Music Therapy with Miss Moon

“To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.”

Happy Monday, everybody! Last week I encountered something that was pretty powerful for me, that inspired my song choice for this week's Music Therapy with Miss Moon. A tough week at work, coupled with picking the pieces after the end of my engagement and five year relationship had me feeling like the weight of the world was on our shoulders. After work one day, I stopped to have a cigarette before heading on the train when I was approached by a young woman who was 19 years old.

She approached me quite hesitantly to bum a cigarette and asked if I minded if she joined me for a smoke. I said of course not and we fell into a conversation about our lives. It was very much like talking to my 19 year old self, as she talked about the fears and concerns she had for her future. I too had those feelings, along with an amazing sense of opportunity.

As she poured her heart out to me, a stranger, about her worries about getting into the right school and whether her life would be happy, I remembered how hesitant and unsure of myself I was at 19.

I am a far happier woman today at 34 than I was then, despite being newly single and tired and in desperate need of a vacation. I wouldn't trade places with her for the world.

I told her that everything I've done, for better or worse, have ultimately made me the woman I am today. And that woman is awesome. I told her that her future begins 30 seconds from now, so what's the use in dwelling in the fear of it.

I hope that my words of encouragement reached out to her that night, and I dedicate this song, a song that I loved very much at her age, to her wherever she is. Here's "Dancing Nancies" by the Dave Matthews Band. It's a song about pondering what life would be like if you were someone else, as I have, and I'm sure we all have. Let it serve as a reminder to recognize how wonderful we all are, despite wishing we were more at times.

Could I have been
A parking lot attendant
Could I have been
A millionaire in Bel Air
Could I have been Lost somewhere in Paris
Could I have been
Your little brother
Could I have been
Anyone other than me
Could I have been
Anyone other than me
Could I have been
Anyone other than me
Could I have been
Anyone

He stands touch his hair his shoes untied
Tongue gaping stare
Could I have been a magnet for money?
Could I have been anyone other than me?

Twenty three and so tired of life
Such a shame to throw it all away
The images grow darker still
Could I have been anyone other than me? Then I
Look up at the sky
My mouth is open wide, lick and taste
What's the use in worrying, what's the use in hurrying
Turn, turn we almost become dizzy

I am who I am who I am who am I
Requesting some enlightenment
Could I have been anyone other than me?

Sing and dance I'll play for you tonight
And thrill at it all
Dark clouds may hang on me sometimes
But I'll work it out then I

Look up at the sky
My mouth is open wide, lick and taste
What's the use in worrying, what's the use in hurrying
Turn, turn we almost become dizzy

Falling out of a world of lies
Could I have been dancing nancy
Could I have been anyone other than me?

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

Everything you need in life begins with you. It's biological: your body needs oxygen to survive, so you breathe... your body craves rest, so you sleep. And it doesn't stop with our basic bodily functions. LOL

We spend so much of our lives, straining to hang on to just a finger's length grasp of what we want, when there are more effortless ways of getting it.

This is what this week's Music Therapy with Miss Moon is all about. "Love" can represent anything you aspire for, or it can be finding the one that fills your heart with joy. Take the energy out of pulling and fighting and use it to lifting yourself up. Meditate, read, laugh, cry, feel and grow. As you lift yourself up, you'll recognize you won't have to stretch and pull anymore, as you've reached a height where the love (or the job, or the vacation, or the life) that you want is right in front of you.

I hope you all will enjoy "Love Will Find Me" by Little Jackie.



My life thus far has been held together
by band aides and safety pins,
nothin quite fits but I'm still tryin
to squeeze my body into it,
I've been frontin, I've been wantin
someone who fits me effortlessly,
with ease and room to spare,
cause I've endured some wear and tear

with all these meaningless love affairs,
fake smiles and dishonest laughter,
fast forward to the morning after
I'm all dolled up lookin like a disaster

I just wanna wash off the lipstick
take off the stilletos
play my music and get with my own flow
and love will find me eventually
I'm gonna dance with my shadow
I'm goin all out, never forgettin what I'm all about
and love will find me eventually
you just wait and see yeah

I'll just sit here and look real cute
while he buys me drinks I'll look for an escape route
grab my purse and exit through the back door
get in my car put the petal to the floor and
I'll fly home singin out loud
life's too short so get off my cloud,
if I can't be myself
I don't wanna be with nobody else.

I just wanna wash off the lipstick
take off the stilletos
play my music and get with my own flow
and love will find me eventually
I'm gonna dance with my shadow
I'm goin all out, never forgettin what I'm all about
and love will find me eventually
you just wait and see yeah

cause they always just crash and burn
crash and burn, when will I learn

to stop lyin, stop hidin, quit cryin stop tryin

I just wanna wash off the lipstick
take off the stilletos
play my music and get with my own flow
and love will find me eventually
I'm gonna dance with my shadow
I'm goin all out, never forgettin what I'm all about
and love will find me eventually
you just wait and see yeah

Be Blessed: And Love the Skin You're In...

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."
~ Confucius

“The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.”
~ Carl Jung

“I am so beautiful, sometimes people weep when they see me. And it has nothing to do with what I look like really, it is just that I gave myself the power to say that I am beautiful, and if I could do that, maybe there is hope for them too. And the great divide between the beautiful and the ugly will cease to be. Because we are all what we choose.”
~ Margaret Cho

Be Blessed: And Chill....................

