The Gift Of Giving

Someone asked me recently, "How do you do it? Where do you find the time to give so much of yourself?"  I laughed and responded, "I'm not sure that I give enough!"

In truth, I always feel like I don't have enough time and that there is more I would like to do. If anything, I wish I had more time!

What I have learned is that I get great personal satisfaction from giving of myself and I truly believe it is one of the reasons I feel so fortunate. I believe being a giver explains why I'm a happy person.

There is very little in life that upsets me!

I started the practice of giving, really giving, many years ago.

For starters, I find a way to give every day, every moment, and every chance I have. I look  for opportunities to give. And giving doesn't necessarily mean money. It can be our time, a smile, a hug, a positive thought about someone, or sending good vibes out into the universe in the form of a prayer or truly wishing the very best for someone with a sincere heart.

It can mean something so simple as sending a text to someone and wishing them a great day! Or surprising someone with a card or giving that extra change at the bottom of my wallet to a homeless person.

It is important to give with a pure heart and with no take backs or regrets! I have learned to do this on a very regular basis so that it has becomes a way of life and to do it all anonymously.

Giving also means knowing when to allow someone else to bless us by accepting their gift of giving.  Too often, we keep others from receiving a blessing by not accepting their wanting to do a nice deed for us.

Giving with no personal agenda is the purest way to give cause it is not about us, it's about putting others first. 

Isn't that the goal? To put others first? Isn't that the greatest expression of giving? I think so!

Man VS Ants

So the day started off with me realizing that I made a huge mistake last night before going to bed. I threw an empty bag of sugar into the trash can underneath the kitchen sink.

Lord have mercy! We woke up to the largest sugar ant infestation I have ever seen!

Well, my husband, being the manly man that he is, saw this as an all get out battle cry! It was on!

Now mind you, this was about 5:45 am in the morning when we discovered our kitchen had been invaded by this army of black ants!

So the first thing my husband did was grab an orange from the fridge and cut it up with the dullest knife he could find, which was not hard to do as we both agree that we have no sharp knives in our house. So after attempting to stab the orange to death, he managed to finally get an orange peel and exclaimed with excitement, "Oh, this will get 'EM," as he held the orange peel in the air waving it!

He proceeded to rub the peel on a portion of the wall to throw their scent off!

All it did was disperse them! They walked around the area he had rubbed the peel on. Almost as if in defiance. My husband swore they were doing the Dougie as if to tease my husband! Well, this did not set well with my now somewhat offended husband! SCORE: Man - 0. Ants - 1

My husband's next game plan was to set out the ant traps we had stored away by placing them in strategic places. He even attempted to use a push pin to stick them on one section of the wall to no avail. The trap fell on the floor.

It was at this point that I overheard my husband speaking to the ants, "Oh, you think that's funny huh?"

That's when my husband pulled out his GhostBuster outfit! This is when the real battle began!

He went all gangster on the ants and grabbed a paper towel and actually started killing them and yelling, "Take that! Oh you think just cause there is only one of me and you outnumber me that you're going to beat me?"

By this time he had basically called out these ants and they were on the attack jumping on him! He swore they were wearing little capes and they were carrying mini swords and were out to get him! SCORE: Man - 0. Ants - 2

Well, three hours later, the trail of ants had subsided but they were not giving up! They were still in hot pursuit of the bag of sugar that had been thrown away hours earlier! And they came back!

But this time, they came back with a vengeance and re-enforcements!

So, my husband challenged them and pulled out a bottle of Scrubbing Bubble cleaner! "This ought to do it," he said! And proceeded to spray them like a mad man!

(Everytime I walked by, I just nodded my head. Where does my husband come up with this stuff?)

Well it didn't work! It just made them more fierce and charge in more persistently but my husband took out quite a bit of ants this round. SCORE: Man - 1 Ants - 2

So here were are twelve hours later and these ants are not retreating! My husband swears they are hiding somewhere reorganizing and trying to outsmart him!

My husband decided to retreat and pull out his white flag...for today. He's up to something. He never gives up!

