12 Reasons I Started a YouTube Channel.

1.   To share my truth and express myself. We all have our own vision and ideas. We all have that inner urge to want to share it with others, and to express ourselves. If we keep from expressing, if we keep ourselves bottled up, we die. Of the many different ways to express ourselves, making videos is  a form I'm excited about using. It has the power to create powerful messages.

 

2.   To start living my dream, my passion, and have fun. We all want to start living a purposeful life, a life that has meaning, a life that makes sense. This is where it starts for me. I may still be in the daily grind as I write this, but I've made the decision that I no longer want it. The daily grind is designed to keep us from unleashing our creativity. It turns us into identical, competitive, robotic beings living in fear, endlessly struggling, scratching, and stepping on each other to earn an existence. You call this normal??? Isn't there a better way? Shouldn't life be effortless? Why invest in the idea that life has to be difficult, repressive, or deficient? Life is what YOU make of it, and I intend to truly enjoy mines. What society dictates is a load of bull crap. We can only enjoy life when we do what makes US happy. If we want to change our lives, if we want to bring in happiness, we all have to do what WE want. We all have to start somewhere, somehow. This is where it starts for me.

3.   To build relationships. I want to contribute to a loving and growing spiritual community. I have to say that I am totally in awe and in love with the YouTube community. There is so much diversity, sincerity, concern, and love here. So many similar and like-minded individuals. A true mark of the shift that is taking place. We are all rising, shining our lights, and coming into unity. Regardless of geography, the internet is making it easier and easier to recognize and guide each other. When we witness true expressions of love and are all communicating from the heart, it becomes easier to form bonds and trusting relationships with each other.

4.   To come out of my shell. I am curious to find out who I truly am, and what extraordinary feats I am capable of. I can only do so by coming out and taking action. Remaining comfortable only keeps my life stagnant, and never did no one any good! Status quo is boring! Growth happens only when we come out of our comfort zones.

5.   To build a tougher skin. I want to get to a point where I no longer care about how others see me or what they think of me. What better way than to expose myself on YouTube? A place where all my foibles and imperfections will be seen by the world.  A place where I will be scrutinized and criticized by the masses. What better way to get back to our childlike innocence and learn how to live carefree?

6.   To keep my ego in check. This an extension to building a tougher skin, for the ego does not like to be criticized. And so what better way to learn how to accept constructive criticism? What better way to learn humility? Fame, popularity, and the "all eyes on me" assumption that comes with a YouTube channel has the potential to inflate the head. This will help me to keep constant vigil on my ego, motives, and intentions. I get to see how I react, or better yet how my ego reacts. Am I driven by fear, vanity, or the true desire to help raise others?

7.   To keep up with the times. I do not own a television. At times it can be a challenge in keeping up with what is happening around the world. As a YouTube personality discussing certain world issues, it becomes my responsibility to know what is going on. It becomes my responsibility to know what I'm talking about and to give my viewers accurate information. As an earth and spiritually conscious individual, what happens in the world is my problem and my business, therefore it becomes my responsibility to know my shit.

8.   To make myself accountable. I have a tendency to set goals and procrastinate on achieving them. I either lose faith in myself, become distracted, or am just plain lazy to take action. Working a full time job that sucks all the energy out of me doesn't help much either. By placing myself in the public eye, others will hold me accountable, and I cannot back out or make excuses. When my credibility and sincerity is on the line, it becomes easier to set goals and reach them. The last thing I want is to be known as a flake. So this will definitely serve in having me walk my talk.

9.   To learn to love myself. Seeing myself on camera on a regular basis and exposing my shortcomings to the world can work wonders for my courage and self esteem. This will be a lesson in facing myself and accepting me for who I am. The celebrity worship, self-scrutiny, self-depreciating thoughts, and the obsession with my looks all need to take a hike. Isn't it time we all learned to love ourselves and embrace our gifts together with our imperfections? The road to advancement is only through accepting the good with the bad. The road to growth is only through loving ourselves.

