Category Archives: Performing

Posted on

5 Steps To Emotional Independence

It has been said that dependency obliterates individual identity, i.e., the more dependent you are on what others think of you, the less of an individual identity you will have. The more you fear being rejected, the less creative and successful you will be in your business, in any performance situation, as a creative and in life in general.

Yet, to truly feel confident and to experience less anxiety in any area of your life, steps must be taken to move beyond emotional dependence and towards what I call emotional independence.

Let’s take a look at 5 steps to grow towards healthy emotional independence.

♦ Accept your Uniqueness

Do not be afraid to be different! I suspect that you are often afraid to stand out from others. It feels so much safer to just ‘blend in’ and to not take the risks that are necessary to move forward in life. “What if no one likes my new art piece? What if my performance as a musician is not received well? What if my friends reject me if I have different opinions or beliefs?” This fear-based self-talk can go on and on until there is no unique YOU left! Yet, to live a life of happiness and to be successful in any endeavor you approach, It is crucial to discover and celebrate how unique you are.

Do not be afraid to be different – accept your uniqueness.

♦ Lose Your Fear of Perfect People

If you find a perfect person, please take a photo and send it to me, I would love to meet them! Perfect people Do… Not… Exist. What exists are false fronts, people who look perfect, who look like they’ve got it all together. They might be really eloquent when they talk or are so at ease at a party. At church they appear so spiritual and seem to really be self-confident. Oh, you wish you could be like that. Look at how creative they are compared to you. You tell yourself that you are so far below them and that you will never be as good at this or that. This message that you give yourself gets very, very discouraging.

Part of the journey in becoming emotionally independent is working on changing this false belief that it is possible to be perfect or to be like someone else. The fact is, you do not want to be like someone else. You do not want to lose yourself to something, or someone, that you feel you should become.

It is time to stop comparing and to lose your fear of perfect people.

Posted on

Handling Stage Fright (Video)

Anyone who is in a performance situation and feels pressure can experience stage fright. This can be as a performing artist, business speaker or even having to give an announcement at church.

Stage Fright affects public speakers, creatives, musicians and even entrepreneurs who use public presentations or video to build their businesses.

The following is a video that I created that will be a part of a new upcoming Program, The Great Creativity Toolkit, which should be available in a few months. I though it would be valuable to give you a sneak peak at one of my videos that will be included in the Program. I hope that you enjoy it and find it valuable! (Just click on the image below to begin the video)

Posted on

Overcome Your Fear of Risk-Taking

“There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-term risks and costs of comfortable inaction.” – John F. Kennedy

The 2 most dangerous, paralyzing words for performers and creatives (and in almost every aspect of life) are:

“Be careful.”

To live ‘safely’ is to run your life without spontaneity and creativity. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the ONLY path to success in life is giving yourself permission to ‘take chances and risks’.

“Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until they are 75.” – Ben Franklin

When asked what they would do differently if they had their life to do over again, most of fifty adults 95 years and older replied that they would risk more.

How many times have you wanted to take a risk or meet a challenge in your business, in a performance situation or in your personal life, but were too afraid to? The following quote is a guiding principle in the coaching work I do with my clients.

“Change and growth takes place when a person has risked themselves and dared to experiment with their own life.” – Herbert Otto

  • In what area of your business or career are you currently afraid to take some risks?
  • In what performance situation are you afraid to venture out and try something new and unique?
  • In what areas of your personal life are you afraid to take a chance?

Sam Walton once said,

“Swim upstream. Ignore the conventional wisdom. If everybody is doing it one way, there’s a good chance you can find your niche by going in exactly the opposite direction. But, be prepared for a lot off folks to wave you down and tell you you’re headed in the wrong direction.”

Posted on

Free Fearless Speaker Master Class

Discover what your career, business & life would look like if you were not afraid of public speaking.


The ability to present and speak without fear is CRUCIAL to your success in business.

If you get stressed giving a virtual or on-site presentation, experience fear when promoting your services or new product on a Zoom call or Facebook Live, then signing up for this Free Webinar is just what you need!

To learn more or to sign up, Click Here.

Posted on

Why Stress Relief Is So Important (& 5 Ways to Do It)

I recently came across a wonderful article from the site powerofpositivity.com that I wanted to share with you. There are many valuable principles and skills for you within it. (I have also included links to more tips you can use) I hope that you find it valuable!

Stress is an inevitable part of life. Your day may be great, and the sun is shining bright, but the next minute you could have a significant crisis turn your world upside down. You cannot control the circumstances around you. Thankfully, you do have the power to control your response to them.

You’ve probably heard a million times that stress kills. There have been many studies done that prove that stress is harmful to your overall well-being.

Being in a constant state of distress can affect your well-being. You must have stress-relieving tools that you use to keep your angst under control.

When you become stressed, the cortisol levels in your body elevate. The negative stimuli activate the “fight or flight” response internally, which can cause uncomfortable effects. When you are under significant stress and anxiety, you may experience the following:

•Racing Heartbeat
•Sweating
•Shaking or Chills
•Nervousness
•Feeling of Impending Doom or Death
•Panic Attacks
•Feeling Faint
•Irrational Fears
•Dizziness

Stress that is not managed correctly can lead to a stroke, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and a plethora of other conditions. It can negatively impact your life to where you cannot drive, work a job, or even leave your home. Finding coping skills to help with stress relief is imperative.

Quick Tips for Stress Relief

In most cases, you cannot stop your entire day just because you feel anxiety or stress. However, incorporating calming techniques that can bring your levels of angst under control is advisable. Here are some of the most used methods that work well.

Posted on

Is it Time to Change Your Story?

Knowing what you want goes hand in hand with knowing who you are. In fact, it is impossible to become an outrageous achiever in any area unless you possess an effective and powerful answer to both questions.

canstockphoto12269207

In the past I have discussed the importance of discovering what you really desire in your life and then committing to a specific plan of action to get you there.

What could possibly stand in your way?

Well, look in the mirror and you will see your biggest enemy staring right back at you, telling you their story about why life is so tough, or how they have always failed, or how they are just not enough to become more successful.

The story you hear implies that maybe you don’t have what it takes to achieve your dreams.

On and on the story goes. A story many years in the making!

I can hear it now,

“Ladies and gentleman, here is the Story of a person who desired to become successful, who yearned and dreamed of accomplishing amazing things! Yet, a sad Story of never having enough money, or ideas or opportunities, of someone raised by critical parents and who lacked the confidence to overcome obstacles.”

Does this sound at all like your Story?