I'm pulling out a big bowl of sugar and inviting the ants to pull out their mini lawn chairs, their teeny tiny sunglasses and letting them enjoy a dip in the sugar bowl.

Knowing my husband, this ain't over! He will stay up tonight scheming and planning his attack in the morning. These ants are in for a real fight!

And these ants! They are serious about sugar!

Who was it that said, a little sugar goes a long way? Boy, they weren't kidding!

Price Tag

So, I'm stumped!

I cannot figure out why my 12 year old daughter is so opposed to our family purchasing nice items or acquiring things she perceives as too costly.

She had an adverse reaction recently when I just went 'window shopping' for a Coach handbag.

Mind you, I have 'one' already.

I have a total of three handbags. Only one is a Coach! The other two are not expensive.

The other night the family went to price a new watch for dad. We spotted a really nice one - a Bulova.

She was so uncomfortable in the jewelry store! The whole time she kept saying, "That's too much!"

Tonight we announced that we have a professional cleaning lady coming in tomorrow to give us a quote on what they would charge to clean our home. My daughter got so upset that she was moved to tears!

Huh?

Don't get me wrong. We appreciate her being frugal and not insisting on having brand name clothing.

Our family had to explain to her that sometimes it is better to pay a little more for quality.

We also explained that we do work very hard and on occasion, it really is okay to reward oneself.

What we can't figure out is why she is so opposed to our family having really nice things.

So I asked her why it bothers her so much.

She said that she is afraid to be perceived as being rich.

Huh?

A. We are not rich!

B. If we were, why would that bother her?

C. Why does she think being rich is a bad thing?

D. What am I missing here?

I need some time on the meditation cushion to figure this one out!

Nun Experience

Last weekend I entered a monastery for three days as a Buddhist Nun at the Thai Buddhist Temple Of America in Ontario, CA. This was the second time for me to do so at that particular temple.

My days were spent in prayer, sitting meditation, chanting and helping around the temple.

When I entered last time, there were four nuns. This time, there was only one nun. I must admit, it was really nice just the two of us.

Did I mention she spoke no English and I speak very little to no Thai? We made an interesting pair. We used a lot of hand motions. And yet, we completely understood each other. Not being able to really talk to each other also forced me to basically take a vow of silence.

I discovered that I hum incessantly! Which is a no no when you take the nun's precepts. That's right, no makeup, no perfume, no music, no dancing, no sleeping on a high bed, no radio, no TV, and only one meal a day. We are not even allowed to have any money!

Everything in life seems to slow down while in the monastery. Which is really nice with my fast-paced life.

I went there specifically to slow myself down and center myself. Strangely enough, it took me about eight hours that first day that I went in just to get to that point of complete peace and solitude. Wow!I had no idea I was carrying so much!

I came out rejuvenated not only physically but also metally. I am grateful for the practice and was reinspired to spend more time in sitting meditation.

I want to say a special thanks to my family for supporting my spiritual journey. I mentioned to my husband that I look forward to the day that I can enter the monastery for a longer period of time. He jokingly responded,"Two days of your not preparing our meals is long enough!"

Well at least I 'think' he was joking.

Commitment

The dictionary defines commitment as a pledge or undertaking. For me it is both and so much more.

Our production company is embarking on our third movie project which goes into production this summer, June 13th to be exact.

This morning in our daily meeting, my husband (who is a producer and director on the project with me), asked me, "Dianna, are you fully committed to this project?"

And immediately, I knew where he was going with his questioning.

He went on to say, "I know that when YOU commit to something, there's no stopping you!"

My answer was a resounding, "YES!"

He then went on to ask, "Are we shooting a movie this summer?"

Again, with a deep conviction and resolve, I responded, "YES, we are!"

In all honesty, I AM ready! I'm ready mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

Moviemaking is not for the faint of heart so I appreciate my husband's confidence in me.

I am fully committed.

And he's right. When I do make up my mind there is no turning back.

For me, and some have laughed at this analogy, it is like brining a child into the world. Once conception occurs, get ready cause the baby's coming!! And if I treat the project as such, somehow he and I make it happen.

In this case, at least I know the due date! Now, all I have to do is work backwards and get everything ready for that date!

