Through the eyes of a Child

Today marks the day of the birth of my beautiful baby boy. He is three today and full of life, happiness and spirit. Three years ago, I was scared of what was to come as a single parent raising another child. The fear and heartache was excruciating as others looked on. However, through the eyes of a child, this tiny newborn, helped aid in the healing of his sister who was injured in a car accident and made sense of a senseless world to an autistic boy as well as myself.

Watching him grow and seeing the world through his eyes has been priceless. Through his loving spirit and interactions – he has saved a part of me that I believed to be lost in ash. He taught me to love again without restraint, care above hate and to believe God over any individual. Through the love of our family – we have overcome and conquered all evilness that the devil has thrown our way.

God placed this new challenge upon my shoulders and lead me to the best life ever of prosperity and blessings. I love my life and my children and today I am thankful for a little boy who is three. There is nothing I wouldn’t change – because I get to see him grow every single day with a kiss in the morning and an “I love you by night”. Every scratched knee and boo-boo, the monsters to chase from under the bed, every smile and tear of upset to happiness – to seeing every milestone of youth. This journey has been a tremendous blessing!

I used to cry for him, saddened by the deception of man and the void he wouldn’t ever fully fill one day, however, I have learned not to dwell on choices made by others.

I learned through the eyes of a three year old that trucks can fly, balloons cure all that ails, every artist should use interior walls as canvas and that cake is a nutritional choice for any meal.

As this glorious day comes to a close – I can feel the love he has for me for its as unconditional as I have for him. Life has meaning, and love never divides, it multiplies.

Today, a three year old put purpose into my life that I couldn’t learn on my own. Mommy loves you and Happy Birthday to my beautiful baby boy! Here is to many more memories to come and know I cherish every single moment and will always be present regardless of work, life or circumstance. Until God calls me home – I shall always be there to snap another photo, rewind another video and kiss you another day.

Love always,
Mom

THIS ISNT MUSIC.

Once in a while…

” Once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary life, God gives us a fairy tale. A fairy tale written by His hand, but beknownst by none other than the two brought together through a strange parallel, that can’t be explained by mere human understanding. Though pondered, God has reasoning that is always unveiled when the truth is allowed to shine and the ties that binded prior are broken. Trust in the Lord, not in thy own understanding and fear; for the meaning of what you seek is already before you.” – Corie Anziano

Being Childlike in a World of Individuals

We have forgotten as a society what it’s like to care about others. We place so much value on things that do not matter past the immediate. Life isn’t about the car you drive, the size of your tv, the diamonds you wear or the charity you give to with hidden agendas. Life is about living each day in a manner in which you can hold your head high knowing you brought forth the very best in yourself and others. It’s about caring as much as you care for yourself.

Random acts of human kindness isn’t about picking a random time out of the year to be kind. So many people wait until everyone is watching before they do something fantastic so they can receive credit, which defeats all purpose. Life isn’t interested in keeping score and God doesn’t give more to the one with the most tally marks.

Today, I challenge you all to go out and see life in a new perspective. Instead of looking at the cars driving by that you wish you had – try looking at the surrounding areas and help the lady struggling to carry her groceries with a baby. Maybe it’s offering your umbrella in the rain to a stranger, or lending a listening ear or hug to someone who needs it desperately. Human compassion is priceless! Be childlike and remove all pretenses – This is what Jesus told us to do as Christians. Life isn’t supposed to be hard and hurtful. Life is kind, loving and full of heart. Be that person who brings a smile to another and repeat the process. Do not keep score. Do not look around to see who you may impress beforehand.

I promise you one thing – when you act out of pure spirit without caring about who’s watching…it’s in the moments when you need someone yourself when you realize…no one was watching because the whole world was!

“In a world full of people who couldn’t care less, be someone who couldn’t care more.” ~Author Unknown

May God Bless You All!

-Corie Anziano

You Aren’t Broken – Stand UP!

