music, therapy, and me

My "You SHOULD" goblin... I have a word for my year - Courage. I am striving to do things that make my stomach turn when I think of them. It has been amazing how much I avoid some things, and this outlook is making me focus on what I am avoiding and then doing something about it. My latest courageous step is something that I have never actually done before. I am NOT submitting a presentation proposal to the AMTA National Conference this year. Not a one. I have been struggling to come up with an idea that I want to talk about with other music therapists within this time frame, so I've decided not to pressure myself. Any ideas that I come up with will be offered here via my online platform rather than in the hustle and expensive bustle of conference. I'm feeling some peace about this decision. I was driving home yesterday, thinking about where to look for old ideas to resurrect and submit, and I just thought, "what if I don't submit?" All of a sud...

My word for this year (2019) is courage. I am trying my best to do things that make my insides flop over, and I took another step yesterday. I submitted a presentation proposal for a conference in October that I have never attended or thought about before now. I had to go with a less technical topic than I usually present, but we'll see if it is accepted. If it is, then I have another entire conference to attend - in Southern California - in October, conveniently during my long weekend. I'm not sure why this particular task qualified as a courage task, but it really did. The thought of speaking to therapists from other types of therapy is a bit daunting to me, but I feel confident in my topic (music's role in self-care), and I think that the topic will be well received. I'll see here in a bit, though. Did you know that every time I post something on social media about my Teachers Pay Teachers store or the CMTE courses that I offer or the webinars that I love to ...

I am currently in the middle of a dilemma. My lease agreement came up this week, and I have to decide whether I am going to re-up or find a new place to live. My rental company is becoming difficult to work with, and I really want to buy a home, but I am scared of the entire realty thing. My fears are paralyzing me a bit. If I decide to go ahead with the lease, I will have to sign something that I will break eventually. If I don't re-up, then the company will bring people through my house any time that they want - with no pre-arrangement. I think I will re-up, and then start the process of looking for a house of my own. I will break the lease when I am ready to leave and not before. It would mean losing a security deposit, but that ship has sailed after living here for something like 14 years. I think that's how I will proceed. In addition, I will get my ducks in a row and go talk to a realtor. My word for the year is "courage." I've done some things that I ...

All journeys take unexpected twists and turns. I have finished my first music therapy challenge of the new year. I'm thinking this may be something that I pursue more often as the challenges that I have completed have really helped me figure some things out. The problem with challenges is that they illustrate to me just how much I do not know about getting to my destinations, but they all have served to illuminate a new part of the path. (I'm still very much mired within my mind map concept, and I'll be working on making that map a reality later this morning - I took an important step this morning on getting some roadside assistance, as it were, so things will be moving!) I made some good decisions and progress on my journey this week. I know what I want to do, and I have visualized my end goal. I know what I want to do with my time, my energy, my attention, and my resources. I know what I want, and I am starting to figure out the way I'll be getting there. St...