So when my husband asks me if I'm committed, what he is really asking me is, "Are you going to make this happen Dianna?"

And it's not as if he's expecting me to do all the work to get us into production and through production. He is very involved as he enjoys the moviemaking process as much as I do.

So, am I going to make this happen? He has no idea how far along I am in the pregnancy. I am so ready to drop this baby!

This project is very dear to our hearts as it was written by my husband with information being fed to him by some of my zany shenanigans!

The idea came to us several years ago on our first film project back in 2004.

So commitment is not only a pledge and undertaking for me, it is breathing life and giving life to to this project that has been brewing for quite some time.

We are ready to share our story; a story of survival and doing what it takes to keep it all together when things seem to be falling apart. It is a story of staying committed to yourself and your values, your ideals as well as staying committed to those you love no matter how tough life might get.

I know that this movie will touch hearts. And strangely enough it is a movie about commitment.

So, am I fully committed?

I have never stopped being committed. I've just been waiting on things outside of my control to fall into place. How foolish of me. Since when did I need permission to follow my own bliss?

Commitment only requires one action - a decision. To either do or do not.

I choose to do.

Mindful Holiness

Right before the beginning of the new year, I went on a personal sabbatical.

I didn't really go anywhere in particular. I merely set myself apart from mindless activity such as watching TV and made a conscious effort to remain mindful and focus on holiness. And not only focus on it but to find a way to put holiness into action.

I used this downtime for deep meditation, contemplation, and prayer. Instead of watching TV, I read inspirational books. I read everything from the Bible to Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam.

It was during this time that I discovered mindful holiness. The act of being mindful of each moment and concentrating on holiness and just being holy. And what it means to be holy.

In essence it is what Buddhist refer to as Right Concentration, Right Mindfulness, Right Effort, and Right Action.

It boils down to total awareness in every moment and acting appropriately in each moment.

The result of putting mindful holiness into practice has been astounding!

I have never, ever, felt closer to God, to life, and to people! There is no separation from me and God and others. I can only define it as complete unity with the universe.

And not only that but things seem to be coming to me so much easier such as money, solving problems, getting the things we need, making things come to fruition and so on. Things seem almost effortless.

But, the single greatest benefit from practicing mindful holiness by far is the sheer joy and bliss that I have discovered! I haven't laughed this much ever before! And I laugh a lot!

Now I get why God in the the Christian Bible urges everyone to, "Be holy for I am holy."

God is not up in heaven pointing His finger down at us and bullying us to be holy!

He is lovingly wooing us to be holy and to be mindful of every action we do for our own good so that we can experience His very best continually without cessation.

The Error Of My Silly Thoughts

The other day I had probably one of the silliest thoughts I have ever had! Of course at the time, I thought it made perfect sense.

Sad thing was, I put it out in the universe and my husband picked it up.

I was in one of those reflective moods and I mentioned to my husband that I wished I had made better choices/decisions in my younger years.

My husband sat there for a beat and then asked, "You know that if you had, we might not be sitting here together right now?"

I sat there baffled for a moment. Contemplating exactly what my husband was saying and where he was going with his train of thought.

He went on to add, "If you had, we might not have ever met nor have had the wonderful children we've been blessed with."

Again, I sat there quietly wondering what my life would be without my children and my husband. And a sadness came over me. Tears (which I tried to hide from my husband) began to well up in my eyes and I got a big knot in my stomach. My heart felt as if it were being torn apart and ripped right out of me!

Immediately, I repented of such foolishness! (Silently in my heart to God!)

As I sat there and thought about it more, I could not help but honestly ask myself, "Really Dianna? What would you have done differently?"

More importantly, how crazy is it to live in a world of woulda, coulda, shouldas? It is what it is! Get over yourself Dianna!

Somebody slap me!!!

As my husband and I talked more about these 'choices/decisions' it was apparent to both of us that it was just OLD GUILT that I was still lugging around weighing me down. Guilt that was keeping me from TOTALLY moving forward. It wasn't the decisions at all!

Ah, the mind can play such silly tricks on us if we are not diligent and fully mindful.

