2017 Focus: myself

I hope that you ended the previous year surrounded by loved ones and started the new with a smile on your face as I did. Also I am grateful to be alive and well surrounded.

I am picking up where I left of on this beginning of 2017. It isn’t a new me that is writing this piece just the same woman striving to become a better version of herself every day. So instead of resolutions, I choose to make promises to myself. I briefly mentioned them in my last post. Here’s my list:

• Continue to show more empathy, compassion and be a true active listener. I mean by being a true active listener: paying more attention to non verbal language, to read between the lines; and to know when to give my peace or not. I need to know when to just show up to provide a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, a silly partner and so on.

• Pay the attention to the vibe. In conjunction with the first one, to know when to quietly retreat and focus on different things, people. It helps in dealing with change and in adapting to different situations.

• Discreetly and steadily work on my career plans and projects. I started listing my ideas but I need to make a detailed triennial plan for example.
• Put more efforts on my own grind: Many people told me that all the efforts that I put in supporting and pushing others, I should start putting on myself. Perhaps, there is something comforting behind the scenes but growth does not come out of comfort. So I shall be bolder in 2017. It’s about timing as well.

• Nurture my mind, body and soul: I have many great books pilling up on my desk and on my night table. Read more! Dance classes and solo runs are calling my name, as well as yoga and meditation sessions. My journals are either empty or filled with unfinished writings. My paint brushes and palettes are staring at me while I’m writing this post. Writing and painting were always my escapes of choice.
• Staying true to myself: No need to downsize my positivity, to shrink my caring bones to satisfy with others inability to leave bitterness, pettiness and sourness behind. I promise myself that I shall not respond to negativity by lowering my standards.  Michelle Obama brilliantly said «When they go low, we go high». I shall stay high by knowing when to take a deep breath (or knock into a punching bag loool) and ignore or to take a step back and show even more kindness and compassion.

• Be more tactful: I’m slowly and surely getting there. Many of you might not agree with me but I do feel that there’s a time to speak and another to let things go. Again, a question of timing.

 

• Stopped being influenced by others actions: yes, we live in society; yes we are not alone on Earth. I just feel that I need in conjunction with #6 &7,  to stop allowing actions make by others to drive me to do or say things that I’d never imagined doing or saying to other human beings.

• Dare to be and Iike Mlle Geri would say  » dare to wear »: embrace my specificity, my uniqueness inside out more and let it show in my actions and in what I wear.

• Bring my blog and personal branding to another level. In alignment with #4, 2017 I’m coming for you!

  

I hesitated between 10 promises and 12 (for each month) but I opted for 10. For starters, it is more realistic and manageable. In addition, I always do a midyear assessment of my goals and see what readjustments need to be made for my birthday and a final evaluation on the last month of the year.

So remember to follow your intuition, your dreams and to sprinkle love all around! Stay flawsome!

Marie-Christine Jeanty, January 2nd, 2017

A great inspirational blog to follow: Me Unfinished 

Great New Years resolutions for Montrealers by Toula Drimonis

 

2014: Transition year

The year 2014 is ending soon and like every year I’m taking the time to look back and most of I’m thankful for this other year filled with opportunities and great life lessons.

Inspired by our beloved Uncle Lou that left us at the end of 2013; I put my energy on getting the best grades possible on my final year as an undergrad. Bureaucracy being what it is, I will officially have my diploma in January but I have taken my last final as an undergrad this past July and I am so proud of myself for not giving up when things got tough.

I have started the new chapter of my career  that will be more clearly defined in 2015. I call the year 2014, a transition year as I focused more on my personal growth on various levels. In my interpersonal relationships with my friends and family, I have learned to communicate better my thoughts and needs.

Speaking of friendship, towards the end of the year, I have learned a lesson that I hope will be valuable also to the other parties involved: It is important to speak up sooner rather than later. If you wait too long, unconsciously a distance has been created between you and the other person; also when you finally speak up that person might resent you for taking too long to express your true feelings and perhaps feel like there was a lack of authenticity and honesty in your relationship and miss out on the great feedback you had to share in the first place.

In 2014,I have a few inner tendencies that I started putting under control as I can be overwhelming at times when I get excited about something or I have things I want to share with others.  I have  also learned the true meaning of forgiveness and how to truly let go of someone and something. For that I am truly thankful because it takes away so much power from that person and i feel so much lighter in so many ways, The emotional burden isn’t there anymore. I still have some mental space to clear up but my heart is definitely ready. We will find out in 2015, if deeper connections will be developed.

2014 up until now has confirmed something that my parents taught (my sisters and I) us from an early age that happiness is found in the simplest of moments spent with the people who matter the most. I find that sadly some people make an art out of complicating things. They take away the fun and spontaneity out of simple gestures.

So go out there be spontaneous, take a leap of faith. Give something new a try, make a random act of kindness Say yes to yourself more often. Live  your life on your own terms and cherish the moments you spent with people who appreciate and love you unconditionally. Make the difference between genuine interest in your personal growth and words from a bitter heart.

sincerely yours,

Marika dec 31 st 2014

p.s : I promise an update on my weight loss journey in the early days of 2015!

September is gone like dirt off my shoulders!

 

In order to move up to bigger and better things on must, I insist must learn to let go. It is a painful process for many (like me) but it is necessary.

