Last week I gave a concert workshop in Chicago to a wonderful group of people, most of whom I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time.  It’s always so fun to travel, meet new people, and get to share my music with them.  Big thanks to Craig Rothman for taking such beautiful photos!

Here are some photos of the participants working on the exercises:

    

Here are a few of me in action J :

Thanks so much to everyone who came to the show!  It was great meeting you and I look forward to keeping in touch.  Thanks also for the lovely feedback!  Here are what some of the participants had to say (all quotes shared with permission):

“This was very inspiring and uplifting!  I will now make daily efforts to live my life in accordance with its meaning.” –Zarko

"This was positive, helpful, serious but uplifting, unique.” – Jeremy

“It was nice to have the combination and break up of simple exercises with musical selections.  Your singing further helped bring clarity to my thoughts and written words.  I will take away the knowledge that no matter where I’m at in my life, it is always my duty to check in with myself and to remember that bringing in the creative process helps better know myself.  Thank you!”--Dena

“Tonight was confirming.  I will take away that I need to make more time for myself.”  --Anonymous

“This was peaceful, calm, comforting.  I will keep striving to let go of some stuff I don’t need in my life to live as is intended for me.” 
--Malii

“This was like having a concert in your own home combined with guided self-reflection.  It helped me to recenter my thoughts.  Sometimes your thoughts can be all up in the air and it is easy to get busy with “life”.  This helped me to remember what is most important for me.” –Corinne

“This was calming, introspective, refreshing.”  --Vijay

“Tonight was very practical and uplifting!  It helped with increased focus on priority goals and identifying concrete ways to pursue them.” –Ravi

“This was fun, inspiring, and insightful.  I now have more confidence and hope.” –Sarah

“This was grounding and enlightening.  I will take away from tonight the importance of living in today and being creative.” –Janise

“Tonight was relaxing and entertaining.  It gave me more focus on some life goals.”  --Marnie

Did you enjoy this post?  Subscribe to Laura's blog so that you won't miss a thing!  

Do you know someone who might benefit from reading this post? Just click the "Share This" button below to send a link by email or recommend this post on your favorite social site.

Several years ago when I started my coaching practice, I would sometimes be overwhelmed by a sense of fear of failure.  At those moments, I would confide in my husband about it and ask things like, “What if I fail?  What if I don’t do a good enough job?  What if I can’t find clients?”  To this, my husband would reply, “Laura, you’ve gotta be in to win.” 

To be perfectly honest, when he said that, it used to really annoy me.  I was all, “Teddy, I want you to help me calm my fears, give me reinforcement, not tell me some motivational line!”

But, over time, I realized the wisdom in what he was telling me.  He was being honest with me, not sugar-coating anything, just telling me the truth.  And he did that because he knew I could handle hearing it.  And that helped me have more confidence in myself. 

“You’ve gotta be in to win” is something I regularly tell myself now when I have to do something new that I’m nervous about.  What it means to me is that you have to reach out in order to learn and get results.  Sure, there will be times when things don’t work out as you’d hoped.  But, there will also be times when things work out better than you could have ever hoped.

When I feel afraid, I ask myself, “What’s the worst that could happen?”  And usually, the worst really wouldn’t be that bad.  And it would help me develop a thicker skin. 

Then I ask myself, “Would you rather just not take the next step and wonder about it for the rest of your life, or would you rather take the next step, regardless of the outcome, and feel good that you did it?”  If my answer is the latter, then it is worth taking that next step.

Every day, I arm myself with trust and courage as I make steps to bring my music and coaching into the world more.  And I know that you can do the same for what you are called to do in this life.

So, what is your next step?

What does, “You’ve gotta be in to win” mean to you?

When will you jump in?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

Did you enjoy this post?  Subscribe to Laura's blog so that you won't miss a thing!  

Do you know someone who might benefit from reading this post? Just click the "Share This" button below to send a link by email or recommend this post on your favorite social site.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the parallels in my music and my coaching work.  I love both because they each give me the opportunity to connect deeply with people and to help them have insights.