Silly old me! I am feeling much lighter today!

Ode To Earnest

What does one do when one wakes up nearly every morning to a partner of 17 years and the first thing out of his mouth and sounding like a little child is, "Where's my love?"

What is one to think about someone who as soon as he gets out of bed he is singing a new song? (The song usually being an old '70's song. And to this day, he has never repeated any of the songs to my recollection!)

What is one to do when their partner, while putting his clothes on for the day, is dancing? And it is usually to a drum cadence that he made up some 17 plus years ago as he marches around the room mimicking the Grambling Band Drum Majors!

What is one to believe about their partner when after he finishes his morning meditation, he pretends to fall off the meditation cushion and back into reality? And is so dramatic about it!

What is one to ponder when throughout the day, their partner has a child-like attitude towards life, not letting anything ruffle his feathers? And as he works on various projects, he literally changes his hats all day long! The funniest being a Saints helmet that is really a snack bowl, but it fits!

Answers: I haven't a clue!

All I know is that life with Earnest Harris is always an adventure. With him, all day long is play time, and yet he one of the busiest people I know!

I don't know how he does it because he finds time to be a remarkable father, a loving and doting husband, an inspiring writer, a wonderful film producer, and a talented director. And so much more, but that is another blog!

What I do know is that in his presence, he inspires me and everyone around him to be a better person and personally, I am better for having known him.

Thank you Earnest!

A Child's Innocence

Happy New Year Everyone!

Thought I would start out the year with a very light and cute family story.

As I was putting away Christmas decorations the other day in our storage, I somehow pulled a muscle in my lower back lifting a heavy box.

Later that evening, I asked my 12 year old daughter to please do me a favor and massage my lower back for me. (My daughter is our family resident nurse and loves to heal us if we so much as say something hurts us!)

As she was massaging my back, I commented and said, "Sweetie, you are such a great masseuse!"

My daughter asked innocently, "What's that?"

"Someone who does a full body massage for people," I responded.

After a brief silence, my daughter asked, "So is a person who massages people's feet called a footseuse?"

Final Thoughts For 2010

As another year comes to an end, this year, 2010 will go down as one of the most challenging years. And yet one of the most rewarding.

Challenging from a business perspective as we continue to grow our company in a not-so-friendly economic climate.

Equally challenging is being a parent of two young children transitioning into their teenage years and all that comes with that.

But if I am proud of anything that happened in 2010, it is that in spite of the crazy economy and the pressures of family and business, we kept it together no matter what.

And to be honest, there were times in 2010 it was not that easy.

I think of the many households and families who are struggling financially, or with health issues, or having problems with their kids, spouses, or dealing with taking care of their elderly family members, and it tears me up. I have never seen so many people hurting like I did in 2010. Or maybe I am just more aware than I have ever been.

All I do know is that I am so grateful for my health, both mentally and physically. I am so happy for all the people in my life and especially those who helped me, reached out to me when I needed them most, and even those who challenged me to step up my game and dared me to attain even higher goals.

I feel so loved, honored, and immensely joyous. I looking forward to 2011 with much hope, much expectation and the outlook is a good one. Come no matter what in 2011, I'm ready.

Thank you 2010!

I Got Pranked!

Yes, it's true. I GOT PRANKED! And in all honesty, deservedly so!

My husband and I have this running joke about one of my titles, La Reina, as he likes to jokingly call me with a heavy Mexican accent and rolling his R as if to impress others that he can speak Spanish well.

I usually respond back to him when he calls me this and say, "La Reina del Bano!" (Queen of the Bathroom! It's more like La Reina De La Cocina!)

Every morning we have a ritual where we meet to discuss the day's events.

Typically he will buzz me on the intercom (his office is on the first floor and mine is on the third floor) to see if I am ready for our meetings.

As of late, to cultivate my title and just mess with him, I have asked him to please 'play the trumpets' as I enter into his office area. I will yell down to him from the second floor landing when I am ready to make my big entrance. And yes, I ham it up!

And to really push the envelope, I get into full character, pretending to be quite the royal!

