How It All Works Out...

Last night I watched the NFL Hall of Fame inductions on ESPN. I enjoy when great athletes give speeches about their accomplishments - I generally find inspiration in their words. I was moved by Jerry Rice's long (long) speech and fired up after Floyd Little spoke but Emmitt Smith was the one that truly inspired me. The three-time Super Bowl champion running back holds the NFL record for career rushing yards but last night he delivered an impassioned speech that plainly stated some realities on how to turn your dreams into reality.

Smith grew up in Pensacola, Florida and dreamed of playing for the Dallas Cowboys as a kid. When he was up for the NFL draft, he was projected to go in the top 10. When the draft moved into the No. 11 spot and he had not been selected, he began to panic trying to figure out why he had not been selected. Long story short, while he was panicking, the Dallas Cowboys were behind the scenes making moves to sign him. AHA moment for real!!! While he was focused on at what spot he'd be selected, his biggest childhood dream was about to be realized. Funny how that happens...we (I) get so caught up in what isn't happening, sometimes we can't see what is being put together on our behalf.

We all have dreams and deep rooted desires. I truly believe the ones that we've carried with us since childhood are our divine appointments. I happen to be a HUGE dreamer and have had many dreams come to pass. My biggest dream/desire is to be a leader in the entertainment industry. Emmitt Smith's speech helped me to see that I've been placing my focus on the wrong thing. When certain situations don't pan out in my favor, I can get confused and lose focus. I began to second guess myself and my goals. What if, like Emmitt, the Universe is cooking up a way to deliver my biggest dreams while I'm focused on one small thing that I feel can get me to where I want to go?

I think his speech shined some light on my recent funk (feeling down about The Hollywood Reporter Next Generation List). What if while I'm worried about the list, I'm about to be blessed with a true realization of my complete dreams? I'm excited and hopefully that that is exactly what is happening! Another thing he spoke on was that there is a difference between having a dream and fulfilling a destiny...I'm about fulfilling my destiny.

I LOVE KANYE!

But when I finally got the power, what the f*ck did i do? I’m so sorry to y’all, everyone one of y’all that had to fight for my name/ Everyone of y’all a year ago that I made feel ashamed/ Everyone that said “Kanye is that n*gga quick [inaudible] my name, And all ya’ll…I am the one to blame / and the people that I let down, I wanna tell you, right here, right now that I’m a new man and understand my position of power.

Yall know I'm such a Kanye fan since the College Dropout. I've always appreciated him because I always felt like he was outwardly displaying the crap most of us have going on deep below the surface. I like how he's sharing even more of himself as he promotes his new project. Check it:

Some Things Just Aren't Meant to Be...

SIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH

One of my long term goals has been to be inducted into The Hollywood Reporter's Next Generation class. On the day I got my first Hollywood job, I was reading the trades and the nomination form was enclosed for the Next Generation Class of 2005. In a nutshell, every year THR honors the top, up-and-coming executives that are 35 years or younger who have distinguished themselves in the areas of film, television, representation, legal, new media and more (the more is for those exceptional people under 35 that make a huge splash in the industry). The nomination process is every August and the selected execs are featured in a November issue of the trade and honored at this huge party. So on that first day of work, I tore out the nomination form and made a silent request to the Universe that I'd make the list before I turned 35. That was five years ago. As I read the trade today, I saw the nomination form. My first inclination was to do what I do best - start a chutzpah filled PR plan to get myself on the list - I mean I have been working EVERY angle of production there is over the last five years and all my old bosses carry weight. In the next five years, I'm sure I'll be a recognized leader of my industry. But a quick peak at last years class brought me back to reality. This list doesn't honor dreams or good effort, it honors results and executive-level job titles. This realization made me super super sad and devastated - this is my last year of eligibility for nominations. Unless something miraculous happens in the form of a development deal or me getting hired to head up major entity by August 13, this goal of mine will not become a reality.

It's one of those things that just is not meant to be a part of my story. It's like when a smart kid wants to go to Harvard all their life and doesn't get it. They go to some other great school and still become successful but they can never say they went to Harvard. I have many things on this list: winning Ms. Southern, graduating from a California or top-25 law school, being chosen as a City of New Orleans mayoral fellow. I wanted all those things REALLY bad but those things just were not meant to be. They all stung but eventually I moved on. And funny thing is, better things came along-no Ms. S.U. so got to chillax and enjoy my last year on the yard. I met some of my best friends at Thurgood Marshall Law School in Houston-including Kacy who chose me to be a bridesmaid at her 10-10-10 wedding celebration! And by not being tied down to the fellowship, I was free to work on several film and tv gigs that came my way as well as get my business going.

Although it still sucks SO FREAKIN' BAD that this won't be a part of my story (and that I'm almost 35 and that I haven't accomplished accomplished career achievement worthy of the list), I know there's something bigger going on. We shall see what the future holds since this one thing was just not meant to be.

