Dreams For Sale

Posted on by serenitisparkles

It was 2002 that I learned the most valuable lesson of my lifetime. Your dreams and passions were for sale. A market was born with the birth of the internet that before never existed on such a large scale. It became a billion dollar business to take what dreams you had for your future and exploit them for the mighty dollar.

Back in 2002, I was merely a college student that was going to school to become a recording engineer. During my time in college I was hired by the legendary Brian McKnight’s brother to help him coordinate talent expos for unsigned talent. Little did I know and what I would soon realize is that this wasn’t what it was thought to be. For the thousands of hopefuls, it was a chance for unsigned artists to get their music heard by “executives” in the music industry for their chance to “make it big”. Each hopeful paid $50 to Fred McKnight for the opportunity to get heard. But only I really knew who was listening. As the talent expo began, Fred McKnight placed me and other college students in the seats that were supposed to be held by Industry executives. Let me be clear in saying, we were nothing at the time. Not one of us had an inside link to the industry, and none of us could help any of these hopefuls get their shot. Yet we sat there and listened as we were instructed. We sat there while hundreds of hopefuls, who paid their fee, walked up to our tables for us to listen to their music.

What a scam, I thought. How could someone use the name of their famous counterpart in a way to get money out of people’s pockets in exchange for such bs? Though this was an in-person view of what dreams for sale means, the internet has abused this market in ways that I never knew existed. Now instead of a Fred McKnight using his name to sell a service that he had no intention of following through with, websites, dj’s, influencers, celebrities, and so many more did the exact same.

Through the years I have witnessed, first hand, dreams being sold and billions of dollars being cashed in. And for what? Never once did I see an actual opportunity that came about to anyone, at least nothing substantial. Instead, I see websites claiming to get music heard “all over the world”. Those websites that display your music all over the world, aren’t necessarily lying. Sure, your music is placed on the internet, all over the internet and throughout the world, but no one is searching for you. I’ve seen DJ’s, Celebrities, and Influencers, use their fame and connections to “get you heard or seen”, all for the mighty dollar, but is that what is really happening? More than likely, these people pad their pockets, all for you to say you might have a chance. Did you ever cash in on that “chance”.

Social media platforms “boost” your posts, but how many of those boosts actually translate into dollar signs in your pocket.

Understanding the game is necessary to surviving it. Being aware of the predatory practices to capitalize off of you is key to avoiding them. Reminding yourself that your passion and your dream is most important to you and there is a market that cashes in on that dream.

May I be the one to tell you that if someone of influence sees that your product is worth an investment, you do not have to pay for that because they will approach you to invest. Million dollar people approach value the same way, with an investment. It can be an investment of time, money, access, and opportunity, but if your product is worth it, YOU will not bear the expense. After all, you’re the creator of your product or service. Don’t let someone sell you a dream that you can accomplish with hard work and by protecting your ownership and perfecting your product or service. Take it from someone who has witnessed time and time again, Dreams are for sale.

Time is Our Most Valuable Resource

Posted on by serenitisparkles

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If I lose a dollar, I can replace it with another, but, If I lose an hour of time, I will NEVER get that hour back.  My father once said to me, “I’ll sleep when I die.”  This was a man who woke up every morning at sunrise and didn’t go to sleep until 1 or 2 in the morning.  He couldn’t have been more right.  Today, that same man is asleep forever, may he rest in peace.

Watching so closely the full cycle of life, from my daughter being born to my father’s untimely death,  has taught me a crucial lesson.  Time is my most valuable resource.  Every moment of each day is an opportunity.  It can be an opportunity to share time with a loved one, an opportunity to write, an opportunity to take a chance, and the most beautiful fact is that every moment is an OPPORTUNITY.

Many of us live in the past, or look to the future.  How many of us actually live in the NOW?  Since my father’s passing I try to ALWAYS live in the present.  I am constantly asking myself, am I happy with my moment right now.  If I am not, then I quickly adjust myself to think positively and change course.  I do not know many things, but what I am definite of is that this is my moment.  My life span could last another 50 years, or 50 seconds, but what I choose to do with my moment is vital to my quality of life.

When we fail to look around us and bask in our present, we fail to see the beauty of living.  Life is a gift.  No matter how many times we fall short, we are alive.  We have something that is so precious.  We have something that for all of us, will run out.  So when you wake up in the morning, appreciate and utilize the time you are given because it will be gone before you know it.

