#for clarity I’m not actually complaining here. I don’t know how the changes are implemented yet so I want to withhold judgement

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

This may sound strange coming from me, ardent Chuuya analyst and fan, but I’m uh… not 100% sure how I feel about the changes to the new cannibalism stage play… I’m happy he’s getting some more main story focus but idk. Idk. However, I want to wait and see what happens with the stage play before I’m too critical, because I know how much love and effort get put into these productions - they’re always absolutely wonderful and I am excited to see the hard work of the backstage crew and cast.

[sinsiriuslyemo]

Dearest Readers,

I know I’ve been absent during this quarantine and for that I’m sorry. It’s been pretty crazy to have to do distance learning with my six-year-old, but we’re getting by. I’ll be honest, I almost messaged the amazing @thefanficfaerie​ to tell her that I wouldn’t be able to do this, but the more I realized that I hadn’t created in what seemed like forever and thought about how much I missed interacting with you guys on here, the more I wanted to complete this challenge.

So I did what I always do, I sat down with three loose-leaf sheets and played “Penny and Me” by Hanson on a loop until this came out. I didn’t intend to be so on the nose with this one nor did I intend to use our current situation with covid19 in the fic, but here we are. Thank you so so much to @thefanficfaerie​ for creating this challenge! Also, thank you so much to @italiandoll1129​ for betaing this little diddy. I hope you guys enjoy this little imagine and I hope you’re all doing well and staying safe <3

Sinceriously,

Amanda

Your life up to the point when the world stopped had largely been made up of acoustics and half note runs. Countless moments captured in a simple bar, a single verse, a reprised chorus. Music was your lifeblood, the ticking of the muscle that resided deep in your chest and then--just a few short weeks ago--silence. The world stopped turning, life as you knew it upended, and the music in your soul faded without refrain. It seemed survival had been triggered when the governor implemented a stay-at-home order and music became little more than a distant memory of better days.

   Rafael had been more than annoyed at the disruption of his carefully crafted schedule, but had it not been for his steadfast reasoning and patience you surely would have sunk deep into the dark, bottomless pit of despair and hopelessness. Your loving, quick-witted ADA was the brain that steadied the storm in your heart. Had it not been for him you surely would have crumbled into a useless mess by day two of quarantine. Not that you weren’t on the edge every second of the day, but at least you were sure that if you did fall apart, Rafael would be there to put you back together again.

   You sat on the bumped out window seat in the corner of the living room, pillow in your lap, sipping your mug of home-brewed coffee, staring at the lifeless street below. New York City had never been so quiet, but now all of its residents waited with bated breath for the virus that had halted all to pass. Even the criminal world seemed to be practicing social distancing, though an uptick in domestic violence was certainly keeping Rafael busy. For the creatives of the world, however, the coronavirus seemed to slowly poison the well of inspiration, leaving little else aside from disconnection and isolation despite the countless public figures proclaiming “alone, together.” Or whatever they were saying.

   “Mi amor?” You heard Rafael’s voice from down the hall and let your forehead gently touch the cold, glass surface of the window as your eyes closed. “Y/N, we should go to the store today and pick up a few things, what do you think?”

   You inhaled through your nose and turned your head to look back at him, offering a weak smile. “Yeah, maybe they’ll have toilet paper this time.” How had toilet paper become more valuable than the dollar bill seemingly overnight?

   Closing the distance between the two of you, your boyfriend brought the back of his fingers to your cheek, corner of his lips quirking upward. His touch had always been enough to calm the emotional tornado that stress brewed inside you. Especially lately, you had become acutely aware of his ability to make you believe that everything would be alright.

   “This is all temporary,” he would say. It never took very much convincing on his part as long as his skin was making contact with yours.

   “We still have plenty for at least a week or two,” he said as he moved to sit on the other side of the window seat, facing you.

   Pursing your lips, you nodded. “Still, it wouldn’t hurt to have some extra on hand, just in case.” You tried to leave it at that instead of allowing a worst-case-scenario to form in your mind. The governor’s instructions had been clear: stay home, wash your hands, social distance until the curve flattened, remain calm. Despite your own paranoia, the world was not actually on fire...or if it was at least it wouldn’t be forever, and in truth as long as you had Rafael by your side, all would be well. Though it was times like this that made you wish you believed in God. There were moments when you envied Rafael in that sense; most of all now, when a magical sky-daddy would be a welcomed reprieve from the ever-rising death toll and unemployment rates.

   “Honey, we have to stay calm and not panic-buy, okay?” Rafael said, reaching for your hand. “You should try to keep yourself busy. You know how your anxiety gets when you sit still for too long without something to focus on.”

   “I know, I just…” You ran a hand through your hair and grimaced when you realized you hadn’t showered the day before. “I can’t slow my brain enough to create anything coherent.”

   “So create something incoherent,” he suggested with a bob of his shoulders. “Or, instead of writing music, why don’t you just play some songs you enjoy or learn to play one?” You could sense your lips trying to form a smile as your thumb stroked over the skin between his knuckles. “I just know how important music is in your life. It always makes you feel better.”

   “That’s not a bad idea, actually,” you said in a whisper as your eyes fell to your joined hands. “Maybe I could go live on Instagram,” you added carefully. “I’ve seen a lot of people talking about how scared they are, too.”

   He narrowed his eyes. “I thought we agreed you should stay off social media for now.”

   In the beginning of your self-isolation, you spent nearly every waking minute refreshing your Twitter and Instagram feeds, which in turn, had served only to fuel your anxiety and almost caused a panic attack. The logical thing was to avoid social media; the daily press conferences and videos from Philip DeFranco were more than enough to keep you updated on the situation without causing you to cry yourself to sleep because Dr-Random-Twitter-Handle had posted about his hospital’s desperate need for PPE, and how a portion of his staff had become sick, which would convince you that this was in fact the end of the world and there was literally nothing that could be done to stop it.

