Optimism Attracts Success

How To Be Happy With What You DO HAVE Instead Of Being Sad About What You DON'T HAVE

Last night I stayed home watching DVD's underneath the covers. As I lye comfortable but a little lonely, (wishing I had a companion to spend my leisure time with) I saw a coming attraction based on a true story about a teenage surfer who got her arm snapped off by a shark. For a moment it made me realize, being single should be the least of my worries when things can be so much worst.

Just when you think that life is lonely, tough, or unfair, stop to think about how blessed you are. Do you have all of your body parts connected in the right places? All 10 fingers and 10 toes? Are you healthy? If someone tells you a funny joke, do you still laugh?

I think most people know that life is not a perfect fairy tale for anyone, but there are those who tend to always find something to complain about. They might think that rich people have it easier than poor people - that the rich have nicer homes, nicer cars, nicer clothes, nicer places to attend. Or they might hate their dead end job but stay working there because it's paying the bills. They might also hate their marriage and wish they were single & free, or they might be single & free but wish they were married.

What I've noticed is that if we constantly focus on how much more others have, then we miss out on what we already do have. You see... The only way to attract success is to live as if you already are successful, and that comes from a feeling within (that you can't fake). Here are some ways that you can lift up your vibrations. First, check off what you have on the list below so you can notice how many blessings you already have and how to expand them. Do you have...

EYESIGHT:

• To watch a beautiful sunset on the beach and clear the clutter in your mind.
• To watch a movie, such as a comedy to make you laugh or a classic that touches your heart.
• To choose what you're going to wear & how you're going to look (present yourself) when you go to work, to an event, or to meet friends.
• To see how happy your friends or relatives look on their important days (ex. Graduations, Weddings, Birthdays, Award Ceremonies, etc)
• To paint the walls of your home any color you choose, and to pick the type of furniture you want. (This can be as small as a matching dish set) 

HEARING:

• To hear music that will make you dance, sing along to it, or feel good.
• To hear dialog in a movie, a play, or a religious temple so you can follow the story and understand its message.
• To have meaningful conversations with people; to communicate with your neighbors, your coworkers, your family, and/or your companion. (There are people who lose their hearing in bad accidents)

YOUR LEGS:

• To be able to walk into a place you really want to be in, and to be able to walk out of a place you really don't want to be in.
• To be able to exercise your body, go jogging with earplugs, go swimming, or dancing at a club that plays music you love.
• To get into your car and take a drive for a weekend getaway, or even take a train to travel to another state.

The reason why I began with those basic functions, eyesight, hearing, and your ability to walk, is because there are people who have all of these basic functions working at top speed but still find things to complain about, such as not having enough money, not having enough space in their apartment, being in a dead end relationship, not being attractive enough, or not living in a nice neighborhood - the list goes on! But I assure you, if you want to attract successful opportunities for a better job, a better companionship, to attract more money or to look more attractive, you must live from a place of gratitude and inner joy.

For example, if you don't like your current job, then get a better job. You have the eyesight to research what you might like, to apply, to take a course study, to write cover letters and to look presentable on your interview. What's stopping you? If you'd prefer to own your own business rather than work for someone else, you can take out books from the library on how to create a business plan, and then go to seminars, or go to places where you might run into an investor. To be successful in any business or field, be it entertainment, sports, culinary, literature, medical, education, science, etc, you must come from a place of joy that fuels confidence from within. Have a can-do attitude! And stop saying that it's too hard, or that you don't have enough money, or that no one wants to help you, or that life is unfair.

Maybe starting this blog about a teenage girl who got her arm snapped off by a shark was a harsh way to begin this entry, but being that it's based on a true story, I think it was a good way to reference how blessed we already are when we forget what we DO HAVE instead of complaining about what we DON'T HAVE. Do you have all of your body parts? A roof over your head? A bathroom to freshen up in? You are probably already blessed beyond comprehension but possibly don't realize it out of focusing on what you don't have. But I assure you, if you want to have more, you must first start by being grateful for what you already have. A positive mindset will work towards achieving and accomplishing more because you'll realize that you already have all of the necessary tools to create the life you want. So get busy living!!! :)

Everyday's My Birthday!!!

 BIRTHDAY REFLECTION

Singer/Songwriter Jasmine Clemente

Today, May 23rd, marks my birthday. Yet instead of celebrating this occasion at some fancy club or far off tropical island, I'm home blogging after completing a photo shoot for the new web series, Dirty Hearts, (Directed by Victorious De Costa) that I got cast lead role in.