Nothing good is accomplished by holding on to broken dreams, to hope for a different ending to a chapter that ended lifetimes ago. Move on, open your heart, open your senses to everything that life has in store for you.

So after months of stalling, over thinking, overplanning and I confess revisiting the past; I’m not sure how it happen exactly but one morning I woke up and decided to clean up my life some more!

I’m lying, i know exactly what happened; after trying to delay the inevitable (by all types of tactics) one conversation sparked so much anger and negativity into me that I decided that I could not live like this anymore. I  started off one particular chapter of my romantic life’s history book and transformed itself into a way to channel all my anger from various chapters of that same book. The piece took a life of its own and I felt liberated and my shoulders lighter, much lighter.

So the morning after I took my laptop and cellphone and started unfriending and deleting folks away… Also I have been distancing myself from others. I can breathe so much better now.  At soe point in your life, you have to face the fact that not everyone you thought was a friend or a supportive acquaintance is what they claim to be. Bitter people try to bring you down with them in their misery; it is up to you to allow it to continue or to shut the door in their faces.

There’s only so much you can do about what has already been done.  Those are the things I think you can and should do (in my humble opinion and speaking from experience) : clean up your entourage, virtually and physically; stop blaming yourself and make a list of things you learned from this experience; forgive those people and if you believe in God like me pray for them (if not just hope they find a way out of their struggles) because usually people who hurt others are struggling.

Last but not least on the list: nurture yourself and your fabulousness (yeah made up a word) both inner and outer body need nurturing and TLC  : body, mind and soul agreement!!

So while you are gearing up for fall and eventually winter; get rid of old baggage.

That is why I did in September, dirt off my shoulders pouff!

Marie-Christine Jeanty

 

Quelques suggestions de concerts gratuits au Festival de Jazz de Montréal!!

je poursuit sur la même lancée qu’hier mais cette fois-ci avec des concerts gratuits!! Il y en a des centaines mais voici mes suggestions

• Bharath and his Rhythm Four, pour les amateurs de blues, le jeudi 28 juin à 17 et 19 sur la Scène Lounge Heineken située à l’Angle  de Sainte-Catherine et de Bleury.
• Marie-Christine, pour les amateurs de soul, rnb et de jazz, une montréalaise d’origine haïtienne, le jeudi 28 juin à 20h sur la scène  Tinto Alcan située à l’angle de  Sainte-Catherine et Jeanne-Mance

Bien sûr le jeudi 28 juin c’est le soir du grand concert d’ouverture avec Rufus Wainwright à 21h30 sur la grande scène TD de la Place des Fesiivals, angle de Maisonneuve et Jeanne-Mance.

• Les soirées jazz couche-tard au Balmoral (305 Ste-Catherine O) seront animées du jeudi 28  au samedi 30 juin à 22h et 23h59 par  le Lou Boustani Trio
• Corey Harris & The Rasta Blues Experience,  pour le reggae-bluesman,  vendredi 29 juin à 21h et 23h sur la  Scène Loto-Québec, le Grand parterre, angle De Montigny et Clark
• Jamiah On Fire & The Red Machine, de très jeunes artistes du blues qui épatent, ils sont âgées de 17, 13 et 11 ans!! le samedi 30 juin et le dimanche 1er juiller à 19h sur la Scène Loto-Québec.Grand parterre, angle De Montigny et Clark
• Maria Farinha Band, amateur de bossa nova et de jazz, cette chanteuse Brésilienne directement de Sao Paolo, samedi 30 juin à 20h et 22h sur la Scène Rio Tinto Alcan,Angle Sainte-Catherine et Jeanne-Mance
• Nina Attal, une blueswoman âgée de 20 ans, le dimanche 1er juillet, à 21h et 23h, sur la Scène TD de la place des Festivals, Angle Maisonneuve et Jeanne-Mance
• Wesli, ce montréalais d’origine haïtienne, pour les amateurs de reggae, le mardi 3 juillet à 20h. sur la Scène Bell,Angle Clark et Sainte-Catherine

• Pour vous mettre dans l’ambiance avant d’aller danser dans un club, Boogat qui mixe le genres hip-hop, rap, musique du monde, dancehall et autres
• Souad Massi, une algérienne qui mixe sonorités maghrébines et flamenco, le mercredi 4 juillet à 21h et 23h sur la Scène TD de la place des Festivals, Angle Maisonneuve et Jeanne-Mance
• 3 soirs d’affilée et3 concerts très différents chaque soir pour finir la soirée en beauté avec du hip hop. du soul, du jazz, du slam, du spoken-word, du rnb et surtout de l’énergie, Kalmunity du jeudi 5 juillet au samedi 7 juillet à 23h59 au Savoy du Métropolis : 59, rue Sainte-Catherine Est
• Pour les amateurs de jazz plus traditionnel, Tyler Yarema : vendredi 6 juillet à 22h sur la Scène Rio Tinto Alcan, Angle Sainte-Catherine et Jeanne-Mance

L’événement de clôture le 7 juillet à 21h30 avec Chromeo sur la Scène TD de la place des Festivals.Angle Maisonneuve et Jeanne-Mance

Comme je vous le disait il y en a tellement, pour avoir la programmation complète http://www.montrealjazzfest.com

Bon festival!!