   So yeah, no social media had been the plan.

   However, your desire to share music had been a part of you since you could remember, and especially at a time like this, music could be the very thing to soothe people’s fears, even if only a little bit.

   “I know but I can’t help but wonder whether playing where other people can hear would help in some small way,” you said. 

    Rafael lowered his eyes as if in thought, nodding once. “What if you opened the window so the neighbors could hear?” His gaze came back to meet yours. “It’s been pretty quiet the last few weeks.”

   It had been quiet in the neighborhood since all the bars and clubs shut down, including Penny and Me’s, the bar just downstairs that normally featured live music, which would fill the entire neighborhood and carry over to the next block. You smiled at your boyfriend.

   “You don’t think people might get annoyed?”

   “No,” he answered. “I think people are reaching for as many positive things as they can get. And some music, especially when the neighborhood has been so eerily quiet, might be just the thing that makes them feel normal again. Even if it’s only for a moment.”

   You eyed your guitar in the far corner of the living room, leaning against the bookcase that held countless escapes into other worlds. Normally when reality came to be too much, a mix of other worlds and strums on your guitar would be enough to keep you from losing it completely. But right then, when the world as you knew it was forever changed, you couldn’t justify leaving it, even to save your sanity.

   “And,” Rafael added. “If anyone complains, they’ll have me to deal with.”

   You snorted, standing and opening the window before you went to pick up your guitar. Sitting back on the window seat, you took your time tuning it while your eyes periodically wandered, looking for an idea of what song to play. From the corner of your eye, you saw Rafael take out his phone, tap his screen a few times before he held it up. You knitted your brows at him; wasn’t he just trying to talk you out of going live?

   “I just realized your family might want to hear you play,” he said as though he’d been inside your head. “What are you gonna play, corazon?”

   “I don’t know.” Your gaze fell on the unlit, cursive lettering on the building across the street and the familiar chalkboard by the door that now read, “Stay home. Stay safe.”

   With a gentle smile, you began to strum an intro of chords, the beginning of a song that was written strictly as a love letter to music, highlighting the importance of a song in our hearts and how a simple, familiar melody could remind us of our favorite moments in our lives. Music, without which the world would be a much darker place, the one thing that in an instant could heal a hole in your heart, the thing that often formed fond memories of nights up late by the fireplace. Music that could speak for you with such clarity if you had trouble forming words.

   “That’s not obvious at all,” Rafael mumbled after hearing you sing the first chorus.

   “Hush, you,” you replied quickly, not missing a single strum. “Cause Penny and Me like to roll the windows down…”

   As you sang through the full chorus, a second voice joined in from below. Rafael carefully stepped closer to the window, mindful to keep his phone pointed in your direction as he leaned to stick his head out the open square.

   “Lawrence?” you heard him call out between lyrics.

   “Hey Rafael!” the voice replied. “And Penny and Me like to gaze at starry skies…”

   Your ADA chuckled under his breath when a third voice sounded from further down the building, and a fourth from above. By the time you reached the bridge, it was as though half the block joined in. Your focus was on keeping time with your strums against the strings, but your skin had prickled into goosebumps at the sound of your neighbors singing along with you. 

   For the first time since you’d been stuck inside, it actually felt like despite the fact that you were all self-isolating, none of you were alone. In that moment, the entire block of 82nd street was one, singing through their pain and loneliness, belting their affections for each other simply by joining you in a cover of an early 2000s tune by one of the original popstars of the 90s. Through the final chorus you could hear the longing, the desire to be together truly once again, going to Penny and Me’s for a drink after a long week and weaving in and out of clusters of people on the sidewalk to get home after it got late. It reminded you that New Yorkers were fighters, that you had all seen worse than this pandemic and that one day soon you would be reminiscing about where you were during the 2020 pandemic that had paused the world and forced people to appreciate each other just a little bit more. The time when music, as always, kept you connected while you distanced.

   “Do you think this is going to go viral?” Rafael asked no one in particular after you’d played the final chord of the song. 

   “I don’t think so, it’s a fairly obscure song,” you answered with a grin as you leaned back against the window sill, allowing the breeze to blow strands of hair against your face. 

   “Still,” Rafael mumbled as he tagged your parents in the post and, at your request, tagged the song and the virus for easy reference if you needed a pick-me-up later in the night. “Okay, I’m gonna head out to the store. Did you wanna come?”

   “I think I’m gonna stay here,” you answered, rolling your head to one side until your eyes met his. “I should clean the bathroom...and myself. Then afterward, I might try to work on some more music.”

   The smirk you knew all too well flashed in your direction as he closed the space between you to kiss your forehead. “Maybe without the window being open. The neighbors didn’t mind a song they knew, but the last thing we’d want is to disrupt their marathon of Tiger King.”

   “Speaking of which, they added an episode,” you said.

   “They did?”

   “Yep, Carol Baskins isn’t in it though, from what I’ve heard,” you said.

   “Fucking Carol Baskins. Okay, I’ll be back in an hour, tops,” he said, going to the door and putting on his coat. “When I get back, I think we should make dinner and watch that episode.”

   “And after that?”

   He bobbed his shoulders. “You’ve been trying to get me to watch Lost for years. Maybe now is when you do.”

   “I don’t know if I wanna watch a show about a plane that disappears to an island no one knows about. We’ll see what my paranoia level is by the time we finish the last Tiger King episode.”