Work, work, work... and more work seem to fill my days - but I love it!!! Every single gig I land from acting roles, live performances, record releases, and photo shoots to even blogging. Yes! Even blogging! There's never a dull moment.

I also just received the picture's back from last week's performance at M1-5 Lounge during the RAW Natural Born Artist Showcase, where I sang my new music from South Africa ("Soulmate" on Qabecity Records), Italy ("Something Different" on New Generation Records), and New York ("Wanting More" Native Son Music). While reviewing them, I couldn't help but realize how blessed I am to have the health, freedom, and drive to live with such passion and purpose.

With that being said, I believe that I celebrate everyday like it's my birthday! Instead of waiting for that one moment out of the year to acknowledge my uniqueness by spending it with family & friends, I can honestly say that I do this on a regular. basis My loved ones take turns supporting me at different events, and I support them with their achievements as well - and partying like a rock star, shhhhit... You already know I do that!

Last week I was honored to sing for approximately 400 people, most of them new faces. You never know what will move the crowd, but I tend to believe that when you perform from your heart & soul, they appreciate it - and by the audience's reaction, I can tell they did! Tons of people went out of their way to pay me compliments which is one of the best feelings on earth for a performer to have because we live to show people a good time on stage. I wanna take them on a journey while  I have their attention; to create a bridge between their world and mine as I sing my song lyrics, is a sacred gift for me to have the opportunity to share. 

Singer/Songwriter Jasmine Clemente

To add to this artistic life, over the weekend we shot our first scene in the new web series I'm cast for. Another project I highly enjoyed putting energy into. I play, Veronica, a sassy urban Panamanian chic that wants a better life - to travel overseas, wear designer clothes, and move up in the world; but feels threatened when the love of her life, Ricky, begins to slip away due to a change of heart and mentality. After hours of filming by taking different angle shots and wardrobe changes, I knew that despite the hard work and long hours, acting is another venture I absolutely love pursuing! Nevertheless, today the main characters of the cast did a photo shoot by Zoi Ellis for our promotional packaging & material. Thus, I had the pleasure of being styled by the ever amazing fashion stylist, Devora, from Devora of Dig Deep LLC. 

In short... To summarize this all-over-the-place blog entry, I guess what I'm trying to say is that my life is becoming a daily birthday celebration because I am surrounded by good vibrations. Who can ask for a better life when you're living your dreams and mingling with others who pursue their dreams too? Everyone I meet expresses their divine gifts, are prosperous from it, are happy, and are evolving everyday as confident, clear, focused human beings who add a little more color into the world. Who can ask for a better birthday, or a better life?

WOMEN IN MEDIA - OUR IMAGE!

Photo Taken by Reggo Wilson / Styles by Cheedah Shikaage Itchi Suuwah

I love blogging! But as a professional Multimedia Artist, it is basic standard to have an official website for audiences and future prospects to look at. Nonetheless, I finally have enough product (music videos, pictures, records, etc.) to add content to an attractive website that will get me more work. Excited to discuss creative ideas with my web designer over the phone today, he pointed out a major issue in branding and marketing me - my image as a sex object.

"Which way do you wanna go?" He asked. "Do you wanna sell sex or do you wanna sell spiritual consciousness?" Either way, he didn't mind which one I'd chose because he wasn't judging me, he was just trying to figure out how he should brand me as he creates my site. 

With a mixture of sexy pictures along with basic head shots, personality photos and single covers, most of my images consist of me posing in ways that show off some leg, curvy hips, or sexy gazes from my eyes. Now... I don't see anything wrong with being sexy, but the conclusion I feared was, "When are we overdoing it to the point that we lose our artistic or intellectual respect from our audiences?"       

It's no secret that everyone knows sex sells! Madonna, the master of marketing sex in her rise to stardom, proved that there was nothing taboo or scary in expressing our sexuality. In fact, she used this natural activity that all human beings engage in to empower self-confidence, freedom of expression, and excitement through her must-see, entertaining music videos and shows.

