Rev Martina Schmidt's Blog

SO many changes have been flooding my life.  It's monsoon season here in Arizona, so no surprise the weather matches my world.   As I open myself to pursuing a whole new path of putting my artwork "out there" in the market- researching sales reps, trade shows, marketing strategies, reading books on selling your artwork as a business, I am overwhelmed by so many choices, and "shoulds" crowding my mind.  I've never been for the small time world- I like to "go for it", to do my best and give it everything I've got.   I am reminded of the funny quote by Hunter S. Thompson- “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!” But so many choices...... so many directions to go and so much money needed to get there.  I find myself s...

The Fire Starter Sessions Have you heard of this book?  Have you been blessed enough to have even seen Danielle LaPorte on video? Well, I was introduced to her just yesterday by one of my dearest friends and already she has lit a fire in my heart, which I shared with my husband this morning.  We are both on FIRE inside again- for life, for change, for expansion into what could be. "Strengthen your Strengths not your weaknesses" she says.  "Your strengths are the things that strengthen you and your weaknesses are the things that weaken you"...... Those things that make you feel alive, joy, etc.- those are what you want to put your focus and attention on expanding- not on the things that drain you, bore you or feel like a burden. Hmmm, what an awesome concept!  I was taught, like most people I know, to be well-rounded.  To work on your weaknesses and put time, effort and energy into making them stronger skills.  Which, like most people, I never enjo...

Waldorf & Statler- The Muppet Show Hecklers Waldorf : These seats are awful.  Statler : Why? Can't you see anything?  Waldorf : That's the problem. I can see everything.  One of the great lessons, I believe, that Jim Henson taught me as a child is to face the hecklers in my life and to recognize they are a natural part of our every day audience. Never are we faced with 100% support by everyone we meet.   There are always going to be those who don't appreciate the performance you are giving the world.  And most likely, they'll let you know about it. And hardly ever do we meet change in our life without some part of us resisting it with nasty or fearful comments- trying to get us to stay right where we are, or to plain ol' just give up and get off the stage. Kermit the Frog, one of my gurus in life, never gave up.  The show must go on! He did however constantly deal with interruptions, complaints and the insecurities and big egos...

“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” - Lawrence J. Peter I cannot tell you how many times my clients say "I don't know", when I ask the question, "what would give you joy in your life?"  It is so important before you head in any direction in your life to know where you are headed- but most importantly why you want to go there.  We do so many things because we are "supposed to" do them and many times we don't stop and ask ourselves if what we are doing is really helping us accomplish what we want to accomplish- or even if it's necessary for our true happiness. Such as:  What do I want my marriage to feel like? What do I want my job to give to me? What really makes me want to get up everyday? Just asking these questions and (most importantly) taking the time to answer them, can give you a direction, a focus for your energies. Take the time, every single morning, to ask yourself- what do I want from...