   “Well, you know I’ve been dying for you to watch Catch-22,” he replied with a smirk.

   You paused a moment, grimacing at the thought of the show adaptation of a Joseph Heller novel that you hadn’t very much enjoyed in the first place. “Lost it is.”

[ad-cn]

^This link goes to the tweet thread by @lystrialle that describes in more detail about the news.

The tweets are transcribed below. It’s a long thread.

lystrialle:

All right, here's a long incoming thread from your girl here about what "Miku no longer being a Vocaloid" means for the benefit of those not as deeply in the circuit, and why that's actually not as terrifying or world-ending as it sounds (bear with me)

So as much as "Hatsune Miku" has been considered synonymous with "Vocaloid" for a long time now, that wasn't actually the case from a technical standpoint. Miku and co. are licensed VBs from Crypton that worked off the Vocaloid engine from Yamaha.

This is basically akin to how a lot of virtual instruments run on the Kontakt sampler, or how games run on different consoles. These analogies are gonna get real important in a bit, so hang tight.

Unfortunately, Crypton having to be dependent on Yamaha's engine for their products meant they were subject to a lot of very strict limitations Yamaha was imposing on any company licensing from them. Most infamously, Yamaha doesn't actually allow VB devs to roll out patches for any VBs they release -- "updates" have to be separate products.

At one point in 2008 Crypton infamously had to get around their dissatisfaction with the newly released Rin and Len by literally mailing a copy of a disc with a new version of the DBs (act2), legally registered as a "new product" offered for free to those with the old version. 

This means that Crypton (and all other companies) were basically very limited in how they could push out updates, when they could do so, and in what way they could configure their DBs. 

Most significantly, ever since V3, the Vocaloid editor now has its own price tag on it.

It's been getting more and more difficult to get in as a beginner, and that's been a severe point of concern for the community as of late. V5 has a price tag in the literal hundreds and has hefty CPU requirements, and is out of reach for a lot of beginners... and so that means if Crypton wanted to update any of their DBs, they would be obligated to release it as a V5 release, which would mean *removing* compatibility with older versions and basically trapping it to be linked to the most expensive editor iteration to date.

Here's a bit of a history diversion: when Crypton's first V3 came out (KAITO V3, February 2013), it came bundled with a little thing called "Piapro Studio", which at the time was basically just a reskinned Vocaloid engine. But it was notable because it meant prospective new buyers of KAITO V3 (and future Crypton relases) weren't technically bound to buying Yamaha's editor for the product to be usable.

More notably, Crypton thereafter stopped using the word "Vocaloid" to describe Miku and co., instead terming them "Piapro Characters". For those of you DIVA players: have you ever noticed how they very much have always been dodging the word "Vocaloid" in places it wasn't already grandfathered in?

Yeah, this has probably been incoming for a very long time ago. 

Two years ago, in April 2017, Twindrill (the entity managing UTAU Kasane Teto) sent some Teto samples to Crypton just to hear how it sounded in Vocaloid. When wat (an engineer at Crypton) played around with it, he promptly complained that Teto lost all of her identity in the Vocaloid editor, and shortly after suddenly had a huge burst of inspiration for development of technology that might significantly enhance all their vocal banks.

Yesterday, at the same press conference that announced all this, he showed off what seems to be the result of this. The press conference described technology that would be uniformly applied to all six of their vocals and enhance their expressive capabilities and clarity, and a bunch of vocal processing helper tools... all of which would be impossible to implement in Yamaha's Vocaloid.

The point eventually made was that the reason for the split was simply that Crypton's goals and more ambitious plans for their products simply wouldn't be doable within the constraints of Vocaloid and V5. They plan to continue working with Yamaha and the community, of course. 

In effect the analogy is best described as a Kontakt instrument deciding to take itself off Kontakt and run off its own sampler, or Monster Hunter not being on Sony consoles anymore. The substance will continue to exist, even if the platform is different.

So what does this mean for all of us? For the users, this is a Very Big Deal, because the assumption that anything would be obligated to Yamaha is now broken and Crypton is now capable of whipping out a lot of things they never were able to before. It'll probably be cheaper, which is important for beginners, and the user will have more options to choose from. People who want to use Miku, or Rin or Len, or whoever will still be able to get them, and they'll still be in active development. 

People who want to use the others in the Vocaloid editor will still be able to (in fact, I still don't have that much issue with personally using V5). Moreover, the fact Miku is probably the only thing with more name value than the word Vocaloid means that there's now precedent for competition and for other companies to consider ways going forward that don't necessarily have to involve Yamaha's monopoly in it.

For the listeners, what'll change is... probably not that much, to be honest.

Of course a new engine probably means it'll sound a bit different, and hopefully better. And Crypton fans at least will have to get used to eschewing expectations of updates coming around only with new iterations, new designs coming out at X time, or whatever. But it's unlikely this change will have a huge impact on how producers do things, and so, Miku will still be Miku, the others will still be the others.

And finally, what this means for the community: well, currently we're having a crisis on what to call ourselves after having called ourselves the "Vocaloid" community for so long 😅

But while this is certainly the most drastic incident on face value, there have already been different engines in this community for years now. I started off as an UTAU user. CeVIO is getting bigger, and 1st PLACE is dabbling in it. SynthV just came out and is up and coming. GYARI is making headlines with Voiceroid songs. We're still one community.

Because yeah, in the end... people are still probably going to do what they're gonna do. Miku is still Miku. Vocaloid is still Vocaloid. People are still gonna create, the end result will be similar, it's just the methodology that's changing.

In fact, most of the fellow users I know are very excited about this because it opens up a ton of possibilities. I personally am very, *very* interested in how this is gonna go (especially if I end up saving money in the end!).