Life is full of what I call “mind noise”. It’s the voice that talks endlessly about what you are encountering day by day, moment by moment. It’s that voice that forms your thoughts, births an idea and says your boss is an ass when you really want to say it but can’t. It a voice of empowerment. It’s a voice of intuition. It’s a voice we believe. Sometimes, it can be great however there are times when the voice plots against you.

People will tell you that life “is what it is” and we don’t always have the power over our situations. That is true however we do have the power over how we deal with them. That doesn’t necessarily mean its easy or that what we try to accomplish will happen. What it means is God gives us free will to fight the battles that we feel are important and to try to gain what we feel we need. The thing that people tend to forget most though is that God has the final say. If God doesn’t want something to happen, no matter how hard you hang on kicking and screaming…it still will go away. We prolong things by “will” instead of “faith”. Now, I am not talking about the proverbial “if you love something, set it free.” To me, that’s cliche and I’m more of the “if you love something and it does you wrong, slash it’s tires.” But whatever the case may be – we need to not only analysis our situations but we must keep that voice in check. When that voice becomes your enemy and tells you that you are a worthless, no good, unlovable piece of fecal matter…it’s time to fire the voice.

We all fall on hard times. It can be financial, personal and/or work related and then the elephant load of stress comes to rest upon your shoulders and take up residency. We have a choice to allow it to free load without paying rent or we can close the door and make it sleep in your neighbors yard….(preferably the neighbor to the left…I like my neighbor to the right.) However, don’t kick it to the curb immediately.

Now, you may think I’m nuts for what I’m about to say however – when the stress is the heaviest, you need to learn to embrace it for what it’s worth. Stress is full of information and knowledge that we may not want to hear or deal with but it’s also the precursor to changing that voice in your head. To me, stress is Gods way of applying pressure. Pressure to understand that choices MUST be made differently. When we break down stress and understand it as “information” instead of evilness…something interesting happens. Stress will show us which situations are uncomfortable, what choices are working, which ones are not. Stress can actually provide you a road map out of your current location if you stop and listen. Instead of letting the weight paralysis you – grab it, hug it and break it down into bite size pieces. Take the time to chart what you feel, what choices you made and the options you can do to make it right. Those who work excellent under pressure already know this technique, it’s part of their automatic response. Now, I’m not saying everyone is the same and that others don’t crack under pressure however – regardless of whom you are – you will have days or weeks or months (years) that immobilize. No one is immune. The ones who break are the ones that need to learn that stress can either save you or kill you. It’s about perspective and knowing when to stop trying to change the things you have no control over. It’s about recognizing when you are wrong and being strong enough to laugh even when it hurts. When we relinquish control over the things that God has, we start seeing with new eyes.

Always Remember – You Matter! You have a defined purpose REGARDLESS if you have identified it or not. Be the best person you can be. Do not be afraid of risks! THERE IS NO SHAME IN FALLING, UNLESS YOU REFUSE TO GET BACK UP,

And In the infamous words of Steve Jobs, I leave you with this:

“When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and you’re life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.” – Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011)

-Corie L. Anziano

Imagine A World…

Imagine a world if we all came together like we do during tragedy. Imagine if we loved the way we do when we see a new baby born. Imagine the world if we prayed as hard as we do during horrific times however everyday. Imagine a world where we value people by character and not monetary wealth. Imagine the world as God intended instead of what society perceives. Just imagine what this world could be if we all take the initiative to make it our reality. Today, I challenge my friends to honor those we have lost by changing our own routines. Don’t wait for a reason to offer an olive branch… Do it because today is today and then repeat tomorrow and the day after and then after that. Be the example. Show love and speak it. Be a legend. Be childlike. Be the child of God that you are. We are the writers of the story we call life. The only difference is we can’t write the beginning or the end, but we can make the plot extraordinary! – Corie Anziano

A Thought for Today

Sometimes, you have to take time to reflect on life. I have found it takes a strong person to look back but a stronger person to look forward. Life isn’t about what you have gained though material things or accomplishments that glitter. Life is about appreciating the small things that make us who we are as people. God has a tremendous sense of humor that forces us to be humble. We must ask ourselves – what do I want from this life and what do I want to learn from it? Many believe life” is what it is” and shuffle through each day passively, only thinking about what is before them. 