Usually, my husband will either mouth the sound of trumpets to the tune of the old Imperial butter/margarine commercial or he will attempt a rendition of USC's school song, 'Conquest'. Both of which crack us up because my husband cannot do this well!

So, yesterday, as usual, I am standing on the landing of the second floor with my coffee in one hand, my cell phone in the other, and I am ready to take on the WORLD! (I am feeling pretty full of myself!)

I yell down, "Okay, I'm ready! Play the trumpets!"

Out of nowhere, I hear blaring through our speakers, "Hail To The Chief," the Presidential theme song.

I take that first step and just lose it. I am laughing so hard that I spill my coffee, drop my cell phone, tears are rolling down my cheeks, my side is hurting, and I am pressing my knees together and squirming to keep from having an accident in my pants! All the while hoping someone will yell, "CUT!!" so that I can get out of this scene!

It was like one of those Harvey Korman/Tim Conway scenes where they are both laughing during their skit and can hardly contain themselves, but they continue on with their lines!

AND I am attempting to keep my composure like Carol Burnett did in the 'Gone With The Wind' spoof where she is wearing the curtain rod dress. I'm sure I look as ridiculous as she did!

My husband, all the while is hooting and howling.

To make matters even funnier, when I get down to the first floor, he is standing there at attention and saluting me!

Well, needless to say, it was just plain funny.

So my dear husband, you got me and you got me GOOD! Don't think I can top this one!

I concede.

Just Believe!

It amazes me when I come across someone who can see my potential and they share with me what they see. Because, to be quite honest, I have a tough time seeing it and believing it.

It's as if they believe in me more than I believe in myself!

Oh, I can see potential in others, but I am unable to see my own potential.

How strange, huh? Why is that?

A friend recently told me, how he can help everyone with their problems, concerns, and issues, but when it came to himself, he couldn't do so!

I wonder if it is by design.

Maybe, just maybe, God is behind it all. Maybe it is one of His ways that He gets us to share with each other with the hope that we will stop to listen to each other and extend a helping hand or remind each other of our many talents and gifts we possess.

Maybe it's God's way of working through us and showing just how proactive He is in our life without being invasive.

I hope so!

I hear so often from friends how God never speaks to them. That they get nothing from Him.

Hmmm?

Is it possible that God's way of speaking to us Is through others? Besides, I probably would pass out if I heard His audible voice anyway! And probably question it too!

Whatever is going on in the universe, I believe the message is clear. Hang in there. Don't give up. Our lives have purpose. And that there is a plan for each of us and God is speaking, if we will just open our hearts to each other and listen.

What is God saying?

He is saying that He won't let us fail! He is saying He will call on His people to accomplish His purpose for each of us. He is saying He has a plan that we are actively involved in it and that it's a wonderful and marvelous plan!

Just Believe! Believe in your potential even if you can't see it or your own gifts. Believe in yourself!

Pain - A Great Teacher

I am reading a book entitled "Nothing Special" and it has really challenged every area of my life particularly dealing with life and the many things that make up life. One of those things being pain.

In the book, the author defines the challenges in our lives as rocks or rather rock diamonds placed along our path to help us deal directly with what we need to either eliminate or correct in our lives.

I consider myself a student on the path to enlightenment and sometimes I miss opportunities to use life and everything that comes with life as a teacher.

Recently, I was ill and in great pain. The pain lasted for eighteen hours. Rather than using the pain as a teacher at the time, I focused more on woe is me. I kept wondering how much longer is this going to last. I paced up and downstairs all night and found myself pleading with God to PLEASE put me out of my misery.

I attempted to use my meditation practice but it was so difficult just to focus on my breath.

Needless to say, the longer the pain lasted, the angrier and more miserable I became.

At one point, I wasn't even sure who or what I was angry at but I was fully aware of my anger, frustration, and powerlessness.

After trying everything I could to ease the pain, I just gave up. I had to. What choice did I have but to just accept it? And there it was, my breakthrough.

Of course I was exhausted from not having any sleep, but I had become used to the pain. That was so foreign to me. I was okay with the pain and if this was the way it was going to be, so be it.