Moreover, the new technologies showed off at the press conference were very exciting, and Crypton's also demoing a new music search service that inherits Piapro and KarenT's philosophy of being open towards competitor software. They're *very* aware that the community operates best when they're able to mix and match and choose what products suit them best, and that trying to stop that would be shooting themselves in the foot. 

So while I do of course still have some degree of uncertainty, I'm sure we're gonna be fine. 

So, yes! It sounds crazy and it sounds like a blow to our sentimental value of the reality we know being turned on our heads! But as someone who's been here for near exactly ten years, I honestly welcome this development as something that could take our community further.

So I hope that clears it up for anyone potentially confused. Thank you for bearing with this 😊

[pastel-aisyah]

Headlights

Crinkles around her eyes, a full smile etched across her face. Random twirls of hair flying up and down with every move she made as she desperately tried to follow the tune of the song. She might as well film a whole music video right then, if I’m being honest.

“Catch me, I'm the one on the run away from the headlights,” said the song.

She’s happy and there’s no particular reason behind it. She’s just is.

Well, or at least, that’s how I viewed myself just now if I was a novel character. Exactly a few minutes before I decided to sit down and type this out. Probably, I shouldn’t have jumped around that much because now, I’m sweating.

So where was I, ah yes, writing down the habits that I've aimed to implement, with hope that it would somehow help me to raise my vibrations, or at least, improve my mood by a bit. Lo and behold, a year had passed and reading back my old journals, it made me realise how much growth I’ve went through. Also, how much of growth that I have yet to achieve. I love how my values are finally aligning with my vision. It’s not just the mere words of a younger me. So what was my aim for 2020? Well,….

1. Go out for a jog often.

                I genuinely just started doing this find a good reason to procrastinate. It wasn’t really for the health benefit or something. But soon, I actually started feeling the difference in myself as I started making it more of a routine, rather that something that’s a surprise, if that makes sense. Jogging or running, it gives me clarity. Just by being outside, feeling the sunshine on my skin, I love how replenished it makes me feel. Even the rain and the blowing wind felt very therapeutic.

2. Learn a new language.

                Ooof, this, hahaha. I can’t believe I actually signed up for Mandarin class but we have yet to see how that one will go. It is something that I’ve been meaning to do for a long time yet, I keep postponing it, thinking that my time should ONLY be allocated for studies. Whoops, I guess putting my own interest and hobbies first is much more fun.

3. Complain less.

                I love how Jay Shetty mentioned in his book that negativity is a loop that we continuously pass on to people except if we consciously make the decision to change it. For every bad thing that happened, list 10 more great things about that particular situation. Soon, we’ll realise how much abundance life actually has to offer.

4. Practice more gratitude.

                I don’t really know if I’m doing this right but I try to acknowledge all the good things that’s within my reach. Let it be as simple as acknowledging the sweetness of a singer’s song to the beauty of nature. Often, we miss out on a lot of beautiful stuff as our mind is too caught up with what we don’t have, completely nullifying the joy that we’re already blessed with.  

5. Work more on my social skills.

                This is untimely random. I’m not really sure why I put this here specifically. But, I do notice that the more I talk to people, the more I learn about the world and also, about myself. It also gives me a guideline, or should I say, a live practical video, on how I want my identity to be written as. Let’s just say that I keep finding people that pushes me to become a better person and they just keep raising the bar higher and higher but in a way that’s good for me (challenging). Also, generally, I just love talking a lot.  

6. Meditate at least thrice a week.

                I wouldn’t say that I’ve succeeded in doing this, especially since I’ve been back in collage. But it was through meditation that I’ve realised more and more about my ego-self and actually learnt how to put in the effort to work on it. Also, yes, the world doesn’t revolve around me, I need that as a reminder, haha.

7. Take better care of myself.

                Lastly, this. But, I won’t elaborate on this as this is still something I’m working on.

xy :)

09.11.20

[kateemmerson]

Dear Realtors - 10 ways home owners mess with the sale (and your mojo).

Realtors – Understand 10 ways your sellers unconsciously sabotage the speedy SALE of their home (plus mess with your income & reputation)

  92% of people are guilty of number 1, but NO-ONE talks about it and I am here to change that!

Dear Realtors – you have my deepest sympathy!

Selling all your client’s homes -Yuck or Yah? Or a bit of both? Everyone knows that selling a home elicits dread, anxiety and heightened stress for the seller and the buyer. But what about you and your pivotal role?  Don’t your client’s drive you nuts sometimes, or the current market place and trends that seem top make everything that much tougher for you to get the deals through?

If you are taking the time to read this, then I understand and respect that….

You have been in the business for a long time

Are brilliant at what you do

Always super duper professional

Engaging, generous with your time and go the extra mile

Passionate about people, families and homes

Have a great eye for what works and doesn’t……

… and yet still you feel like you are wading through sludgy mud. You are fast having to adjust to ever-changing market trends and the fact that more and more sellers believe they can handle the transactions on their own (yeah right!).

Everyone is trying to undercut your commission and you probably aren’t having as much fun in this industry anymore? You even think about getting out and doing something less “uphill” or stressful pretty soon. But, you also just LOVE this industry and it runs in your blood. And ….sometimes your blood boils when your sellers just won’t listen darn it, refuse to heed your advice or uphold their end of the bargain to get ready for show day or viewings of their property. Aaargh!!!

There is only so much responsibility you can take – the rest is up to them, isn’t it? On top of the painful sales and lodging of documents process, you also know all the other stressful stuff your clients dread in anticipation – which often means you are not their favorite person in the transaction.

