Find Your MOJO.

• By Johanna Nuding+
• Posted in Italy, Life, Travel, Uncategorized, Unsolicited Advice
• On August 20, 2012
• 6 Comments.

While around Lago di Giarda we were able to catch two of Elizabeth Lee’s shows with her Italian band mates – touring as Cozmic Mojo.

Elizabeth, the two Luca’s and Federica (a funny and bad-ass female drummer), along with the infamous Lobo (their band/merch manager) truly are a family.  For those of us who travel and are away from our loved ones for long periods of time, it’s so important to be able to have some sort of familial outlet and support system.  Someone you can go to when you need unconditional love and comfort.  Someone who will embrace you when the rest of the world doesn’t seem to care.  Elizabeth has that with Cozmic Mojo.

I felt fortunate to hang out with this lively group of personalities on a few occasions.  Seeing the ease with which Elizabeth was able to communicate with her Italian friends, fans and strangers was encouraging for me.  Some time in the near future I’d like to make Italy my true home away from home and watching Elizabeth made me believe that was plausible.  Her Italian is really good and she told me it was from spending so much time with her Cozmic Mojo family.  She’s down-to-earth, creative, confident, relaxed and completely in her element almost 6,000 miles away from her home in the Austin hill country.  Elizabeth Lee is kind of a big deal and I’m proud to know her.

When I start doubting my path or believing that a simple, country girl from Jayton, Texas, can’t become an Italian-speaking, globe-trotting, successful writer I think about my friend Elizabeth and what she has created for herself in this beautiful country.

I then stop and remind myself…yet again…All things are possible to those who believe in the power of their thoughts and actions.  I am a powerful creator.  I can do this.

Sometimes it only takes a few days (or even hours, if we’re really going through some shit) for the cobwebs to start collecting in our brains.  We quickly forget that we control the path of our journey.  We forget that nobody MAKES us feel anything.  (I used to be famous for starting sentences with “You make me feel so…” – Sound familiar?)  And, nobody FORCES us to act out in a certain way.  (Again, I used to have arguments that started with “I can’t help it!  You make me act like this…” – What a load of crap, right!?!)

Our feelings and (re)actions are our own responsibility.  Often times we forget that the doubt, jealousy or fear others have about what WE’RE doing has absolutely nothing to do with us at all.  (I receive “warning” emails all the time from people afraid I’m going to get raped and pillaged being in a foreign country on my own.  I also get the email forwards about scary shit that happens to women or how “blah, blah, blah” is destroying our country.)  ARRESTO!  BASTA!  Those feelings belong to them.  They’ve got their own head full of cobwebs.  Remember that and NEVER accept someone else’s feelings as your own.  You are stronger than that.  And, if an idea or thought doesn’t feel good, then kick it the fuck out of your head.  Do not welcome negative thoughts and ideas into your sacred space.  Doubt, fear, jealousy, anxiety, resentment, regret…they are all cobwebs that cloud our vision and affect our reality.  When you notice the cobwebs piling up, stop…take a deep breath…and do a little dusting in that brain of yours.

I’ll admit it’s “spring cleaning time” about once a week in my head these days, but I’m getting better at it and it doesn’t take much time to get my thoughts organized and back on track.  Sure, it’s work, but the more aware and present we become, the less time we’re forced into cleaning up the nonsensical messes we create in our own lives.

Many of you know my life used to be really messy and full of drama, but over the years I learned that I held the power to change it.  And I learned how to change it – one positive thought, intention and action at a time.  I am doing my best to walk the walk and talk the talk.

Alright!  Today’s action item: Get your mojo workin’, baby!  Clean out the ol’ attic (your brain).  Get rid of the stale and negative thoughts and perceptions.  Replace them with hopeful, exciting, positive and fun ideas and visualizations.  And prepare yourself to have whatever your little heart desires!

I’m sending you a little jojo mojo to help get you started.