Warm greetings and blessings to you, dear Friend!
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be safe and protected from all inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
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MONTHLY THOUGHT
A couple of weeks ago, I had a powerful “aha moment”.
Let me briefly explain the pieces of it and then put the pieces together.
1) As I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, I’m an Abraham Hicks junkie (http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php).
I’ve also been greatly influenced by “What If Upping” (asking positive “What If” questions), the key idea in my dear friend Mendhi Audlin’s book “What If It All Goes Right?”
2) Thanks to my dear friend and fellow artist Andrea Menard, I’ve now become a fan of Matt Kahn (http://www.truedivinenature.com).
3) Every day since early April (weather permitting), I’ve been conducting an experiment: I’ve been busking (learning new repertoire, performing it on the street and accepting donations from passers-by) with my NS Stick and a wireless mic for my voice. At first, my enjoyment of busking on any particular day was directly proportional to how many people would walk by and how much money they’d give me.
Just before I was about to play one day, I thought about Abraham saying that we often go about things backwards – expecting happiness to come to us once we have the job, the car, the house, the relationship, etc., when focusing on feeling good and happy FIRST is what brings all of those other things into our experience… Then I thought about Matt Kahn saying that true love is “a one-sided transaction” – that we love “because we are not worth anything less… than the demonstration of our highest character”… And then I combined those two thoughts into a “What If Up” question: “What If all I had to do for the next hour was to love and enjoy the beauty of the sound I’m creating with my voice and my fingers, and let that love and joy radiate out from me and into every person that passes by, regardless of the outcome?”
Living that question completely changed my experience of busking.
Not only did I have many more interactions with people (including smiles, words of appreciation, and some dancing – !), I made more money than I ever did.
Blah blah blah.
Please forgive my Virgo tendency to complicate things. 🙂
Simply put, the lesson that I re-membered was the importance of SHOWING UP, as fully as possible, in the moment.
So – with gratitude and curiosity – I say yes to SHOWING UP, as fully as possible, in EVERY moment – not just when I’m making music.
In honour of Showing Up, I offer you a link to my song “Here And Now”; may it serve you well.
https://soundcloud.com/nathen-aswell-188099390/here-and-now
(You can find the words to “Here And Now” here: https://www.nathenaswell.com/lyrics/).
(FYI:
There are numerous Abraham Hicks videos on youtube.
The particular Matt Kahn video that inspired me is “Reclaim Your Power”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NllANrBt1rQ
And you can learn more about Mendhi’s book here: http://mendhiaudlin.com/what-if-it-all-goes-right-creating-a-new-world-of-peace-prosperity-possibility/)
How about YOU, dear Friend? What’s most resonating in YOU these days?
WHEREVER you are on your journey, I’d love to hear from you. Please e-mail me at nathenaswell@me.com; we’re all in this together, and we have much to learn from each other.
(BIG THANKS to all of the kind souls who respond to my newsletters; reading your comments is always a highlight of my month.
And EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS to all of the kind souls who took the time to answer the 6-Question Survey that I send out to everyone when they join my mailing list – I am grateful and humbled by your openness and honesty. :-))
REPORT
I give GREAT THANKS for:
Rev. Marla Mason, Musical Director Becca Palm (my songwriting partner – LOVE that gal!), and all of the loving souls at CSL Bellevue in Bellevue WA;
Revs. Austin & Mary Hennessey, my brothers Tom Arntzen and Shawn Soucy on the music team, and all of the loving souls at Unity of Vancouver in Vancouver BC, for so warmly welcoming my partner Jana Stanfield on her second visit to U of V;
J V Crum, for the pleasure of being interviewed by him a SECOND time
(you can find links to the interviews at https://www.nathenaswell.com/audio/);
Everyone in the Toastmasters “Just Pros” New Westminster BC chapter, especially Joe da Silva and Roy Prevost, for helping to prepare me for my 45-minute Education Session Presentation at the District 96 Conference on May 14th (which went swimmingly!);
Andy Bryce, EFT Master (http://www.tappingthrough.com), for his ongoing support, wisdom and friendship;
All of the men at CSL Eugene and CSL Cottage Grove in OR, and all of the men at Spiritual Center for Positive Living in Cameron Park, CA;
and Jan Black, David Roth, Denise Cunningham & Caitlin Mellor, and Penny Nichols for being guests on my “Small Steps Big Life” Podcast
(you can see the shows here: https://www.nathenaswell.com/category/video/).
MUCH LOVE TO EACH OF YOU! XO
WHAT’S COMING (including some new adventures!)
– PERFORMANCES
in Vancouver, BC (“Stick Night” House Concert) on Saturday, May 28th: https://www.nathenaswell.com/event/vancouver-chapman-stick-seminar-stick-night/
in Vancouver, BC (Sunday service at CSL Yaletown) on Sunday, May 29th: https://www.nathenaswell.com/event/csl-yaletown-church-service-5/
in Cambria, CA (teacher at SummerSongs West) from Friday, June 3rd until Tuesday, June 7th: https://www.nathenaswell.com/event/summersongs-west/
in White Rock, BC (Sunday service at CSL White Rock) on Sunday, June 12th: https://www.nathenaswell.com/event/csl-white-rock-church-service-13/
in Randle, WA (music for a summer retreat for “Uniteens”) from Sunday, June 19th until Friday, June 24th: https://www.nathenaswell.com/event/cispus-learning-center-summer-unitreat/
in Vancouver, BC (Sunday service at Unity of Vancouver) on Sunday, June 26: https://www.nathenaswell.com/event/unity-of-vancouver-church-service-24/
in Surrey, BC (dinner music at Old Surrey restaurant) on Friday and Saturday, July 1st and 2nd: https://www.nathenaswell.com/event/old-surrey-restaurant-dinner-music/ and https://www.nathenaswell.com/event/old-surrey-restaurant-dinner-music-2/
in Bellevue, WA (Sunday service at CSL Bellevue) on Sunday, July 3rd: https://www.nathenaswell.com/event/csl-bellevue-church-service-16/
in Seattle, WA (Sunday service at CSL Seattle) on Sunday, July 10th: https://www.nathenaswell.com/event/csl-seattle-church-services-2/
– “SMALL STEPS BIG LIFE” PODCAST ON BLAB
I’m having a LOT of fun interviewing GREAT souls that are living BIG lives, and having them share the Small Steps that they’ve taken to get there.
(You can view all past shows here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoUkG1mTtiXTGe0Ccbv6054CkLJ09hvGY)
Please visit my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SmallStepsBigLifeWithNathenAswell/timeline) for links to upcoming shows (I post the links 24-48 hours before the shows, which are usually on Mondays at 4 PM Pacific Time) and join us in the adventure… AND, if you know someone who would make a great guest, please e-mail me at nathenaswell@me.com
– MEN’S GROUPS
I’m happy to report that the Men’s groups in Eugene, OR and in Cameron Park, CA, for whom I led workshops last year, are now meeting regularly on their own. If YOU are part of a men’s group, or know of one that could use some support to get started, please e-mail me at nathenaswell@me.com – I’d love to help.
– EFT SESSIONS
I’m not yet a certified EFT practitioner, AND a growing number of people have found EFT sessions with me to be helpful.
If I can serve you with this powerful tool, please e-mail me at nathenaswell@me.com – I’d love to help.
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As a very dear friend in Montreal once said to me, “All I can offer you is my experience”.
My sincere desire, in every one of my newsletters, is to offer you Experience, Strength and Hope.
Much love to you, dear Friend. May you allow yourself to have fun with SHOWING UP, and may you go with LOVE.
– Nathen
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