It has been a year of change. But not just commonplace changes in ones life. An actual paradigm shift. You feel it, don’t you? We are all feeling it; the ground unsteady beneath our feet, as if walking on the wobbly planks of an old house. Unsure of where to step or which direction to take. When life gets to be too heavy, I let it go. When the structure that has held me up time after time begins to falter, I believe in treading lightly and like the willow tree, to bend. So that I too, do not break. Though scary, what if these shifts were a good thing? Small reminders to find the road that you really want to travel down and decide who you really want your companions to be. Many live day-to-day, waiting for the weekend, or a break, or a change. But what if those signs of change are ever present and surrounding you; flashing their neon sign, just waiting for YOU to shift? You can go on and be OK with these creaky planks you walk on or you can bend; and become the solid path in which future generations can walk and follow. I encourage you to shift [...]
We each need to decide what actually makes us happy and then find ways to fill our lives with it, as if the need was so great that it pulsed through our veins. I’m not sure what makes you happy, but creating and helping others to create something great drives me to get out of bed on the those when its a struggle. There are so many people trying to change the world and their voices deserve a little megaphone to help spread their good news. And I am happy to hold it up for them. That’s a large part of what this Agents of Change roadtrip is about. But it’s more than that. I find when I head on the road, I am more alive, more vulnerable, more open to the magic that life has to bring. Here is a little video about why this tour is so important to me. Amazing things happen when I allow myself to dance on the edge during these roadtrips: I meet amazing people who end up being a part of my inner circle I find strength and courage within myself during times when I thought I had nothing left. I meet people [...]
February 27, 2013 – 10:35 pm
Today was the first day in about a month were I had a moment to breathe. Of course, it was pouring out. Though I love rainy days, I know that many people don’t. So, I figured I would ask what people like to do on days like this. Here’s what they had to say: Inspired by these awesome responses, I created this Rainy Day Photo Project. Here are some of my favorite things to do: How about you? What do you do on a rainy day? Send me your notes, pictures and thoughts. I’ll update this post with them. xoxoxo Related Posts The Traveler: Wine Libraries, Secret Gems, and the London Reboot The Traveler: Underground Detroit and the Rebuilding of a City
February 14, 2013 – 10:05 am
A few weeks ago, I received this lovely message from Mary Jane Shaver: I responded that I wanted some time to think about my answer, so that it would be thoughtful and something that Mary Jane could use. But of course, the more I thought about what inspires me, the less inspired I became. I spent more time over the past few weeks worrying about how to describe it to someone, that I forgot how to actually live it. So, Mary Jane & company, instead of telling you what inspires me, let me show you: Singing (photo credit: Ann Handley) Inspiration isn’t a process. Inspiration is passion. It is a spark that comes when you are doing what you love and spending time with those who bring joy to your life. The more time you spend living life on your terms and letting go of the stress and anxiety that can plague you, the more inspiration will come your way. I hope that helps. I would love to hear what inspiration is to all of you. Feel free to comment below. Love you all, Ja-Nae Related Posts The Power of Determination: Lessons a Mouse Can Teach Famous Quotes: [...]
By Ja-Naé
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Also posted in Creativity, Happiness
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Tagged Agents of change, creative economy, daily inspiration, detroit, great lakes coffee, how to inspire, inspiration, inspire, inspire me, inspiring words, ja-nae duane, janae, our revolution, paulie walnuts, start a revolution, valentine's day, what is inspiration
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January 29, 2013 – 9:24 am
We believe what we see, correct? But what if we cannot see it? Does that mean that it doesn’t exist? A snail has an extremely slow nervous system. So, when a human quickly walks by then that snail does not have time to process the human, thus making it invisible to the snail. Here is another example from when Christopher Columbus landed: Waves were crashing against a shore. A local shaman went to the water’s edge day after day and could see ripples in the water made by the ships but not the ships themselves. He was troubled by this and after days of staring, finally saw the ships (maybe because it was the morning they arrived). Of course, no one else in the tribe could “see” the ships until he did. We can only see what we have been conditioned to believe. Our senses are created and conditioned from the brain, thus coming to every situation with a bias. So, just because you cannot see, taste, smell, hear or touch something does not mean that it does not exist. And let’s be honest. Unless you knew what you are looking for, how would you know when you have found it? How many times [...]
January 23, 2013 – 12:03 pm
Hey Everyone! I am psyched and overwhelmed by the response that we have received about the Agents of Change Tour beginning this March. I appreciate all the emails, calls, and suggestion as to what is going on in your city and the creative souls who are truly making it happen. This is going to be epic! We are putting a call out to all of Boston’s creative class to join us on February, 2nd to be in our Kickstarter video. We are looking for: Musicians Dancers (including Burlesque Dancers) Visual artists Yoga instructors Jugglers Makers Ribbon artists ……and anyone else who we showcase! For everyone who participates, we will interview you and highlight you on: The Kickstarter Page Our Website (Coming Soon) Selected stories will be featured on my site and within the upcoming book If interested, email us who you are, what you do, and a URL where we can get to know you better. To make it easy, just email through the contact page. Other Housekeeping Items 1. We are rounding out our dates and the cities we’re headed to. Where should be go? Who are some of the key people we should interview. Comment below and let us [...]