Preach Kanye Preach

So if you know me you know I LOVE Kanye West. I feel he says/does the things I would do if I had balls. He literally is calling folk like me out...while I'm not your favorite underground rap or music artist, I am someone who is not expressing myself creatively which is a waste of my gifts. I'm no longer willing to do that. I'm ready to live full out regardless of how it is received. Check out Kanye's speech to Rolling Stone writers re:his new album. Turn it up around the 1:08 mark.

What If...

So, I have this list of qualities I want in a man I'd like to settle down with. What if the man that meets all those qualities has a list too? Even better question, what if he didn't have a list and simply asked me to meet my own?

I think instead of looking for him, maybe I can focus on me meeting the list while Mr. Right finds me...

Back to School

August is upon us - time for back to school! Well I've decided I'm going back to school this year...life school that is. There are some lessons that are very pressing and I'm ready to learn them! I've devised my own curriculum and am dedicated to passing all my courses. My major course of study is self development with a focus on a more holistic lifestyle as opposed to a compartmentalized existence. I worked during high school, college and law school and am confident I can do my "school" work and maintain my day job. Here are the classes I have enrolled in:

• Career Development: This is a class I'm looking forward to. I've spent a great deal of my life working. Working REALLY hard. I now desire to work smarter. I'm ready to couple that shear brawn with focus on a particular goal. The coursebook for this class is "I Can Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was", and the final is a complete, concise business plan and new website.
• Health/Physical Fitness: This is a HUGE course b/c it will have lasting implications on my life. I've got to get my health together. It is not that I'm NOT healthy but I'm utilizing all that I know about health and fitness. I know that I should do 30-45 minutes of cardio/4 times a week. I know I should be eating breakfast everyday. I know I need more fruits and veggies and water. I know I know I know. So since I know I must implement right? This class uses a ton of material and meets outdoors or at a gym (depending on if my job has a lowered rate) four times a week.
• Financial Freedom: I WANT TO BE FREE! Once again as I said earlier I've been working the majority of my life. My bank account does not reflect that fact. I have got to do better in this department. I've got to make several small changes and one HUGE change. I need to aggressively save for a bit. I also need to create and stick to a budget (this is going to be tough for Ms. If I Want That I Buy That). My budget has to protect my most valuable asset as well - my time! I operate well when I follow a schedule. My instructor for this course is Suze Orman and my Agape Financial Freedom guide.
  

I'd like to pick up a writing class as well. I haven't found a program I like but I am searching. I really believe this is my time and I'm willing to go above and beyond to achieve my goals!

Review List for 33...

Yesterday I celebrated my 33th year of life on Earth. God is so good! I can not believe I'm 34! When I look in the mirror I look around 24 and when I think of myself I just don't think of myself as a 34-year-old woman! CRAZY. Anyway last year I started doing the year in review list to remind myself of what was happening in my world so I don't forget (I feel we sometimes have trouble seeing where we are b/c we forget where we came from). So here's my list for year 33!

DaVida Chanel's Highlights of Year 33

• I brought in my birthday on stage w/Rebirth Brass Band!
• In August I returned to my waitress gig...I felt sucky about it but on the third day, Tyler Perry came in which made me realize I was on the right track.
• I, along with the rest of the world, mourned the loss of legend, Michael Jackson.
• I started a new feature on my blog called "She Makes Me Wanna" and featured ladies who make me want to do things. I also stared "Friend In My Head" about people that I hang out with in my head.
• I fell in love w/New Orleans ... HARD! Because I wasn't working consistently, I had time to really experience some of the cool things NOLA has to offer. I love this place!
• I spoke to the President of the UNITED STATES! President Barack Obama came to town and I had the opportunity to ask him a question - and it was a good one!
  
• I threw a mixer at a local club.
• I took a class on Final Cut and learned to edit film.
• I was the female lead in a hip-hop video.
• I had a photo shoot where I was a guitar toting rocker chick.
• I got to see Lenny Kravitz at Voodoo Fest and my friend caught his guitar stick!!!
  
  
• I saw Avatar which was amazing to me-visually stunning and it made me fall in love w/3D.
• I got to be assistant to amazing director Clark Johnson on the pilot of Delta Blues, which was written by Liz Garcia and Josh Harto, old friends from L.A.
  
• The New Orleans Saints won the SUPERBOWL!!!!!!
• I became ok w/the fact that my career had changed forever - I no longer need a M-F, 9-5 existence-I see that my success will come with a whole lot less stability.
• I began doing freelance PR work.
  
• Josh and Liz's show got picked up by TNT and I went to work on the show in March.
• My new boss at the job is amazing and she set me up with my next gig starting Aug. 2-directly after this one ends on July 30.
• I organized a community service event for Kourtney Heart called Kourtney's Little Princesses.
• I worked on the planning and organization of NOLA Summer Jam 2010.
• I began work on a documentary focusing on the hip-hop community in New Orleans. It has fallen apart but I got invaluable experience in case I decide to pursue it on my own.
• I had a reunion with my bestest friends from Indiana!
  
• I had a fab time at Essence and the highlights were seeing Janet Jackson and watching Mary J. Blige FROM the stage!!!

So yes, the year of 33 was great and full of extreme highs and lows. I'm excited about what is to come in the year of 34! I got a feeling this is going to be a hardworking but fruitful one!