It’s easy for them to mutter about when you want to view the house, or canceling viewings at the last minute when their child is sick, or another emergency arises. Or they complain about your commission, the photos aren’t right or you aren’t bringing enough people through to view. It’s always YOUR fault isn’t it?

So how do you find a way to approach this all with a new edge?

To stand out in the sea of sameness in the industry?

To be the REALTOR to offer something totally different with a uniquely compassionate angle?

A way for you to honestly help your clients help themselves and get on board? (P.S. HOME-OWNERS – If you are a homeowner about to sell and reading this, then you would be better off reading THIS ARTICLE WRITTEN JUST FOR YOU)

For them to ultimately get what they want with more ease and grace?

To enjoy a smoother viewing process, offers to purchase and ultimately the speedier sale of their home?

To offer them a way to handle and process all the stress of the sale and move in their hearts and lives?

A way for you all to feel invigorated about the process of selling and moving again?

I’m Kate Emmerson, the Quick Shift Deva, and I am hell-bent on supporting realtors and home sellers in today’s stressful times. Helping realtors to shift your vooma back into showcasing and selling homes and doing what you love, and letting me help you handle your clients and their hearts, minds and homes.

To help you offer your clients a unique way that has never been spoken about until now – one in which they willingly step up and take more responsibility for getting 100% ready to sell.

That’s my forte- speaking directly through you, to your seller. Coaching, cajoling, nudging and providing practical solutions to shift the sale of their home with grace, speed and ease. Helping them process the angst, stress, to de-clutter, pre- pack, handle inevitable show days/viewings, and ultimately being fully ready to make this move.

So whether your sellers are moving because it’s aspirational and they really want to, or because they somehow feel forced to, they still have a way of embracing the process. To feel way less stressed, more in control, at peace and actually excited about uprooting life, heart and home when selling this time around. To be able to embrace this dreaded process with a lightness of expectation of what’s unfolding.

This is such a potentially powerful and pivotal time in their lives– one that is usually their worst nightmare that fills them with angst and stress. Yet, it can be done with grace, ease and speed through the transition.

Can you imagine shifting the status quo and being able to say how much you LOVE dealing with your clients again?

How you feel more connected to them yet not taken for granted?

How you have discovered a way to make the selling process effortless and life-changing for them?

As an expert in letting go and moving on, I’ve spent 16 years researching home-owners and working in their homes, understanding what keeps them deeply stuck at the internal, psychological level. Holding on for dear life, not budging on ideas or price. When your client feels truly ready to move on, from the inside out, that particular home will sell with lightning speed. And I promise you that my process is down to earth, practical and simple to implement. Clients refer to my style as compassion with a kick!

You know you want me on your team!

I challenge you to have an open mind as you keep reading…

For most home sellers, the notion of getting their home ready to firstly invite you, the realtor, and then let total strangers trudge unceremoniously through their space, opening all the cupboards (oh yes, you know this is true!), deciding if this space suits their taste and budget can elicit feelings of terror and panic, even in the most resilient of folk. There’s always a heady mixture of emotions contemplating selling a home, aren’t there? It’s debilitating and overwhelming. Life is already busy and stressful enough, and this is just a huge added burden on their plate and they hold you responsible for it going smoothly. After all, what are they paying you for?

All sorts of things come into play for them.

How will they pack up everything?

Do they even want to use you, as their realtor if they don’t “have” to?

Are they making the right decision and do they have clarity about what they want?

Who do they trust to move their worldly possessions?

Will doggie Rufus adjust to the new house?

Will grandpa be ok in the new home?

How will they ever get their home show-day ready with all their current obligations?

Gasp – what about that hideous overflowing garage and shed they never got around to clearing out. It’s downright embarrassing and now they are thinking of having you walk through their space!

Will they ever find a beautiful new space that feels like home again?

Will their worldly possessions ever fit into that new space?

While it’s true they have to dig deep to face the above, and most people hate it, what if there is something far more critical that is the real sabotage to them selling their home? It all starts with what’s going on inside, and you can be the one to introduce them to this novel idea.

If you are reading this article and wondering how your clients might be sabotaging the sale of their home, chances are they are in one of a few places right now!

Where do you find your CLIENTS fit right now?

A. Life is changing rapidly, and they are just contemplating selling their home. This would be a very exciting and aspirational move to upsize, downsize or life-size. But right now they might be unsure which route to take along with a mixture of dread and excitement. You might not even be on their radar yet!

B. They are unfortunately being ‘forced to sell’ their home (perhaps due to economic, death, health, divorce or relocating), and are both resisting and dreading everything about life right now it. It’s all too much to handle, it really shouldn’t be happening, they are in shock, and now they have to wrench themselves from their safe safe nest. It couldn’t get any worse. They might view all realtors as another vulture trying to take advantage of them….. or you could be really clever and position yourself as someone who truly understands and can support this awful time in their lives!

C. Their home is just not selling and has spent way too many DOM’s (Days on Market), but they really need this property to sell fast. Enough already! There have just been far too many people trudging through the doors, they are sick ‘n tired of you and no real offers to purchase are materializing. They are losing hope of ever selling, blame you as their realtor, feel frustrated, trapped, and can’t move forward. Horrible all round!

My guess is that you are a Realtor wanting to up your professional game and find unique ways to support your clients to sell faster and with more ease. You are interested in unique ways to help you do your job better – you’re brilliant at what you do, but know something is missing that’s outside your scope of expertise.

You’re confused why a perfect property is somehow not shifting on the market, or you know your client needs help to get a grip on making peace with their life, moving on and handling emotional and physical clutter. You are exhausted from everything being an uphill battle with your sellers and need a business boost.

  Here are Kate’s 10 ways your clients are unconsciously self-sabotaging the speedy SALE of their home!