I find that some of the most powerful insights happen when we encounter emotions within us.  Music is a very powerful way to get in touch with this.  How many times have you heard a song and your eyes filled with tears?  Or you were filled with longing?  Or you felt happy?  Based on the emotions that come up for you while you are listening, you can have lots of insights about what is important to you and what you need to do in your life.  As a singer and a songwriter, there is nothing better than performing a song and having someone feel moved by it.

Similarly, in my work with my coaching clients, I find that it is often in the moments when emotions surface that clients have the most powerful insights.  Emotions may come in the form of sadness, anger, fear, happiness, or excitement, and when I notice an emotion I always like to go into it more deeply.  An emotion indicates energy and an “aliveness” that is very important. Emotions indicate that there is something to learn from and experience within ourselves, and we need to pay attention.

As I think and write about this, I feel grateful to be able to do work that evokes something as sacred as human emotions.  What an honor to be able to be a part of people’s internal processes, and to help people experience and learn from their lives in a profound way.  

My book and CD set have enabled me to combine my music and coaching work, and to help people do this even more.  I invite you to check it out if you haven't already!  It is a unique system that can give you tools  and insights to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

 

So, how do your emotions affect you?

How are you feeling these days?

What could those feelings be telling you to pay attention to?

Did you enjoy this post?  Subscribe to Laura's blog so that you won't miss a thing!  

Do you know someone who might benefit from reading this post? Just click the "Share This" button below to send a link by email or recommend this post on your favorite social site.

I’ve really been enjoying meeting many of you at my concert workshops. I’m happy to announce that on June 25th, I’ll be giving another concert workshop in Chicago!

If you live there, come on out, I’d love to see you! If you know people there who may be interested in attending, please let them know about it.  

Want me to come to your city?  Email me and we'll see if we can make it happen.

Below is a description of my concert workshops. I hope to see you soon!

Singer-songwriter and life coach, Laura Harley, offers concert workshops in celebration of her new book, “Inside The Song: Listen Your Way To A More Meaningful Life”.  In each concert workshop, Laura performs her latest songs, shares the stories behind the songs, and offers powerful questions and exercises for participants to explore their lives---all in an intimate, no-pressure setting.  Participants leave with new tools for personal growth and a clarified vision of their best and most meaningful life.  Admission is free! Laura's albums and new book will be available for purchase.

Laura's next concert workshop:

Thursday, June 25th at 7:30pm in Chicago

This workshop is designed to be intimate and meaningful, so it is being hosted in a private home and space is limited.  To reserve your space, just email Laura at contact[at]lauraharley.com, and we will send you all the info you need.  We hope to see you soon!

What participants are saying:

"I found your presentation inspiring, illuminating, promoting self-discovery with and within the artistry of your music.  I will take away a fresh perspective on how to regard "now" in my life and into the future of "becoming". -Elizabeth

"The evening was wonderful!  Loved your music and what a caring person you are!  I now have many insightful strategies to use in my life." - Ron

"I felt it helpful to hear the many comments made by the group.  I feel I will learn to listen to my heart...  This was a great way to spend an evening." - Michele

"Fantastic!  Your program was a great integration of your skills in music and coaching that brought out a lot of ideas, feelings, and discoveries in all of us." - Paula

"This was insightful, meaningful, deep.  I will take away the importance of looking toward the best in one's life and in the support of community.  Life is a beautiful journey--never stop growing!"  - Marci

"This was moving and uplifting.  It will give me more incentive to work on making changes in my life." - Candy

"Tonight made me feel like I'm back in the era of salons--live entertainment, meaningful discussion--not distracted by any media.  I've learned that I can do something to change my life." - Anonymous

"Very thought-provoking and insightful!  You have wonderful ideas to get people to think about personal growth.  I'm taking away many new ways to grow as a person, which will in turn help me reach all my life goals. " - Hannah