 

I see life differently. I see the world as a giant stage and we all are part of this magnificent cast, directed by God. Sometimes, we are standing backstage in the dark, wondering if our part will matter in the big picture. We feel insecure and inadequate while rehearsing for a scene that is yet unknown. However, when we stand tall…and learn how to appreciate things…we then open our eyes as if for the first time…and in that very moment you see that the spotlight never left – its just much wider than you ever noticed before…it is a light that encompasses us all! We are ALL stars on Gods worldly stage – with a definite purpose. We are allowed to improvise at any given time however, always remember that He is the editor. Give praise and be thankful for your part…for you never know what He has written for tomorrow that you cannot change. -Corie L. Anziano

This is Water

So those who know me (and/or have read about me), knows I love Steve Jobs. I loved him as an icon and as a role model. Am I an Apple junky? Some (all) will say Yes, however, I say I am a lover of electronics that work however, my passion for Steve Jobs wasn’t Apple driven.

Steve Jobs as a person has always inspired me. I remember buying his book on Pre-Order just to read more about his struggles and adversity. Maybe its because I love to cheer for the under-dog. I thrive on stories of how someone who has come from nothing – to becoming a huge success through their own accord…the learning to build from the ashes and triumph in the most unusual of ways. I get high from “human spirit”. I believe that we hold such powers to change the very infrastructures of the world, we just need to stand up and step out. We need to change our views and our perspectives. We need to lose the fear that has been engrained in us since birth. I believe one person can have the voice of thousands. I believe that people really just want to be heard and to have the simplicities of life. Happiness, love, appreciation and loyalty. Seems so simple of a request, yet sometimes its the hardest to find.

I remember watching Steve Jobs speech about Connecting the Dots Backwards and being inspired long before he died (and before it became as viral as it is now.) His words sat deep within me and touched a portion that I never truly knew existed. He made me believe that the hardest things in life was just God’s way of making sure we didn’t take the “blessings to come” for granted. I believed that even through our darkest hour, darkest week, darkest years – one day, we would become thankful – for it would be the driving force that would make our success make sense.

I have been through so many things in life. Some people have bad days, I had bad decades. (I laughed as I typed that. Not just because its humorous, but because its funny how we see things in different shades of light over the years.) Its like the blessing (and curse) of “day in and day out”. It reminds me of yet another commencement speech called “This is Water.” Another true glimpse of perspective and choice. If you haven’t seen it before…I am posting it below. Like Steve Job’s speech, this also made me stop and think about my own thoughts. We are in more control than we think. We have a life that is unfulfilling and static when we chop the legs off of our dreams and accept the mundane as “life”. I believe life can be a “honeymoon phase” every day, you just have to want that. Too many people today get caught up in Automatic Thinking and Automatic Responses that they no longer know how to appreciate things as a whole. They make the mistake of rationalizing all things and how life revolves around them and only them. We live in a world of self-gratification and about the feelings of “right now”. That type of thinking leads to unhappiness/depression, the breakdown of family and leads to affairs of the heart.

Imagine what life would be if we stopped considering only the benefits of ourselves and saw life as an opportunity. Opportunity to help a loved one, a friend or even a total stranger out of a place of darkness and into a place of illumination. I’m not saying to live your life without any regards to yourself and/or needs. I am not even saying to accept things differently. What I am saying is – when we act out of pure concern and genuine kindness – we still get something back, and that “something” varies from person to person…but what is fact is – You Will Make A Difference in Another Person’s Life…even though you may NEVER be told that you did.

So – to sum life up – Remember – THIS IS WATER!

And incase you haven’t seen it:

xoxox
Corie

New Beginnings

I decided for this year, I am going to take this blog and revamp it. Instead of just talking music and entertainment – (though, I will still do that from time to time), I want to do something different. Its been a long time since I took the time on this blog but that is about to change.