Well... we all can't be Madonna because there's only one, but you see, this is where I discovered the beauty in being unique. We have our India Arie's of the world who sing song lyrics such as, "I'm not the average girl in your video, my worth is not determined by the price of my clothes, no matter what I'm wearing I will always be, India Arie." And as I love the authenticity of both female artists who couldn't be more opposite in their self-promotion and approach to the arts & entertainment, I find myself being equally influenced by the both of them - and not being confused one bit! Perhaps it's because I'm a Gemini, and so I have a natural ability to adapt to different lifestyles and walks of life. But... that's too surface. What it really is, is that I appreciate everyone's unique blueprint, and in saying that, I don't think I have to choose between which message I want to convey, (sex & power or natural & humble) but I can marry the two worlds together so that they compliment one another as delicately as the yin and the yang because I am in fact, my own artist with my own message - that is to say the least, learn to live in your own skin whether it be simple or complex. Ladies, just simply BE YOURSELVES!

Global Power

IF YOU HAD 5 MINUTES TO GRAB EVERYONE'S ATTENTION, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? 

As today's society evolves into a more open world, I thought about the tremendous significance within the online community - global community, that is. Is it possible that we, or I, have taken this powerful gift for granted by not utilizing it for what it's truly worth? With a platform to reach billions of people around all four corners of the world, literally, what have I been blogging about? I get that whole concept about, The Law of Attraction - think positive thoughts to attract positive results, but in a world filled with issues of poverty, disease, abuse, kidnapping, violence, drugs, and all kinds of misfortunes, how do we not utilize the internet to get our messages across to people where our words can inspire and influence great change & transformation?

I have tons of high-energy, instrumental (club) tracks to work on right now from tons of worldwide music producers, so believe me, I have enough to keep my hands full, but as I sat in front of my laptop thinking of ways to be creative, something within my spirit moved me. I wasn't in the mood to write song lyrics or to memorize lines from one of my scripts. Instead, I felt compelled to get some type of message across about how we use the internet to promote and what we are promoting. I've heard people complain that today there is a lack of privacy because anybody can find out anything on the internet. But let's flip this inside out. If there are secret societies, terrorist organizations, gangs, kidnappers, petafilers, serial killers and all types of people with deep rooted issues and evil intent, then this means that the world is obviously in need of some serious healing and spiritual cleansing. With that being said, the same way that it takes a village to raise a child, I believe that it takes a community to create solutions to problems, thus, the world wide web is a necessary tool to making that happen.

Now... what do I do with this sudden discovery? Not that I never knew how important the internet was before, but it's the area of focus I chose that is shifting at the moment. I'm an independent singer/songwriter/actress - a multimedia artist to be exact. It's what I love and have a passion for. I don't regret that or diminish its purpose in the world. But I do realize that if everyone joined at least one community service center (or founded one) the way we all prioritize money, family, and career into our lives, then the more help we contribute to society, the better society would be. Why is it that all through grade school and College, teachers and faculty get us prepared for the so called Real World by training our minds to find jobs,  but don't stress the importance of joining a community service when in fact, the Real World consists of real people who need real help? In fact, joining a community service has always been an option, like an elective, but never a priority. Now, I'm not suggesting that we should all put on our superwoman & superman capes with a mission to save the world. All I'm saying is that it would be beneficial to everyone if we dedicated at least one day out of the week - especially at the convenience of staying in the comfort of our own homes by using the internet, (which is ten times more influential than the television ever was) to renew people's minds, heal their souls, and find solutions to problems we thought were never ending.

How blessed are we to have freedom of speech in America? And do we use it to speak empowerment into other people's lives? Are we writing informative articles on bringing order and peace into our spiritual center? Are we making You Tube videos that reveal something bigger than just the usual? Everyday can't be a serious day. I believe in making life colorful, joyful, playful, sexy, desirable, enchanting, mysterious, exciting, and all types of fun! However, as my spiritual responsibility to my fellow human race increases, how do I turn a blind eye to the terrors of the world and think that I don't share the same air that all my brothers and sisters are breathing? How can I think that one person's problem may not, or will not, eventually become my own before they land on my front door step? When natural disasters happen, that's when people realize how small we are compared to this grand universe, and how all people - even strangers, are connected during a moment of trajedy. So why wait until an outbreak, a world war, or some other form of life threatening obstacle occurs before we realize that the light within me is also the light within you? There is no separate us, (you and I), because it is we, and we, need to use this internet for vital causes that will make this world a little bit better than we found it by promoting the right content to masses of people around the ENTIRE WORLD. Just think, if you could have the attention of every single pupil on earth for just five minutes, what would you say? Because the internet can make that happen.