Dreams and The Law Of Attraction

Posted on by serenitisparkles

My entire life has been a road of relentless determination and focus toward success.  I have always believed that I am someone who will work with talent in the music industry and create great artists.  I have found that no matter how many people told me it wasn’t going to happen, I stayed positive toward reaching my end goal.  This focus has landed me in positions as publicist, engineer, MC, event coordinator, songwriter, and manager.  Yet there were so many times that I was lost.  The only thing that remained in my heart in those times was my dream and love of music.

bobbi blogMusic has helped me stay positive no matter what the challenge, and my determination has guided me to reach many goals.  It wasn’t until recently that an old friend of mine explained to me the definition of what I was doing through my entire quest.  It is called the LAW OF ATTRACTION.  This law that states LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE, and that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts, one can bring about positive or negative results.  The belief is based upon the idea that people and their thoughts are made from pure energy.  The idea of the law of attraction was first noted by author James Allen in 1901.  And in 2006 became an international sensation with the movie, The Secret.

Numerous authors have referred to the law of attraction as the key to success.  Many well-known celebrities have used the law of attraction to reach their dreams.

Will Smith “There is a redemptive power that making a choice has…I want to represent an idea that you really can make what you want.”

Jim Carrey “Not one single thing has ever been accomplished without intent.”

Oprah “It is very true that the way you think, creates a reality for yourself.”

Steve Harvey “If you see it in your mind you can hold it in your hand”

UFC Champion, Jon Jones “When you know where your going and know what you want, the universe has a way of stepping aside for you.”

Bob Proctor “Your brain is an electronic switching station, when you think you activate brain cells, those brain cells set up a vibration…Whatever my vibration is is going to dictate what I attract.”

We are all a product of our minds.  Once that is fully understood and we are able to listen to our deepest desires, we are able to create a reality that is derived from our energy.  “We are not what we are, but what we think we are.”

The Process of Progress

Posted on by serenitisparkles

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When was the last time you can remember writing down a goal, setting up a path to it’s success, and moving forward in CONSTANT pursuit?  How many people actually ignore social media and the lives of others in order to focus on their own life?  Unfortunately, in the age of information and social media, we are buried in a world of IRRELEVANT CONTENT.

The clouds grow thicker with the more posts shared online that it is easy to become distracted with someone else’s dream. You can be perceived to be progressing in your life via social media, but the question is, ARE YOU PROGRESSING OR REGRESSING?  If I am sitting still, how can I move forward? Progress is simply forward movement toward a goal. The only way to progress is to look inside YOUR mind for what it is you are trying to accomplish.  You can’t progress if you continuously make excuses for your delay.  Progress is a process that many people don’t have time for these days.

The fact is they do have time, they have plenty of time, they just choose to idolize someone else’s forward progression. I urge people to take a good hard look at what they want to stand for at the end of their journey.  Social media and the internet can either be a tool to aid us in our successes, or a diversion to our life’s plan.  Without the process of progress we will not accomplish anything. Instead, our minds will be used as a storage bank for the stories of others. Your progress can be simple, but if you are too distracted with the abstract world, the real world will pass you by.  THINK ABOUT IT!

I want to be famous when I grow up

Posted on by serenitisparkles

 

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There once was a time not too long ago where the majority of children would aspire to be doctors, policemen, teachers, astronauts, and even the President of the United States. This was of course before Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Justin Bieber.  Your teachers will tell you to educate yourself and you can be anything you want to be.

The truth is that famous doesn’t take much education. It might take a Youtube video going viral, a boyfriend/girlfriend in the “industry”, a stunt for huge media attention, or even a sex tape. The time of young people believing that becoming educated and skilled in a specific craft was gone when we opened the door to Reality TV and the internet. How can you honestly tell a young person it is more profitable to become a doctor, when being a Real Housewife puts you in a Mansion and you get to be a TV star.

We have people who are lawyers, doctors, and preachers trying to get a piece of the reality spotlight. And why wouldn’t they, when most reality stars are making anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 per episode?

I have worked in and around the music industry for 10 years and I can’t tell you how many “aspiring artists” I have met. Most of these artists did not create music for the love of music, but for the love of fame and money. The fact is that out of the hundreds of music artists I have worked around, only one has made a hit on the radio, and even he was a one hit wonder.  The statistics for the aspiring famers are slim to none.  Getting a shot at being famous as a music artist, or reality personality is like winning the lottery.

The media and television stations portray fame as something everyone can get a piece of.  The reality is that you will probably spend your entire life trying.  Most people who enter the world of fame do so with some type of friend or family connections.  Others have found a way to be the most viewed on the internet and thus are able to sit side by side the famous. Fame is something you can acquire without being skilled or educated, which we saw first hand with the rise of the Kardashians.   The example has been set for the future aspirations of our children.

What reality TV should be doing is showing the actual reality of what happens in the life of a “famous” person.  With more money and attention, the problems are enormous.  99% of the people around you are trying to grab a piece of your spotlight.  You can’t use a public bathroom without being followed by someone trying to destroy your image.   Remember that a celebrity’s spotlight may be extremely bright, but it only means that there is a very dark side that we don’t see.  When your child looks at you and says, I want to be famous when I grow up, what is your response going to be?