"Very thought-provoking!  You are delightful.  You are a wonderful coach and your music and style touch my heart." - Deb

"Thanks for reminding me to "remember" my purpose in life!  After tonight I've remembered my heart's desire." -Anonymous

"Tonight was very uplifting and empowering.  I now have more of a sense of belief in myself, and am going to follow my feelings and trust in them." - Andrea

"It was wonderful to take time out to think about myself and my needs.  I think every participant would agree.  Now I am going to think about these exercises when I listen to the CD and at times that are trying and stressful." - Kerri

"Tonight's workshop was very growth-producing.  I'm taking away more insight into my life." - Michael

"Tonight was very enjoyable and meaningful.  I have some powerful questions to meditate on and think about." - Kelly

"Awesome!  Almost every song you played gave me goosebumps and I thought I was going to cry.  I identified with your songs a lot.  I loved it!" - Zhakalazky

"Tonight was enlightening, warm, positive, cozy, rich, deep.  I'm going to take more time to think deeply and critically about issues in my life.  Now I have new methods to do so!" - Tessa

"Tonight was powerful with the use of music to get to a deeper level of self-awareness.  I have a renewal of vision and some tools to dig more deeply than I thought possible in a short time."  - Joanne

"This was interesting and helpful for me personally.  It was inspirational---both what came up within me and what I heard from others.  I'm going to take away the inspiration for creating space for myself." - Anonymous

"It was a unique experience to have time for thoughtful contemplation with a group of people. I am re-energized and re-focused." - Jill

Did you enjoy this post?  Subscribe to Laura's blog so that you won't miss a thing!  

Do you know someone who might benefit from reading this post? Just click the "Share This" button below to send a link by email or recommend this post on your favorite social site.

As you know from a recent post, I have been spending the last few days at a music conference.  I know some of you would like to attend conferences like this, and some of you may just be curious about it.  So, I wanted to share some of my experiences with you.  In my last post, I shared how I prepare for networking events/ conferences like this one.  And today, I'm going to share how things have been going at the conference.

Attending conferences like this, where I get to learn a lot and be with other artists, is always helpful and sometimes exhausting (but in a good way).  There is a lot of socializing and a lot of absorbing of new information and ideas.  I can't share here all the new things I've learned specifically, cuz, you know you need to go to the conference to learn all that , but I can tell you that I highly recommend attending events like this.

First of all, it is very inspiring to be with other people (artists of various backgrounds from all over the country) who are all trying to share their art with the world, make an impact, and do it in a sustainable way.  It is very helpful to share things we've all been learning and trying.  This gives everyone new ideas to try when they get home.  

Being with other artists also makes an emotional impact.  For example, when you feel discouraged or frustrated, you can think of the other artists you know and remember that we are all going through it.   And, because artists have to deal with societal messages about how being an artist isn't a legitimate profession, it is emotionally replenishing to be with other musicians and artists who are, indeed, very professional and making a difference in the world. 

I also think it is crucial for music artists to really learn about the business, because there is so much inaccurate information about how the entertainment industry works.  The music conference I'm helping with this weekend really aims to debunk and demystify a lot of that.  I recommend that artists do all they can to really educate themselves about how things work, and to learn by listening to others' experiences.  It helps to ask questions, try things out yourself and reflect on them, and remember to investigate things for yourself, rather than relying on what others tell you.

So, I have learned a lot and met some really wonderful people this weekend.   Plus, I got to share my book and music, and that always makes me feel happy and like I've spent time in a meaningful way.  And I have to tell you, it was really fun and meaningful for me to hear a mentor of mine talk about and recommend my book and music to the conference. Those little personal moments of victory are great, don't you think?  You gotta enjoy them and savor them a bit.  So, all in all, a very productive weekend!  Hope you had a good weekend, too.


Did you enjoy this post?  Subscribe to Laura's blog so that you won't miss a thing!  

Do you know someone who might benefit from reading this post? Just click the "Share This" button below to send a link by email or recommend this post on your favorite social site.