10.   To explore my creativity. There's nothing I live more for than in getting my creative juices flowing. All my life I've immersed myself in the visual arts, creating bold, unusual, and colorful expressions every chance I got, and on so many levels. I am discovering the joy and beauty in making videos, and the power of video in getting a message across. This time though I can get to use motion, time, speech, color, sound, graphics, and the works to express my creativity. I'm like a kid in a candy store! What fun... What joy!

11.   To come from the heart. Some experiences are meant for ourselves, but then there are those that are meant to be shared. I would not be who I am today without all of the experiences that others have shared with me. We all would not be the person we are today if others in our lives did not come from the heart. We all carry a piece of each other with us, therefore making us all united in some way.  It's no fun eating alone. Sometimes it's good to have company. Sometimes you just want to share. If I thoroughly enjoy something, I too would like the same joy for you. If I found something helpful, I too would like for you to receive the same benefit. You may or may not go along with my suggestions. You may even form your own opinion after that. But the joy is in the suggesting not in the result. The joy is in the intent. The joy is coming from the heart.

12.   To set an example and inspire others. As the old saying goes, the only way to teach is to teach by example. You can talk to someone til they're blue in the face, but talk will never inspire them to take action for themselves as best as demonstrating how it is done. People are inspired simply by what they see and what they like. In this parade we call life, I hope to outfit my float with such glitter and zest that others may consider hopping on board and joining in the festivities.

Letting Go of What Holds Me Back

This is an update to my previous post "Reading the Writing On the Walls" about my current job search.

So how has that been going lately, you ask?

Well, I didn't realized the amount of fear I was exuding at the time.  The fear vibration can be felt throughout and is quite strong and prevalent in that entry. So to be honest, I haven't been putting much effort into my job search, and thus not much has happened. I dislike being driven by fear, and I find it difficult to search for a job that I don't even want.

Now why don't I want a new job?

Because I would much rather live out my passion, and do my sacred labor. I would much rather stay true to myself. I already know what it is that I want to do, what it is that I came to share with the world. It's just a matter of implementing it. It's just a matter of saying, "F*ck you" to fear.
And as for the hows and the when... I will follow my intuition.

So to thine own self I will be true. I will not shake in my boots about job loss. I will not quiver. I will not waver. If getting fired is necessary, then so be it. I will move on. I will move on and find my peace.  I will move on and find my freedom.

Now that I've put it out to the universe, now that I've said it, I trust the universe will find a way to make it happen.

...And so it is done. It is finished. Amen.

 

'Til we meet again in Brooklyn Heights!

I just love New York City. It is my birthplace. It is familiar. It is home. Of course I didn't always think so. For when one lives in a place for a long period of time it sort of loses its flavor. Moving to the Jersey suburbs was probably the best thing I did for my relationship with this lively city. It has given me the gift of perspective and more appreciation for what New York truly is. Nowadays, even though I live only a half hour away, I will turn some of my visits to the Big Apple into fun excursions. There are will always be a limitless amount of nooks and crannies waiting to be discovered, and an abundance of things to do. And so on Sunday April 21, I decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, which happened to be completely uncharted territory for me. The idea was not to do it alone, but I have no idea what happened to my Meetup group. We were all supposed to meet outside the High Street subway station in Brooklyn Heights at 11am sharp. I got there 10 minutes early and waited 10 minutes after and not one person showed. I never did RSVP for the Meetup. I decided to go at the last minute and just show up, so I wonder if perhaps they had changed the meeting spot and perhaps I didn't get the memo? Dunno?  I simply took it as a cue that I was meant to spend this Sunday alone, and looked forward to my day with myself. Besides by 11:10am I had to pee so badly there was no way I could stand there waiting any longer. So I made a mad dash for any public domain willing to extend their restrooms and most probably their menu to me as well.

