video: Beverly + Dereck Joubert: Life lessons from big cats as a demonstration of that inner "something" we can all access when something is truly important to us. Be sure to watch it to the end...it's a little disturbing at one point but then becomes very inspiring.
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| From ICreateReality |
Ragga Muffins Festival 2011 Converges on Long Beach February 19-20
Friday, February 18th, 2011
The Ragga Muffins Festival is happening this weekend in Long Beach. That means about 25,000 people will cruise over to the Long Beach Arena at 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach and listen to Reggae all day long in the spirit of One Love. The event also features food and vendor booths. Doors open 2:30 PM - Show starts at 3:00 PM.
The Ragga Muffins Festival is recognized as the premiere Reggae Festival in the US. This two-day Music and Arts Festival continues the tradition of honoring Bob Marley, one of the greatest champions of human rights and world peace, by spreading his vision of One World, One Love through music and community.
Here's a photo gallery from last year's Ragga Muffins Festival. All photos by Michael Zampelli.
Here's the line up for the weekend:
Saturday, February 19:
• Bunny Wailer
• Rebelution
• Gyptian
• Half Pint
• Horace Andy
• Leroy Sibbles featuring The Lions
• Etana
• New Kingston
• The Green
• Quinto Sol
Sunday, February 20:
• Israel Vibration
• Gentleman
• I-Octane
• Marcia Griffiths
• Freddie McGregor
• Richie Spice
• Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus
• Don Carlos
• Cornel Campbell
• Tosh 1
This family-friendly event offers free admission to children 12 years and under when accompanied by a paid adult. The Children’s Activity Space, provided by the “What About the Children? Foundation” is another annual tradition at the Festival, providing entertainment to kids with storytellers, face painting and other enriching activities.
Chase and Status – ‘No More Idols’ Release Evokes a Warrior Mindset
Tuesday, February 15th, 2011
I am infatuated with the new Chase and Status CD and have been listening to it in my car daily. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be available on US iTunes at this time.
Today I was driving down Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach and I drove right past the exact spot where I do warrior workouts on the Bluff with Your Next Victory. Listening to 'Fire In Your Eyes' Ft. Maverick Sabre by Chase & Status while working out is a great way to feel powerful and strong.
I decided to capture the drive on video. Here it is. I highly recommend that you buy this new release, go for a road trip and crank it up. Unleash your inner warrior.
Here's the link to the album on iTunes UK: No More Idols - Chase & Status
Song of the Week – 2-15-11 – End Credits by Chase and Status ft. Plan B
Tuesday, February 15th, 2011
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End Credits (feat. Plan B) - Single - Chase & Status
Watch the video on YouTube
Check out more on their MySpace page.
Michael Zampelli has been influential force in the Southern California music scene for more than 40 years. He is the former owner of Zed Records of Long Beach and continues to maintain an interest in new music coming out of the U.K.
Zampelli manages an on-line forum for fans of Los Angeles Kings hockey at www.letsgokings.com . He takes photos for the Los Angeles Kings, LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. His photo gallery includes photos of Lil Wayne, T-Pain, Skinny Puppy, Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page, Stevie Wonder, Rivers Cuomo, Gene Simmons, The Prodigy, and Lucha Va Voom. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.
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End Credits (feat. Plan B) - Single - Chase & Status
Watch the video on YouTube
Check out more on their MySpace page.
Michael Zampelli has been influential force in the Southern California music scene for more than 40 years. He is the former owner of Zed Records of Long Beach and continues to maintain an interest in new music coming out of the U.K.
Zampelli manages an on-line forum for fans of Los Angeles Kings hockey at www.letsgokings.com . He takes photos for the Los Angeles Kings, LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. His photo gallery includes photos of Lil Wayne, T-Pain, Skinny Puppy, Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page, Stevie Wonder, Rivers Cuomo, Gene Simmons, The Prodigy, and Lucha Va Voom. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.
Galvanized Facebook Friday 02-04-11 – Music, Technology and Memory Lane
Friday, February 4th, 2011
There are so many things to listen to and see these days. I recently got a Roku player that allows me to not only watch streaming Netflix but to watch YouTube videos on my TV, to tune into iTunes Podcasts on my TV and to listen to alternative radio from San Francisco via SomaFM (I like the Groove Salad myself).
As mind-blowing as all that is/was, the thing that excited me the most this week was discovering an episode of Soul Train from the 80's with appearances from Run DMC and Dazz. In the same episode, a boy named Jesse made a "wish" with a then relatively small organization called, "Make a Wish Foundation" to dance on Soul Train. Jesse was 9 and had luekemia and this boy could bust a move. Needless to say, I pressed "keep until I delete" on my Tivo so I can watch this again and again.
Here's a video of the interview Run DMC did on Soul Train.
After watching this episode, it got me thinking about the Beastie Boys and A Tribe Called Quest. That sent me looking for a good Beastie Boys tune to listen to. I chose High Plains Drifter.
One of the things I love about Hip Hop is the storytelling aspect and how the artists weave so many associations into one song. This video demonstrates visually how many tie-ins you can cram into one song. I used to listen to all these songs over and over again trying to figure out all the references and innuendos.
All this "trippin'" down memory lane reminded me of how my brothers and I used to dance to Yo MTV Raps and how one of my brothers was dedicated enough to get cardboard, lay it out in the driveway and practice break dancing moves...yes, to Run DMC and maybe even Grand Master Flash if I remember correctly. Or maybe that was ME. Yes, I went to see Grand Master Flash twice in Hollywood in the 80's. An experience worth remembering.
My brothers and I had a lot of fun growing up thanks to music and still to this day we enjoy listening to old-school rap and hip hop at family reunions. I am especially entertained as I watch the looks on people's faces when I tell them that.
Have a great weekend and get galvanized!
P.S. I'm beginning to think it might be a good idea to have a Facebook page for iamgalvanized.com that's separate from my Sheri Zampelli page on Facebook. If you'd like to follow my activity on Facebook, and stay galvanized all week long, go to the new page I created and click "like."
P.S. I'm beginning to think it might be a good idea to have a Facebook page for iamgalvanized.com that's separate from my Sheri Zampelli page on Facebook. If you'd like to follow my activity on Facebook, and stay galvanized all week long, go to the new page I created and click "like." 