  PART 1: LOOSEN THE EMOTIONAL GRIP

SAY ‘GOODBYE’ EARLY ON In my experience, over 92% of sellers fall into this trap, and it’s the first way they will sabotage the sale! It’s also the one no-one else out there talks about because it is considered too fluffy, too soft, too naff. But it will affect the speed, ease, and ultimately the financial aspect of the sale. This is the single most significant factor that your client is 100% in control of and the one to take the most seriously. They have to be ready in their heart and entirely at peace to welcome this move BEFORE you put the “For Sale” up! Take control early on and help them emotionally “detach” from the home and say goodbye to this era of their life with mindful intent. Emotional closure right upfront will bring acceptance and significantly reduce stress.

Most sellers wait till move day to get the emotions in check and wonder why it’s so unbearably stressful. This psychological, emotional, and mental shift is how Kate supports her clients (with life-changing practical exercises) at this pivotal time to ensure they do not sabotage the potential sale. They are energetically and emotionally embedded into every brick in their homes and they have to loosen this grip before they can move on. Homeowners don’t usually wonder about how their “energy” is embedded into every brick and mortar of their home. This is where they realized the dream of owning this home, perhaps had their first child, started a business, danced around the kitchen table after signing the big corporate deal, made love to their partner, and watched little Jamie take his first steps. It might also be a space signifying struggle, heartache and pain – and now they have to say goodbye. It’s all very complicated at a heart level and most folks don’t know how to approach this time and process. Kate shifts that in a jiffy.

PLEASE STOP CALLING IT ‘HOME’ Too many sellers sabotage the process and hold on with double doses of superglue! They intensify emotional attachment, heartache and stress, by continually referring to this space as ‘home.’Yes, of course, it has been their home, and you feel like you are honoring them by speaking kindly about their “home”, but one of the pivotal shifts to make is to help them consider from this moment onwards, that they are a custodian of this space and start thinking of the home as a house. The challenge is that from now on, every time you all speak about it or think about it (after you have done the emotional closure that Kate’s teaches), is to always use the term HOUSE instead of home! Better yet, think of it as a guesthouse always ready to welcome new guests. Keep the term home for the potential BUYER. You can catch Kate live on the radio sharing her passionate house selling tips to Shado Twala on SAFM

HELP THEM CATCH A WAKE-UP ABOUT WHAT’S LURKING Most sellers do a little tidy up around the house, thinking they will clear out properly when finally packing the boxes and move. Beep! Remind them that buyers will open cupboards, and more importantly, they will get a “feel” of the house. If it feels stuffy, cluttered and overfull, buyers will feel stifled in the space even if it is seemingly the perfect house for them on paper and budget-wise. The moment your client decides to sell, please get them stuck into de-cluttering every single inch of the space. They need to, as I like to refer to it,  Zap Your Kr@p – Not only will it make the house appear more spacious and light for the buyer, but means they will also not lug any “stuff” that no longer serves them into the next phase of life. A house move is an ideal time to purge at every level. Let go and live a little lighter, taking only that which you love, use and respect into your new home. If THE SELLER fills up too much of the house, there is no room for THE BUYER to breathe new life into this space. Tone down that bright cerise wall, get rid of 75% of the objects d’art and remove the 30 family photographs stuck on the wall! Buyers need to be able to envisage THEMSELVES living in this space.

  GRAB PART 2 (WITH HEAPS MORE TIPS AND IDEAS) OF THE ARTICLE ON THE NEXT PAGE BY CLICKING HERE, OR BETTER YET, JUST CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE E-BOOK AT ZERO COST

Dear Realtors – 10 ways home owners mess with the sale (and your mojo). was originally published on Kate Emmerson - The Quick Shift Deva

[bestselfawareness-blog]

19 Steps to Having the Best Day Ever

Have you ever gotten to the end of your day and thought to yourself…

What the hell happened today? I don’t know where the day went.

Is your typical response to the proverbial question, how was your day, one of these…

Busy. The usual. Nothing special. Same shit, different day.

If you are anything like me, you are guilty in both cases. Most of our days are spent rapidly completing mindless task after another, never stopping to be in the present moment. I have often gotten to the end of the week and not been able to remember a single significant event that occurred.

My focus was solely on getting to the weekends. Deferring happiness and enjoyment for a later date, when I could finally enjoy myself and let loose.

The problem with this way of living is that you miss out on all of the incredible happiness and beauty that we can find on the average Tuesday. In fact, the most memorable moments typically occur when you least expect them, in the spaces and silence of ordinary life.

But so often with your ever increasing demands and longing for the future, you miss the present, which in turn leads to you missing the days, weeks, and years of your life.

If you cannot learn to be more mindful in the mundane, we will spend our whole life on autopilot, waiting to land somewhere in the future that is better than what we have now.

However, the future that you so long for will rarely arrive and if it does it will feel empty. Then you arrive at the end of your life and wonder where all of the time went.

That is why it is so vital to become aware of the present by developing a more mindful approach to living. Mindfulness is not about meditation, although that is an excellent way to practice, it is about becoming aware of what is happening here and now, and being okay with it.

But, just as you may be feeling, I had many excuses as to why mindfulness would not work for me.

But I work 40–60+ hours a week, how am I supposed to find a chance to be mindful?

But I do not have the time to stop my whole life to find a yoga or meditation studio! Be more practical.

I am not a ‘spiritual’ person.

However, the deeper I went into mindfulness, I realized that it was less about meditation and more about bringing a sense of awareness into the things I was already doing. It is about building a new base. A new operating system for the apps of life.