I found the Heights Cafe on Montague Street, a quiet little corner spot it seemed, in the midst of the neighborhood's shopping district. There I ordered a veggie burger with home fries on the side for brunch. Not the most raw vegan meal, but what to do when the restroom is for patrons only and the brunch menu consists of no other vegan choice but a plain salad which would have cost me over $10? I chose to see the veggie burger as an opportunity to enjoy something I may not have for a long time to come. So I enjoyed it thoroughly with my fries, and took in as much peace and solitude as I could get from a Sunday morning. I watched as the place filled up little by little. By 12:30, it had become extremely packed and noisy, so I took it as my cue to move on with my day. Must be a popular spot for the locals.

Afterwards what I really felt like doing was walking around the neighborhood and just exploring. It was a sunny but cold and slightly breezy April day of which I did not dress for properly. I wasn't sure just how much walking around I would be able to withstand. So I decided to just play it by ear and see how long I would last. In a cold huddle, I started down Montague towards the river and promenade... 

I have to say that Brooklyn Heights is a truly gorgeous part of downtown Brooklyn with tree lined streets, old world brownstones, row houses, shops, cafes, and the works. In the warm spring and summer months it becomes a magical place of flower baskets, brick charm, window boxes, birds singing, blossoms, bicycles, and shade. It also happens to be one of the wealthiest sections in Brooklyn, so for the most part I am a spectator simply looking in from the outside.

After I'd had my fill of the couples, tourists, strollers, joggers, dog walkers, and photographers on the promenade, I realized that the midday sun was not going to make things any warmer. So I decided it was time to start heading for the bridge as I had planned. I was anxious and excited to see what it was all about, and perhaps the long steady walk might warm me up. For some of you from the area, I know walking the Brooklyn Bridge is of no big deal. Bikers and pedestrians walk and ride across this bridge all day, every day. So why should I become so excited? Well, not looking to turn this experience into some grand accomplishment, I simply wanted to satisfy my curiosity of what the view looked like from up there. And magnificent it was to see the view of  lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, other bridges, and the entire glistening length of the East River. It was one of those moments where one becomes at one with the city, and is so happy to be alive and experiencing what is before them. A moment to pause and take it all in. Due to the cold weather, I don't feel I got a chance to experience the full magnitude of such an outing in the comfort and splendor of warm summer sunshine. So I've made plans to come back this summer when the weather is nicer and the foliage are in full bloom for an even more amazing experience. As beautiful as it was today, I know it will be ten times more beautiful in the height of the summer season (and I promise to share it with you again). So Brooklyn Heights, you ain't seen the last of me!

Below are some of the pics I took while on the bridge and promenade.

The promenade overlooking a small piece of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Grateful for this current view. The trees will fill out in no time.

The piers below still under major work and construction for the expansion of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

A great view of next door neighbor Manhattan Bridge.

Reading the Writing On the Walls

Yesterday they fired a good friend of mines at work for no apparent reason. It hit home. I was expecting them to fire me. My sales numbers have been quite low for quite a while and I am having such difficulty bringing them up. I was temporarily spared this time for reasons I do not understand.
Why does it feel like I'm on American Idol during the elimination round? Sighing with relief that this time around it wasn't me. For my friend she wasn't as fortunate. It was her turn to leave the stage as many others have before her and as many others including me most probably will after her. Today there is an eerie feeling that could be felt throughout the entire workplace. The place has become so uncomfortable, uninspiring, and robotic that I'm starting to wonder between my friend and I which one of us is more fortunate?
I'm at the point where I know I can no longer procrastinate on finding a new job. I must start my job search now. I can sense when it is time for change and when the universe is hinting at me. I can hear the message clearly. It is saying "Don't wait. Start looking now. I have something in store for you. Seek and you shall find it." So find it I shall. I will keep you posted on my upcoming search. Let's make this fun. It's gonna be a challenge but a fun challenge.
I will start today with a fashion/interior design boutique. Let's knock on their door and see what happens.

So what is Mission Creation you ask?

Mission Creation... mostly a concept in my mind right now.