Now that I am feeling better, I feel really silly for having been so focused on self. My practice teaches its students to learn to chip away at the self by observing one's self honestly. I see clearly now, how much self I still need to let go of and I have my friend pain to thank for that.

I am not saying that I want to go through that type of pain again, but I am thankful that it didn't kill me. It only felt like it at the time. It did however, make me more aware. It taught me just how much pain I can tolerate. It also taught me that I cannot run from myself.

In life we can choose to run away from our problems be it financial, family, or work problems, but we cannot run away from our own bodies when dealing with uncontrollable pain. Pain won't let us.

Pain is a part of our lives. Pain is and can be a great teacher.

Vision For Our Children

Today I was having a conversation with my husband about our two young kids and preparing them for their future.

As we were discussing all the steps we have taken thus far to prepare them for college and what the next few years will require of us and them, it occurred to me that our vision for them SHOULD go beyond our own expectations!

Yes, that's right! Our vision for our kids should not be limited to what we envision for our kids in just their generation, but their children's generation as well!

Our goal should be to ensure that our children and their children, and even beyond, will have more opportunities than Earnest and I were presented. Or for that matter, could ever imagine!

A very dear mentor and friend of ours said once that the greatest gift we can pass on to our children is giving them the gift of having many options in their life. And Earnest and I have never forgotten this advice.

As my husband and I were talking, we discussed some of the things that we need to do to make sure they have options and choices. We both agreed that putting our kids in settings where they can a) meet people of all occupations (i.e. doctors, lawyers, teachers and so on), b) get to know people of various cultures, ethnicities, religious backgrounds, c) visit various college campuses and, d) be highly involved in their education and extracurricular activities, is just a beginning.

Quite honestly, nothing would bring me greater joy and satisfaction, even if I am not around to see it, than knowing that my husband and I raised good, well mannered, successful kids and that they will continue the legacy of ensuring that future generations follow in our footsteps and hopefully correct our mistakes.

Being a parent is one of the highest callings and it requires a lot of work, so much love and dedication, tons of patience, on-going planning and putting that plan into action, and finally it requires a truly long-term vision!

Home - That Very Special Place

Today I spoke to my Mom on the phone and it always amazes me when we do talk that she will ask, "So Mija, when are you coming home?"

My response is usually the same, "To visit Mom?" And then there is that awkward silence on the phone. I don't think my Mom realizes that Los Angeles is MY HOME now and it has been for 12 years!

My mother is not the only one from my hometown who has asked me that question. I get it a lot from family and friends back in Austin, Texas. It's as if somehow a) my response will be different from the last time they asked or b) they are under the impression that the twelve years I have been in LA is only temporary. 12 years is not temporary!

I do have an address here and have had one for quite sometime! I"m not leaving LA! Unless of course for some reason I would need to go back to my hometown for other than a visit.

Truth be known, I have no desire to be anywhere else but where I am. My family and I have built a home here, a business, and are a part of a vibrant community. Our kids love their school, their friends and their extracurricular activities. They don't know anything but LA. It is THEIR home.

So what makes a place a home?

I believe it is that very special place where there is no doubt in one's mind - this is where I belong.

I love waking up and looking out my window every morning and being inspired by the mountains that surround me! I see God's majesty and glory in those mountains.

The 345 days of sunshine is a reminder to me that the sun really will come out tomorrow and it gives me so much hope.

The incredible vibe of creativity that is all around me is such a high. I wish I could put it into words!

Los Angeles, the City of Angels, is where I belong.

To all my friends and family back in Austin, I love you and miss you. But this IS my home and I am incredibly happy, blessed, and at peace.

Family Outing

Yesterday, the weather was perfect so our family walked to a popular burger establishment (Tommy's here in Burbank) for dinner.

On our way there, my husband turned to my son and I as he continued walking while rubbing his back and said, "I think I hurt my buttocks!"

Our daughter, Maria, who was following behind my husband and sometimes confuses things she hears, said, "Whhhhhat?"

All three of us, without skipping a beat turned to Maria and said, "He hurt his BUTTOCKS Maria!!"

Maria innocently asked, "What's that?"