By Ja-Naé
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Also posted in Adventure, Arts
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Tagged a change agent, agent change, agent of change, agent of social change, Agents of change, an agent of change, boston, change agent, change agents, change of agent, changing agents, changing angent, creative class, creativeclass, how to be a Change agent, restoring creativity, rise of the creative class, social change agent, the agents of change, the change agent, the creative class, the rise of the creative class, the role of a change agent, what is a change agent, who is a change agent
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January 10, 2013 – 11:33 am
Everyone views life a little differently. Some take it day-by-day, happy to make it through to see another. Some like to live the roller coaster. They thrive on (whether they realize it or not) the rush of adrenaline that comes with those high points, as much as they thrive in wallowing when it all comes tumbling down. Just the way a child will gleefully continue to build onto his LEGO tower, though he knows it won’t be able to last, and then sit there crying when it actually does. We all approach this journey differently. I used to be that kid. Constantly pushing and pushing to see when something would break. Why? I wanted to know if limits exisited. I wanted to know my own capabilities, good, bad or indifferent. And afterwards, I just couldn’t put my finger on why I had to start over or why relationships were ruined or why I had the hardship that I had. I didn’t know that it was a habit that I created for myself. Humans are creatures of habit. Our bodies and minds want us to be stuck in a comfortable routine of homeostasis. Subconsciously, your inner self is thinking only about survival and [...]
By Ja-Naé
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Also posted in Happiness, Strategy
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Tagged a bad habit, a habit, an habit, bad habit, breaking a habit, breaking habit, en habit, full heart, give power, habit, habit at, habit breaking, habits 7, habits of, habits people, healthy habit, in habit, mode, old habits, people habits, power giving, power of giving, power of giving up, the 7 habits
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January 8, 2013 – 8:44 pm
Adventure, baby! Bring it on! As many of you know, our last tour was life altering for me. It resulted in: 1. Meeting some amazing people who have become great friends. 2. The creation of the Our Revolution, a social good community. Which I am happy to say is a few thousand strong, as well as the How to Create a Revolution book (a guide to creating social change). 3. A chance meeting with a guy who reviewed my first book, How to Start Your Business with $100, that ended in a marriage proposal. Yeah, this awesome: And trust me, I could not have done that past tour without you guys. You are my backbone and the reason why I do these things. You show me that it is needed (and wanted). I cannot tell you what that means to me. So, I am excited to announce that we headed on the road again and embarking on The Agents of Change Tour! About the Tour Mission: To restore creativity to the soul of the world! The Agents of Change tour is a year-long tour exploring the impact of creativity and collaboration on local communities, artists, and entrepreneurs. The tour nurtures [...]
By Ja-Naé
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Also posted in Adventure, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Marketing, Strategy, Travel
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Tagged a change agent, agent change, agent of change, agent of social change, Agents of change, an agent of change, change agent, change agents, change of agent, changing agents, changing angent, how to be a Change agent, restoring creativity, social change agent, the agents of change, the change agent, the role of a change agent, what is a change agent, who is a change agent
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December 24, 2012 – 11:48 pm
“I wish you were never born.” How many times have we heard that at one time or another? Usually it’s from the mouths of angry kids trying to make sense of a situation. While I was growing up, I have to admit that that phrase has crossed my lips more than once and unfortunately, it was usually directed towards someone that I loved. But have you ever asked yourself, what if I was never born? What if I didn’t exist or left no trace of this life that I have led? Does it even matter? Though I cannot speak precisely to your life, while I watch “It’s a Wonderful Life,” I begin thinking of Charlie. Charlie was an electrician with a fantastic wife, two kids that were so cute you could eat them with a spoon, and a loving network of friends an family. And he was happy. But not for any particular reason. He just decided to enjoy the life and the blessings that he was given; to take life in stride, help out when he could, and just do the best he could. Charlie was just an average guy living an average life. Then one day, it all [...]
December 17, 2012 – 9:15 pm
I grew up performing. As a young girl, I would put on shows with my best friend in her backyard. I would spend hours on the phone with my friend Jill thinking of lyrics to our song that would be a hit. I even sang at the White House while still in high school. You can ask my mom how many times she would have to come into my room and ask me to stop practicing on any given day. I wouldn’t stop. I loved it too much. That love continued into college, where I paid my way working 4 jobs, created my own major at Northeastern University in collaboration with New England Conservatory. I had double the course load of anyone I knew, but I didn’t care. I was constantly performing and honing my craft. I was exploring new ways to create shows, and even co-produced (and performed ) in the John Coltrane Memorial Concert. At such a young age, I was performing with musical giants and had no idea how I got to be so fortunate. But as time went on, so did my education. Though I had more and more opportunities come my way, the demand to [...]
By Ja-Naé
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Also posted in Arts, Travel
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Tagged coltrane john, how do you sing, how sing, how to sing, john coltrane coltrane, new artist, opera, opera singer, performing arts in, restoring creativity, santa baby by, santa with baby, the artist, the opera singer, the singing voice, what is performing arts
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