Putting It Into Action

The purpose of this post is to give you 19 mindfulness strategies that you can implement today to develop a deeper sense of awareness, without finding a meditation studio or chanting kumbaya in the bathroom.

Think of this list as a buffet. Pick and choose the practices that make the most sense for your routine and test them out.

For any of these to be effective, you need to commit to waking up. Waking up to your work. Waking up to your moments. Waking up to your life

I don’t know about you, but I no longer want to get to the end of my weeks, months, years, and realize that I have been running on autopilot the whole time, missing out on my life in an endless pursuit of what is next. That is my hope for you as well.

19 Incredibly Easy Ways to Use Mindfulness In Your Workday

1. When you wake up, take a few quiet moments to affirm that you are choosing to go to work today. If you can, briefly review what you think you will be doing and remind yourself that it may or may not happen that way. Marcus Aurelius got himself out of bed every morning by saying:

At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: ‘I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?’

2. Take 5–10 minutes before starting your day to meditate, journal, pray or stretch. By doing these tasks first, you are sending a message to your brain that you are in control of your day. Also, since our Cortisol levels are the highest in the morning, doing any one of these practices will help calm your mind and lower your stress response.

3. When you are showering or brushing your teeth, stay with the activity at hand. Try not to plan your day or think about all of the things you have to do. They will be there when you are done.

4. Don’t say good-bye mechanically to the people (or animals) you live with. Try to make eye contact, ask them what they are most excited about doing today, and really listen. If you live by yourself, try out this practice with the barista making your coffee or someone you are standing by on the train. A profound human connection is massively helpful for calming stress and will bring you into the moment.

5.On your commute,

If you walk to public transportation or work, attempt to be aware of your body walking, standing and waiting, riding, and getting off. Walk into work mindfully. Breathe. Smile.

If you drive to work, take a moment or two to come to your breathing before you start the car. Just drive and be with yourself. Feel your hands on the steering wheel. Notice each turn before you make it. See the cars around you and try to read the license plate number of the car in front of you. This practice will help you stay aware of the road and what is around you.

6. At work, take a moment from time to time to check in with your body. Do you feel any tension in your shoulders, face, hands, or back? Are you slouching or sitting straight up? Roll your shoulders back. Stretch your arms over your head. Maybe stand up and then intentionally sit back down in your chair, trying to maintain a firm, upright posture.

7. When you find yourself walking at work, be aware of your pace. No one will give you a raise for being the fastest walker in the office. Don’t rush unless you have to. If you have to, know that you are rushing.

8. Take real breaks. Instead of mindlessly browsing Buzzfeed or Bleacher Report, try going outside or at least to the window and look around. Give your brain a rest from consumption.

9. Spend your lunch with people you actually like. Stop eating and spending your precious time with those that bring you down. And try to go outside for lunch at least once a week If you are up to it, make one lunch a mindful meal. Focusing on each bite. Placing your fork down until you have swallowed the bite in your mouth. Mindful eating is easier when done alone.

10. If you can, try to exercise during the work day. By getting a sweat in during the day you will break up the monotony, clear your mind, and start your afternoon refreshed and energized.

11. Take a 2–3 Innovation Breaks throughout the day. Short bursts that allow you to recharge before going on to the next task. I try to take one every hour for 3–5 minutes. I either focus on my breath or take a short walk. Resilience is how you recharge. Not how you mindlessly produce.

12. Use everyday cues as a wake up call to be present. The phone ringing, a drink of water, waiting for someone to get back to you. Instead of ‘killing time,’ use it to gain more clarity and focus.

13. Be mindful of your interactions at work. Are they mostly irritating chats? Are some enjoyable? Think about what you could do to improve them. Are you deeply listening to the other person? Or do you just want to get your point across?

14. At the end of the day, take 5–10 minutes to review the day. What did you accomplish? What were the wins? What were the losses? And set your MITs for tomorrow before leaving work.

15. As you are leaving work, bring awareness to how you feel. Are you tired? Annoyed? Exhilarated? Make sure to take note of how you feel and try to eliminate bringing negative emotions home with you.

16. On your commute home, focus on shutting your systems down. Be mindful of your breath. Try to concentrate on being present, not on all you have to do tomorrow. I

17. As I approach my door, I always turn off any music and say to myself: I am home. I am alive. I am grateful for these things.

18. If you live with someone, ask them: what was the best part about your day? Instead of the normal, how was your day, which typically leads to complaining or passive responses like, it was fine.

19. If you can, put all work related things out of sight and change into a new set of clothes. Changing your clothes will tell your brain that work is over. If you meditate, this would be a superb time to do a quick 5–10 minute sitting meditation before you carry on with your night.

By no means should you try to accomplish all of these things in a single day. However, if you do, watch out, you might actually have a beautiful Monday! Pick a few and give them a try.

I understand that we all work different schedules and in different environments, but no matter who you are or what your situation is, you can always be more mindful. It will help you achieve more in your day, and more importantly, it will help you enjoy it more!

Did you dig this? Did it bring a little value to you? Follow Me on :

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[yungsunchildd]

2019

It has yet to end, but what a time to reflect. I never thought I’d lose a lot yet gain so much within such a short period of time.

This year has been full of heartbreak, pain, happiness and the biggest spiritual awakening. I wish I could share but I think it’s too soon to really open up about the most personal heartbreak I’ve dealt with. When I say heartbreak I’m not talking about my past relationship, but the complications I dealt throughout it. I lost a piece of me, my whole world felt like it was crumbling around me and I had never felt so alone.