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm on my way to a music conference this weekend.  My plan is to take you with me and share my experiences here.  In this videoblog, I share some thoughts about how I prepare for and approach these kinds of events.  Check it out to learn 5 ways you can make your next social opportunity (whether it is a conference, networking group, or a party) a success!



Did you enjoy this post?  Subscribe to Laura's blog so that you won't miss a thing!  

Do you know someone who might benefit from reading this post? Just click the "Share This" button below to send a link by email or recommend this post on your favorite social site.

As you know, my work, both coaching and music, is all about helping people live meaningful lives.  I believe that a big part of living a meaningful life is doing things that make you step outside what you “know” and challenge you to have new perspectives.

This week I’ll be doing that by attending and helping with Tim Sweeney’s Music Strategies conference here in LA.  Tim Sweeney is a consultant for music artists (amongst many other impressive things).  He helps artists (and really people doing all kinds of work) to find ways to make a living doing what they love.  His ideas have been very helpful to me and to many other people.

This will be my second year at the conference, and I know I am in for a lot of wonderful learning.  Tim’s ideas challenge you to think about your work in a new way and to be creative about how you connect with people.  One of the best parts of the conference is the chance to meet music artists from all over the world.  Each person is devoted to their craft and each person wants to make a difference through their work.  It’s really inspiring to be around them and learn together.  I always end up gaining new perspectives.

I’m also really excited that Tim invited me to offer my book and CD set at the conference.  My book and CD, which blend my music and coaching into a system to help people, are an example of the “outside the box” thinking that Tim encourages. It is an honor to have Tim (a mentor of mine) see the value in them and want to share it with people. 

I know there are many people, including many readers of this blog, who would love to opportunity to go to the conference.  Since I have the chance to go, I’ll do my best to share some of my experiences here with you.  Nothing can substitute for being there in person, but through my experience, you can see what being there is like, and maybe you can start preparations to attend next year! 

OK, more soon…

Did you enjoy this post?  Subscribe to Laura's blog so that you won't miss a thing!  

Do you know someone who might benefit from reading this post? Just click the "Share This" button below to send a link by email or recommend this post on your favorite social site.

My husband, Teddy, is pretty fantastic. He’s also a pretty private person, so I hope this blog entry won’t embarrass him too much.  (Really, he’s very private.  I’ve written him love songs, pretty good ones in fact if I do say so myself, and he’s too shy to have me sing them in public!)

Anyway, one of the best things about marriage is that it teaches you so much.  As you learn more about each other and work to help each other grow emotionally and spiritually, there is no greater joy than to see your partner happy and thriving. And this year, Teddy has been thriving.  He has become a student of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and he’s thrown himself into it wholeheartedly.  He’s transformed himself physically and emotionally, even spiritually. 

Now, I never, ever thought I’d be married to a fighter or find myself watching tournaments.  In fact, I’ve always had a strong dislike of any kind of fighting.  And there is a lot of fighting that I still don’t like and think is unhealthy.  But, as I am learning, Teddy’s particular approach to jiu-jitsu (and that of his instructors) is full of respect, dignity, and grace.  He doesn’t do it to hurt others, and in fact has built strong friendships with his colleagues.

As I understand it, he loves practicing jiu-jitsu because it is very challenging and constantly leads him to grow.  It challenges his view of himself and his limits.  I think it has changed the way he feels about himself and the world.  He works so hard at it and watching him teaches me a lot about dedication and devotion.

He also really respects his co-students and teachers because they really cultivate a culture of respect for one another.  It is inspiring to be amongst people like that. 

And now, Teddy has gone and done another wonderful thing.  He has created a free event-listing site for the martial arts community.  You can check it out: www.crosschoke.com.   (Please share it with anyone you know who is interested in martial arts!)  Teddy created the site because he wanted to be of service to the community that he has so much respect for, and I think that is just awesome.

 

So, what are you devoted to in your life right now?

What in your life keeps you growing and learning?