I want to really talk and post about my life and the things I encounter; and the life lessons that I have learned and continue to discover – maybe help another along the way in this viciously beautiful thing called life.

People always ask me questions about advice for music and entertainment. Those who know me best ask me for words of encouragement because they know me in such a deeper sense. Does this mean I have all answers to life? Of course not. Sometimes, I can’t even decide what to cook for dinner let alone uncover the mysterious clues of the Universe.

As I sit here, I ask myself – What do I plan on accomplishing with my open blog? Well, its simple…I want people to know me. I want to know them. I want to see if maybe I can offer some shining light for those who need it – regardless of topic. Maybe they can do the same. I am not looking for a million followers…if that happens, thats great too – more people to offer thoughts. I am a firm believer that through perseverance, human kindness and integrity – we can conquer our lives in a manner that is beyond expectation. God has blessed me, though sometimes – it’s the hardest thing to see. Its always easier to see truth and the blessings of others. So maybe, through this blog, some of us can come together and shed a different perspective on life.

I feel driven to do this. I woke up today looking for answers in my life and decided to look publicly for friends to join in the journey. Granted, I have been on many red carpets and in the public arena for years, however, it leaves you jaded at times. I want to be different. I want to touch people and learn from them. I want to inspire YOU. I want to INSPIRE ME! And if you are reading this – then Welcome to my World. Its a bit different, its a bit crazy, it can be a bit dark…but the best way to learn about where we are going is by understanding where we have been…and who wants to journey alone??

So I offer you a free ticket. Come journey life with me. Tell me your thoughts. Tell me what you want to know or what you think, or say nothing at all. Either way works.

I just hope that one day, I can say I made a difference, not just for you, but for all of us.

Now…Onward to the New True Corie Stories!

xoxox
Corie

It Seems Bands Don’t Make Money Off Touring Either.

The article in which I am speaking about won’t post properly, so until I get to my computer, it’s in the comment section below:)

I was reading this post and couldnt wait to get home and respond. Its about how bands can’t even make money touring and how much it sucks once percentages are removed. Yes, the article has some truth to it if you are a band that has people who do not know how to negotiate. First off,  stating merchandise should be of a certain quality and paying high dollar?? FAIL.  Tour fans aren’t that “emo” over your shirts. I can tell you that I have some god awful shirts but LOVE them because of the band portrayed on them. No fan cares about style over their idol. If this was true – the counterfeiters that follow National Tours who are scalping merch wouldn’t ever sell anything. We all wish they would stop scamming but they are making money not because it’s HIP but because it says what FANS want to remember. They buy emotion not a virgin cotton poly mix blend with shear threads of 500 count. Ridiculous. As for merch rates…I have booked tours for the past decade and 99.99% of the time, I have been able to negotiate ZERO merch splits OR very low splits on local to national band tours. If you are a mid level band paying 32% merch rates, you need to fire your booking agent! As for what you are paying to your manager and booking agent etc  is YOUR fault. YOU negotiated rates with them when YOU HIRED THEM and IF you negotiated a high percentage – you are foolish!   I don’t blame clubs at all for not wanting to always feed and do heavy catering riders because MANY BAND MISREPRESENT THEMSELVES. For each band that says they are worth 200-300 people a show…that normally turns out to be 20 people and that includes the bar staff. The promoter and club gets SCREWED. You can cry and talk about how much gas costs etc but let’s talk about their light bill, rent and licenses as well as staffing. Too many bands feel entitled as if the club needs to pay for their established clientele that was coming regardless of you.  That’s Crap! If you are going to tour…pay your dues. If you are that broke after that long…you need to re-evaluate what you are doing and how you are doing it. I have booked countless tours and I can tell you that there is plenty of money to be made if you do business correctly, do not suck or lie about what you can pull and respect your fans and establishments in which you play.    This is the reason why clubs are going to the “pay to play” system and quite frankly, many clubs have closed due to bands selling bottles of Snake-oil.