All I’ve Ever Wanted: 

Make Time to Romance YOURSELF!

My 2nd Singing recording’s here! (Recording’s linked at the bottom.)

YASSS!

VICTORY! I beat The Trap!

It took me longer than I’d hoped to get here, but such is life!

I’ve been busy with work, writing fiction + non-fiction, and enjoying extra quality time with my family.

Summertime with the kiddos has been great!

But the time I’d normally dedicate to practicing music has fallen off a cliff.

As the days and weeks have passed, I’ve felt this gnawing feeling in the back of my mind, reminding me, “You made a commitment to practice!”

But, my piano’s barely been played.

Sure, I’ve practiced some note recognition and scales, but devoting time to actually practicing and learning a full piece? Nada! Nope!

I fell into “The Trap” — where if you can’t do it “all out” for at least an hour — you think you can’t do it at all.

“Just not enough time,” I told myself, night after night.

Then one day, I found myself singing along to one of the greatest singers of all time and felt inspired to make this quick 2nd recording.

Having finally started, I could feel my excitement build, to practice and apply what I’d learned about music recording and production when I’d made my 1st recording.

Problem was, it was many weeks — actually, months — ago. And I couldn’t remember all the details for the audio software and plugins.

A split second later and I fell right back into the Trap. More excuses.

Do you ever experience that?

You finally get yourself together, you’ve started, you’re well on your way, but then the slightest doubt creeps in and your brain puts on the brakes, telling you, “Oh, there’s not enough time to do it all, to finish it perfectly, so you might as well give up. Better to stop here. Just do it later, when you’ve got more time.”

I experience this often, more than I’d like.

Which is precisely why I’m a big notetaker.

It’s like an insurance policy for my Put-It-Off-Til-Tomorrow Mindset.

The more detailed and foreign something new is for me, the more I force myself to take detailed notes, the first time around. It’s tedious and sometimes annoying when I just want to go full steam ahead, but I never regret it later — when so much time has passed and I need my notes to quickly relearn everything.

So I retrieved my file. I dove into the details. I reapplied what I’d learned from the many musical gurus I’ve found online.

A half an hour later and there it was…

A lovely state of Flow.

Ahhh….FLOW!

That euphoric feeling when time slips away and you lose yourself in the artistry.

But it wasn’t the software that’d led me there. It wasn’t the production. It wasn’t even the big A-ha! Moment I experienced when I finally understood how to get the software to do something that’d eluded me the last time, with my 1st recording. Figuring it out was satisfying, of course, but I could tell the recording was still far from “perfect.” I still had much to learn. So…

That’s not why this Flow’s happening.

I analyzed what it could be:

Was it some other part of the mixing and mastering process?

It was enjoyable, but it wasn’t that, was it?

I listened to the recording, did a few more takes, then realized something interesting…

It’s the LYRICS & the Subtle Shift in Perspective I was making.

I’d chosen a love song. One of the greatest love songs of all time.

But, as I practiced the verse and chorus, it got me thinking…

How often do we listen to love songs that romanticize this notion that we need to romance other people?

When, really, we should give equal time and attention to this Question:

How often do we try to romance ourselves?

We give plenty of our love to others — to our friends, family and, of course, our significant other…

But, when do we ever take the time to ask ourselves, “How are you romancing your Self?”

How often do we put our needs first?

And how often do we create unnecessary Traps — that stop us from even starting?

We say we care. But, do we — really?

Take today, for example…

How many minutes today, have you spent doing something to love yourself?

If the answer’s none…

Why not start with just one song?

We don’t have to make it complex.

It doesn’t have to be an hour-long endeavor.

Or even a half-an-hour activity.

Just a few minutes can be all that’s needed.

To pick one song — like the song below — and imagine it being sung…not to gain someone else’s love…but to gain the love we can and should give to our Self?

Listen — the 1st time — as it was intended: to love someone else.

Then listen to it — the 2nd time — to see how you feel, if you were singing it to YOU — because the Inner Child inside of you…the True Self you keep hidden is waiting…

Waiting for you to come, to set your Authentic Self free.

🎵❤️🎵

If you only knew

What I feel for you

If you only lived for me

The way I live for you…

I’d be in Heaven.

My dreams…would come true

’Cause all

I’ve ever wanted

Is YOU

And you, alone.

And I love you so

More than words could ever show

All I’ve ever wanted

Is You

All I’ve ever wanted…

Is YOU

Is you…you…you…

YOU.

~ 📝Lyrics from “All I’ve Ever Wanted,” by Mariah Carey

~ 🎤Song performed by Yours Truly:

What an amazing world it would be, if we could all listen — and truly hear — the music that’s inside each of us.

Whether you know it or not, your heart is singing YOUR song.

Are you listening?

The Singer in me honors & respects the Singer in each of you,

Marisa

🎵❤️🎵

🎤 📺 🎤

If you would like to hear or see me succeed (or flop 😂) as I practice in public, and you’d love to learn about the science of self-improvement, please Subscribe to my new YouTube Channel and signup for my free Substack Newsletter.

Together, we’ll explore all the ways that we can 10x our life — mind, body, & soul.

We’ll learn the scientific, physiological, and psychological reasons why we are the way that we are, and combine that understanding with simple, active practices that will:

• Enliven our emotions & creativity;

• Enhance our efficiency & productivity;

• Foster a greater depth of Self;

• Build the Secure Attachment that we need to develop a Growth Mindset; and,

• Reprogram our minds to pivot from the Sympathetic Nervous System to the Parasympathetic Nervous System when we need it to, more often than not.

I’ve planned so many exciting & fun things to share with you (in addition to music!) and I can’t wait for you to get all the FREE goodies I’ve prepared for you.

We CAN do this, TOGETHER!

Marisa