Did you enjoy this post?  Subscribe to Laura's blog so that you won't miss a thing!  

Do you know someone who might benefit from reading this post? Just click the "Share This" button below to send a link by email or recommend this post on your favorite social site.

How much of a friend are you to yourself? 

Many of us run around all day doing things for others and we forget how to be kind to ourselves.  Sometimes we do this so much, that when we finally do get alone time, we aren’t sure what to do with ourselves.  We may try to make ourselves busy  with “to-do” list items that need to get done, or we may numb out in front of the TV.  There’s nothing wrong with any of this in moderation, but it’s important to spend *quality* time with ourselves.   Our relationship with ourselves can be harmed if we are always harsh or "all business" with ourselves.

Just as you would spend focused and fun time with your child or with friends to help build and nurture a relationship, we need to do this with ourselves.  It can make us happier, healthier, and better able to be generous with others.  

So, here are 5 fun things you can do to spend quality time with yourself.  Doing these things is fun and can help you get in touch with who you are. 

1. Have a daily dance party with yourself.  Put on your favorite music, and bust a move! (This may also include lip-synching or singing to your fave song.) 
2. Look yourself in the mirror and give yourself your best Joey Tribbiani-style, “How *you* doin’?”  (It helps to follow this with some winking and thumbs up/ finger guns at yourself.)
3. Get yourself a big piece of paper and some crayons and draw whatever you want. Be a kid again!
4. Skip around your house for 5 minutes.  Take it outside if you dare!
5. Take yourself to a movie.
   

I know you’ve got a whole bunch of great ideas of your own.  I’d love to hear!

Did you enjoy this post?  Subscribe to Laura's blog so that you won't miss a thing!  

Do you know someone who might benefit from reading this post? Just click the "Share This" button below to send a link by email or recommend this post on your favorite social site.

Last night I took an hour to do something I’ve been longing to do for a looooooong time: draw and sketch!  I’ve always loved creating visual art, but music always called to me the loudest, and so it has always gotten most of my attention. 

Lately the pull to work with pencils and pastels has been unbelievably strong.  Knowing that artists sometimes need to work in other mediums to work through some creative phases, I went out and got myself some art supplies.   Here they are in all their pretty-ness:

Of course, as often happens when we try to do something for ourselves, after getting the supplies, everything else in my life seemed to look more “urgent” or more “important” than drawing, and so it took me a while to carve out that hour.  But, then I realized that unless I make the time, it won’t happen, and that I need to listen to my creative cravings.

So, I took out the pencils and the pastels, looked for some inspiration in photographs (I was wanting to work with flowers), and got to work.  At first, the whole piece of paper I had seemed intimidating, so I cut it into 2 mini canvases.  Then I started on an intricate sketch of a water lily.  I can get totally lost in sketching----just looking at the curve and color of each petal and the way they cradle each other and cast shadows on each other.  Unbelievable beauty!  It's a little hard to see because it is a delicate sketch with light pencil lines, but here is what it looks like:

Then I felt like I wanted to do something messier, so I got out my pastels and did a more free form drawing of some tulips.  The perspective was looking up from beneath them towards the sky.  It felt so great to get in there with lots of colors, and get my hands dirty with blending colors on the page.  Here is what it looks like:

It was so freeing and fun!  I love being able to just relax into creating and seeing what will form next in front of me.  It is a way to focus on beauty and listen to my intuitions.  And do you know what drawing made me want to do?  Write songs!!  As I drew, the process reminded me of songwriting.   And as I thought about songwriting, I felt wistful and started missing it and wanting to write. 

Creativity is so interesting like that---it shows itself in so many ways, and can lead us from one project to the next.  The experience re-confirmed for me how important it is to listen to creative cravings so we can do what we are meant to do.

So…..what are your creative cravings?

And…..what are you going to do about them?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

 

Do you know someone who might benefit from reading this post? Just click the "Share This" button below to send a link by email or recommend this post on your favorite social site.