Again, we all responded, "His BUTT Maria!"

Maria then said, "Ooohhh...I thought he said he hurt his butt talking!"

Faith In Action

Today at mass, Father gave a sermon on faith. He used a baseball analogy. He said that faith is that place between first and second base. Some of us are so happy to get on first base and have no idea if we will make it to second base! And yet, we give it our best shot not knowing what the final outcome will be. He described that feeling of uncertainty as faith in action.

Others he said, never get on base and some, won't even step up to the plate to play for fear of the outcome!

In the end though, he said that it is God's will that we all play and make it home safely. But we can't do that unless we build the courage to get in the game in the first place! The game being - LIVING LIFE FULLY!! (And yes, fearlessly!)

It is so easy to sit back and just watch life pass us by never being fulling engaged. Heck, I have done that! More than I care to share! For just plain fear that I will fail and that my failure is tied to whether I am or am not successful!

What I took away from Father's message is that unless we get in the game FULLY, playing to WIN, even when we don't FEEL like playing, our faith CANNOT and WILL NOT increase.

He said finally, that God does not call us to be successful, HE calls us to be faithful. When we are faithful, then success is the by-product of putting our faith in action. But, WE have to get our faith going first! Faith needs action! It needs momentum.

It works like this: I take a step. God takes a step. I take another step. God does His part! I take a step...

(DING..light bulb turning on!) Ohhhhh, so, that's what I have been doing wrong!!! God has been waiting on ME to move!!! :)

Problems Will Come

Just when I think things are going well, 'something' always seems to come along and burst my bubble. What is that thing - Life.

My problem is I either anticipate a problem or I try to avoid it all together. Don't we all?

I believe most of our suffering or discontentment comes from 'wanting' things to always go well and when it doesn't, we either have to talk ourselves through it to get to that happy place again or we just continue on a downward spiral thinking to ourselves, "Oh crap!"

But, in reality that isn't what life is all about.

Problems arise. We either step up or we don't! Not doing anything does not make them go away! And tackling them seems the best remedy but not always our first choice, so we procrastinate. Okay, I procrastinate.

To 'really live' it seems to me, that I must be willing to accept 'whatever' may come my way and not try to label the situation/problem good or bad. It just is what it is. Just another thing to deal with in this existence we call 'Life".

Perhaps if I just rest in the fact that problems will come and they will go away. Kind of like focusing on one's breath. It rises and then it falls. Neither good or bad. And that problems are really friends in disguise who are with us on our path to help us reach enlightenment.

That sure sounds a lot more reassuring.

Not Backing Down!

Today I had a really productive day (so far) and day ain't over!

Feels great to be back! Really helps when I get around others in the entertainment business who are busting their butts, going after their dreams and raising a family in Hollywood! Note to self: Do more meetings with industry people and really think about hosting a monthly event! (Duly noted!)

Really glad that I have Earnest, my husband, around to be not only my business partner, but a dear friend. Sometimes I take that for granted! Wish I had his confidence, positive attitude, and driving force. He is like a rock that cannot be moved! Oh well, I am a work in progress!

Staying hard on myself and NOT BACKING DOWN!! (That is how I get myself in trouble!)

Day Ain't Over!!

I am ashamed of myself!! It has been so long since I have written anything! Shame on me! So, why the long interval?

Mainly because I have been hiding from everyone, but mostly myself. I do that when things seem to get so hard in the entertainment business. (And it has been hard.)

I like many, make up excuses or sit back and question myself and ask, "Am I crazy for being in this business?"

Well, today, I am officially kicking myself in the ass! I am getting on my own ass!

Get your head out of your rear Dianna!

Today I watched a beautiful presentation that our company has been working on and will be pitching. I was reminded of what we and the many of us here at Marlo Entertainment have accomplished in such a short time and what we still have on tap.

I must admit that I was once again inspired.

It is so easy to become complacent and just sit back and wait for things to fall into one's lap. Or to get frustrated because things do not happen fast enough.

When will I learn that it is about the journey and not the goal? Silly and foolish me!

Hitting the 'reset' button! Day ain't over!