I am building a web site that'll be complete in who knows when? I think I will use it as a platform to focus on  divine creativity. It's something I've been fixated on for quite a while now and want to get a better grasp of.

I am an artistic person, so at times you will see me display some of my artistic talents on this blog or my web site. But to me, creativity is not all about art. What is creativity? I am convinced it's more about the uniqueness in every form, an evolving process, spontaneity, and the unpredictable. Where does creativity come from? How can we become more creative beings?
I'm on a mission to get to the bottom of it all.

I would like to use this blog as a platform to monitor my creative drive and development.
One example is how I've made many attempts at starting a You Tube channel with visions of me as a cool, sassy, admired, and unbelievably captivating vlogger, but to no avail. I so desperately wanted to be the next Jenna Marbles, one who would preach practical living and spirituality. So often I've allowed my ego to get the better of me.

I have gotten past my fears of being on camera, but never managed to get past being able to speak off the cuff to my audience. Oftentimes I would draw a blank. If the ideas did not come to me, and if I couldn't translate my ideas into coherent sentences, then I would simply stumble on my words. My mind and mouth could not work together and the videos would turn into these long drawn out messes of me rambling, stuttering, fumbling, ummming, ahhhing, and going off on some awesome and unintelligible tangents. These attempts at improvised You Tubing would leave me feeling so defeated and incapable. Editing my videos was not an option. I'd been there, done that. I even typed up scripts which I would read from. But it was all too fake. I would post some of those videos and take them down just a few days later. In them I would appear as if I was trying so hard to be someone that I was not, trying so hard to impress. And so I made a vow to myself that if I would ever become a vlogger, it will be the real me coming through, my real spirit, not some fake, robotic, rehearsed, and predictable Lady. Lately I've become obsessed and extremely fascinated by this type of talent. I see it as creativity in one of its rawest form. The open doors that speak from within and allow their truest essence to shine, making such perfect sense that they require no editing whatsoever. It is like the artist that draws without the need of an eraser. I am extremely curious and envious of those that possess this quality. Where does it come from? How does it happen? I'll watch some of my favorite YouTube vloggers weave beautiful words of wisdom on various topics and ask myself, "How can I be more like that?" I know with all my heart that this is a talent that can be cultivated. What one has done all can do. So this year I've made it a goal to cultivate this dormant talent that I know lies within me. I too can be an open door.

I've recently come to terms with the fact that there is much sludge and chaos surrounding my emotional, mental, and identity body, thus the lack of focus and clarity. So I've decided to go raw vegan to facilitate the release of my mental sludge. The living foods will work to detox my system and give me more vital energy, which in turn will increase my energy vibration. This in turn can open up my third eye chakra, the source of all intuition and mental clarity. I am also incorporating meditation which I hope will help me get in touch with my Higher Self. Spoken word decrees and invocations will also help to clear up my energy field from negative fixations and beliefs. And last I will be taking Bikram yoga classes again which will help to enforce the concentration, stillness, and present moment awareness that I so desperately need.

In the meantime a girl's gotta express herself right? And so this blog comes into play. Right now I can best express my true self through writing. So I will use what I have to jump start my blogging career. Of course I won't stop there. As time goes by, I will try again with video and incorporate it with written word and see where it takes me on my quest to express.

In addition, I would like to use this blog to shed light on certain issues. Those issues that are not fully publicized or talked about, especially by those in the spiritual community. There is a huge spiritual movement out there which continues to grow. Yes, the shift is happening, and this includes the religious, the new agers, the mystics, the naturalists, and the many more different genres and lifestyles. There is much that has yet to be said in this community, and I hope Mission Creation becomes a platform where we can discuss the unconventional stuff. Some things have been held back for far too long and simply need to be brought out into the open.

This is all an experiment and I can expect it to be a continuous work in progress. I hope you can jump on board and join me on this adventure. As I grow, you grow. As you grow, I grow. Feel free to bring to the table any suggestions or comments as you see fit.

With much love!

Lady Neptune