"There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills."
~ Buddha

"Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt”
~ William Shakespeare

“Doubt yourself and you doubt everything you see. Judge yourself and you see judges everywhere. But if you listen to the sound of your own voice, you can rise above doubt and judgment. And you can see forever.”
~ Judge Nancy Lopez

While I wish I could say that I am 100% optimistic and am always aligning my thoughts to positive vibrations... I have days lately when I feel like everything I do is wrong, that everything I say is being misconstrued and that I am the most unlikable, loathsome human being to ever walk the streets of Bed-Stuy. Of course people do not chase me around Fulton Street with pitchforks and torches, so I know I'm cool, but it's gotten to the point when I actually found myself recently saying internally, "Audrey, Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllllllll!!!!!".

I had let doubts about myself give way to feeling wretched for days, and it took me realizing I need to let it go, that I started to feel better. I know the truth about who I am, and I am a damn good woman who is getting better and better every single day! What helped me get back to that groovy feeling was the following excerpt courtesy of Iyanla Vanzant. I hope that it will resonate for you as much as it did for me.

The following is an affirmation. An affirmation is a statement that embodies the truth. If there is something you want to know about yourself or your life, faithfully and reverently repeat this affirmation three times and ask yourself the question. It is best to ask questions about yourself rather than asking about another person because their truth may be none of your business. Once the affirmation is repeated and the question asked, remain still and listen for the answer. If the answer does not come right away, have faith! Sometimes the truth is more than you can handle at the moment. At the right time, in the right way, the truth will make itself known to you.

I believe in the power of truth.
I believe in the presence of truth.
Truth cannot be buried or hidden.
The truth must be revealed.
I now experience the essence of truth as it moves through me.
The Spirit of truth now envelops me.
The Spirit of truth now envelops me.
I am filled with the light of truth.
I am filled with the power of truth.
I am filled with the presence of truth.
The truth is revealed to me now.


Until today, you may not have known how to get to the truth of a pressing matter in your life. Just for today, ask the truth to reveal itself to you. Remember that what you ask for, you will receive!

Today I am devoted to knowing the truth about myself and my life!

From Until Today!
by Iyanla Vanzant

Be Blessed: And Take a Moment to Meditate - Part Three

“Life is like a mirror, we get the best results when we smile at it.”
~ Anonymous

On most days, when I look at myself in the mirror, I am pleased and content with who is staring back at me. I see a woman who is growing older, and wiser and more sure of herself, and that's dope! There are those days, though, where Gollum is staring back at me (in my own head) - the most hideous thing imaginable. It's my goal to get rid of the Gollum days, between you and me.

Some of you may have your own version of Gollum days, and if by chance you're trying to dramatically lessen those days, this week's meditation is a good one. Entitled, "I Am", it serves as a affirmation of all of the beauty we have inside of us. So when Gollum is staring back at you, tell it to burn the road up with a reminder of all that you are!!!



This week, I will remember everything I am.

Be Blessed: & Begin Again... Today!!

I haven't posted a Be Blessed entry in a while, I know. I've mentioned a bit that I've been going through a few challenges these past few months that have prevented from feeling inspired. In fact, I've hardly felt blessed.. though I know (in retrospect) that truly I am.

I've reached a breakthrough and the storm clouds that have been rumbling through my mind has started to clear with the help of my friends, family, and from the daily emails I receive from Iyanla Vanzant. I've shared excerpts of her works in past blogs, but I really wanted to share one that truly excited me and filled me with possibility.

I will realize my own worth when I accept . . .
certain conditions in my life are like shoes;
at some point they just don't fit me.

How long are you going to hold on to the things that are not working in your best interests? Things that are not fulfilling? Things that are no longer productive? How long are you going to deny yourself, your feelings and your power in order to live up to the demands and expectations of others? How long are you going to over do, over give, over indulge, trying to convince yourself and others that you are worthy? Perhaps today is as good a day as any other to let go of them and grab onto your Self. Perhaps today is the day that you will find the courage and the strength to stop doing worthwhile things and start being worthy.

Life is not about holding on. Nor is it about pleasing others in order to get by. Life is not about doing what will make others believe you are worthy. Nor is it about denying yourself to make others feel better. Isn't it obvious that life is moving on while you seem to be stuck in a holding pattern? Can you not see that you are carrying so much "stuff", perhaps so many people that you can hardly move, let alone make any progress. In fact, doesn't it seem at times as if you are being left behind, by the very ones you stayed behind to help?

Life is about moving through, moving on, growing up, and growing through each and every experience. Life is about examination, elimination and re-creation. Perhaps today is the only day you have to examine your life, to make some adjustments and changes, so that you can take full advantage of the opportunities this day offers. Today sure seems like a good day! If it's not today, what will it take?

Until today, you may not have realized that you can do in one day, what you have avoided doing for so many other days. Just for today, take every opportunity you have to let go of thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, ideas and, people that stand in the way of your desire to stand squarely in your worthiness.

Today I am devoted to re-creating my life
and re-claiming my self-worth!

Excerpt from
Until Today!
by Iyanla Vanzant