My own spiritual awakening is not that dramatic.
I was suffering big time as a struggling singer. I lived in crappy apartments; I worked day jobs that killed my soul; I had no money in my bank account.
And mostly, I was bitter and angry. I lashed out at strangers who bumped into me on the street. I cried in auditions. I told myself I was a loser. I told myself I would never make it. I told myself I had wasted my life. And I believed this was all true. In my mind, I was a loser.
Dark stuff. It’s painful to even type it.
1. One day in the airport, I happened upon a book with a bright yellow cover called, You are a Bad Ass (Jen Sincero). I bought it after going back and forth for about 10 minutes. I hid the cover when I read it on the plane or on the subway. How embarrassing, I thought, buying a self-help book in an airport. (Oh, how far I had to go!)
2. Around the same time, a friend from acting class emailed me a free download of Desire and Destiny Meditation by Deepak Chopra and Oprah.
My friend knew it seemed a little out there for cynical me, so she added a disclaimer, “Actually this is really good. You may like it.”
I was so low and sad, I gave it a listen.
This killer combo: You are a Bad Ass and Desire and Destiny Meditation, had a profound effect on me. I started being aware of my negativity and self-hatred, all my feelings of worthlessness and failure. I was made me aware of how much I complained on social media and compared myself to others on and off the internet. I realized that I lacked a relationship to anything greater than myself. And I learned that my batshit thinking was not only out of control but likely to result either in the total destruction of my career or worse, a nervous breakdown.
There's a discount below for Desires and Destiny ... I promise you won't be disappointed.
3. Next up: mantras. Mantras are just little affirmations you tell yourself. Or write in your journal. Or tape on your computer, or bathroom mirror.
I know they seem out there and woo woo. If you are/were as low on yourself as I was, mantras feel gross. I get it. Try them anyway. It gets easier.
The more difficult they are and the more they make you want to cry, the more you need to say them.
Here is one that just blew me away:
I DESERVE TO HAVE MY DREAMS COME TRUE.
I mean, come on. How hard is this to tell ourselves? But it is, somehow. Why, I have no idea. I just know it resonates so deeply with me, I cry every time I say it.
Say it till you feel it’s true. If you don’t, keep saying it anyway. Write it 100 times in your journal. But don’t just say it or write it on auto-pilot. Feel it deep within yourself, in your inner body.
Here’s a few more that worked for me:
· There are thousands of roles out there for me and I deserve to get an amazing one!
· I am a powerful creator.
· The universe is rigged in my favor.
And my favorite one:
I AM WORTHY. I AM CAPABLE. I AM POWERFUL.
That one changed my life.
4. Journals: Another tool that made the cynic in me recoil was journaling. Even the word made me cringe. “Oh PLEASE,” I thought to myself. But I did it anyway.
Here’s why you should do it too:
· It’s a record of how far you’ve come and where you are going.
· It’s a safe place to write your mantras hundreds of times.
· It helps to structure and organize the chaos of our overactive, runaway thinking.
· It preserves your best ideas when you're out an about (on a train or at school).
· It gives permanence to your thoughts: something about your own handwriting gives your ideas a concrete reality in a way “notes” written on a phone do not.
· It stimulates your creativity. Whether you write poems or stories, or just draw pictures. You're creating something.
· It produces gratitude.
5. A New Earth (Eckhart Tolle), with guided podcast on Super Soul Conversations (Oprah)
This last one really helped solidify my spiritual path.
I’m not gonna lie: this is not light reading/listening. I've read the book five or six times and still revisit a few pages almost daily. The book is best read along with the podcast, and then alternating between the two. It will open your eyes and heart in ways you didn’t know possible. Trust me on this one. It’s worth the time investment!
And there you have it. These tools were crucial to my own spiritual journey. They have changed my life and my career.
Since embarking on this journey, I have:
· Moved into my dream apartment on Central Park
· Tripled my teaching business, attracting major stars as clients.
· Booked two big television network co-starring roles..
· Booked a recurring role in an amazing new web-series
· Gotten two-minute standing ovations in the MIDDLE of my cruise ship shows
· Seen these tools work wonders on my students.
What about you? What books or podcasts have inspired change in you? Do you feel the way I did--lost and defeated---when I embarked on my spiritual journey?
I believe in you. If I could do it, so can you.
Xoxo
Minda
Starving Artist Spiritual Starter Kit
1.You are a Bad Ass – Jen Sincero
3.Mantras
4.Journal
5.Meditation
6. A New Earth – with guided podcast on Super Soul Conversations
A discount for the meditation: Call: 760-494-1688 Monday through Friday 8:00am-5:00pm PST and received a $5 discount off the purchase of our Desire & Destiny stream. Be sure to mention Ticket # 161539.