I never thought I’d really go through a serious depression or consider self harm but I was screaming for help and no one noticed. I was driving myself insane and I completely cut any type of communication from those closest to me. I felt personally attacked because I was so angry with myself, with what I was allowing in my relationship, my friendships and all the toxic energy consistently flowing around me. I went from 140 to 105 within a couple months, the stress was catching up and my decisions had began to haunt me. I can only take accountability for allowing someone to manipulate, emotionally and physically abuse me. I was trying to make my reality seem like it was so perfect, yet I was suffering. I couldn’t go to my family or friends because they saw what I was completely in denial about. I didn’t want to accept the truth; I only wanted to be right.

Everyone hated you but all I tried to do was see the best in you. Why was I so caught up on trying to make you happy when I should’ve been there for MYSELF?! I was blind to it all.

India Summer

I love you my sweet sweet angel. I think about you everyday and I know grandma is in heaven with you. Everything I do on this earth will be for you and I promise one day you’ll be in my arms. I love you and can’t wait to see you in heaven.  

The Accident -

It was the biggest wake up call. Believe it or not it’s what saved me. It’s what brought me CLARITY.

Days prior I was crying in the car praying to God, begging for guidance and a way out of my toxic relationship.

The car wrecked on the freeway, I wasn’t wearing a seat belt and we both survived. I’m so thankful no one else was hurt and we walked away with minor injuries. Everyone believes it was my grandma who saved me, my family also joked she’s the reason why I had a broken ankle (to slow my ass down.)

Believe it or not I wasn’t upset. I actually felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, I didn’t miss you. I needed to be surrounded by my family and I’m so grateful that they were there for me at my absolute worst. I was a wreck.. I remember being rolled in to Zions and breaking down in front of everyone. I was so embarrassed yet so relieved to tell my truth. The comfort and words were so empowering, I had built great connections with some amazing people that night.

My family was in grandmas while we were all talking in the back. When Rosa walked out with tears in her eyes and let me know they had all decided to pitch in for the seminar (that changed my life) I was completely thrilled.

My family means the world to me and I honestly don’t know where I would be without them.

The Seminar -

Just to think the enemy was luring me from attending what would be the biggest spiritual awakening in my life... it’s CRAZY. I remember I didn’t want to leave to Costa Mesa the day before and I was complaining to my dad how it was some weird cult that wanted manipulate me. I thought it was a huge JOKE and boy was I completely WRONG.

The first day of the seminar Chuck (the life coach) had walked out and asked everyone if they had heard of the seminar and if so - what was it that they heard.

This guy yelled out “I heard it’s a cult!”

Chuck smirked and answered “Am I forcing you to be here? Look I’m not trying to force anything on anyone and to be quite honest you don’t have to be here. This isn’t for me, this is a dive into discovering the best version of YOU. This isn’t a cult, people make up anything when they’re miserable and not open to learning new things.”

The room instantly silenced; it was so quiet I could hear my own thoughts lol.

He then proceeded his introduction to the class.

As much as I’d like to share the exercises we practiced throughout the seminar....I can’t lol. Not for any crazy reason, but for the fact that if anyone else decided to take the course they can gain something personal from the program themselves.

That weekend I had met so many amazing people. Lawyers, doctors, teachers, musicians, actors, entrepreneurs and even stay at home fathers. We all bonded that weekend, we were all dealing with something personal and I feel we learned something important from one another.  It felt like a huge family and I truly believe I gained some life long friends.

My mindset has completely changed. I can honestly say I found happiness. I found myself and I’m a much better version than what I once was. It’s all love and I’ve forgiven everyone who has ever hurt me. Letting go of that hurt and anger was the best thing that could’ve happened. I truly wish the best for everyone I’ve met/encountered in my life.

I’d like to share a few things I learned from this program, just in case it may benefit someone in the future...

TO CREATE VALUE IN YOUR LIFE

What creates value? Taking in action, putting in effort = PARTICIPATION.

Risk - being vulnerable, listening & receiving, be open minded, learning to be honest with YOURSELF and where you’re at in life.

Listening - To be present with people, be open with what people say and allow yourself to react within communication.

*Never forget you don’t always have to be right lol*

Ways to create value; time, effort, communication, information, implementation, intention, contributions, action, giving, joy, enthusiasm, receiving, focused energy, being present, vulnerability, being honest AND most importantly take RESPONSIBILITY!

The body follows where the mind leads and your SUBCONSCIOUS mind runs your body. That’s why it’s important to practice how to control your thinking! At a young age we tend to mimic the behavior of what people tell us.

We don’t experience joy in life because we’re so afraid of experiencing PAIN.

It’s so easy to play victim; so why not take responsibility? I had spent my whole life victimizing myself and I wrote down a few examples of what it is to act like a victim & what it takes to be responsible.

Victim:

Weak, Confused, Attacked, Angry, Afraid, Violated, In denial, Sad, Stuck, Unfair, Tired, Helpless, Humiliated, Worthless, Insignificant, Lonely, Invisible, Betrayed & Stupid.

Responsible:

To have COURAGE, Control, Clarity, Confidence, Calmness, Compassion, Happiness, to be HUMBLE, Healthy, Accepting, Forgiving, Wisdom, Open and STRONG.

Consistency is Key!

TRUST your intuition, visualize yourself accomplishing goals (experience those feelings) , be more open & willing ( to believe is to become) and ALWAYS put in work DAILY. Loving yourself and taking leadership of your life is so important I can’t stress this enough!!! Set goals that make you nauseous to talk about. Give and receive unconditionally!

I’ll be writing weekly to share more notes and thoughts throughout my journey. I just wanted to get some things off my chest and really just share how far I’ve came within such a short period of time.

Thank you to everyone who has been here for me and really inspired me to be better. I love you all and you know who you are. Much love and much blessings. xoxo