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Contagious Victories is a community for individuals to share positive perspectives, artistic endeavors and miraculous moments with others. Whether it is through storytelling, art, music or word, the members of Contagious Victories create space for vulnerability and act as an audience for support in creative works. We all have something to courageously celebrate- and even small victories are contagious!
Victoria B. Glass: Welcome to the Contagious Victories podcast. Each week, we talk inspiration, explore possibilities, and share insights from creative perspectives. I'm Tori Blackmon, and I'm here to remind you that your purpose in life is to celebrate the victories because victories are contagious.
Hey, and welcome back to another episode of the Contagious Victories podcast with me, Victoria B. Glass. Thank you so much for joining us again for the show. I mean, you could be literally listening to any other podcast, and you're not. You're listening to mine. And, you know, I made it for you, the creative person that you are.
So I'm just really grateful that you found it, that you're here, and now we can party. I'm just kidding. Okay. Well, we've been recording some really fun things lately. I've got a guest episode that I did earlier today.
I interviewed Anna Harrington, who is gonna be showing up right here on the contagious victories podcast hopefully by next week. So, that's what my goal is is to have her podcast edited and up for you by next Thursday. And And then I also have a couple of other interviews scheduled, so I know that the more people who we have share in the podcast and tuning in and on the show, the brighter we're breaking this whole world. So that's why I made this show so that I could share other victory stories and connect with more awesome people who are out there being creative and just making this world a brighter place. And if it wasn't for the show and some of the creative endeavors that we all get into, all of the listeners and guests that come on here, then I don't think we'd ever meet.
Like, I don't know if I've I would've ever actually gotten to know Anna if it wasn't for the conference that I met her at and then having her on the show. Like, now I feel like I've met a friend and the world's brighter because our conversation is able to reach more people. And so it's just a really cool space that I feel really grateful for, and that's what we're gonna be talking about today. Now, normally, I would be going off of a script that I'd prepared ahead of time, but I don't have that this week. So I'm gonna be speaking a little bit more off the cuff, and I am just trying to get another episode out because I wanna stay consistent.
And I also have a few things on my heart, but I didn't get to prepare it for this week. So I just wanted to share that this is gonna be a little bit of a different episode because it's not scripted. So bear with me. Stay till the end, and I'm still gonna be offering you a lot of value that I hope you can take away and be inspired by. So don't go anywhere.
I am gonna have a little bit of space just to get my mind right, but I just am feeling really grateful and also feeling a little bit anxious after lunch. I broke away to eat lunch, and now I'm sitting back in front of the computer. And so I just wanna take some time to ground myself, and I don't know if I'm gonna make this a full meditation or if I'm just gonna use the space to take a couple deep breaths and get back grounded to the space that I was in before I left for lunch. One of my favorite mantras that I used to say a lot, and I guess I I am realizing now I haven't really said it in a a bit. Maybe it's because I grew.
And when you grow, sometimes you don't need the same things that you did when you were in a previous position. But one of the mantras I used to say all the time, I would repeat it almost every episode, and I'd journal about it every day, is I expand every day in love, success, and abundance. And as I do, I inspire others to do the same. I expand every day in love, success, and abundance. And as I do, I inspire others to do the same.
And I read this mantra in a book. It's I kinda put my own little spin on it, but it's pretty much the same thing. But it was a book called The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks. And the reason I really like this particular mantra is because you're not just saying, I am peaceful, which would be an okay mantra. But you're actually extending it beyond yourself, and you're acknowledging that you taking action and realizing what you are, what you want, what you can be, love, successful, abundant.
By recognizing those things, you're actually expanding beyond yourself and inspiring other people to tap in to those exact same things that exist within themselves too. So So that's why that particular mantra is one of my favorites. I expand every day in love, success, and abundance. And it doesn't just stop there. As I'm doing that, as I'm expanding, others are witnessing it.
They're seeing it. They're being inspired by it. And me showing up and being all that I am is allowing another person to do the same thing, to show up in the best way that they can possibly show up and to show up as their full abundant, successful, love filled self. So that is why that particular mantra is one of my favorites. And I gotta admit, now that I have been kinda repeating it a few times back to myself for this podcast episode, I feel calmer.
So maybe it was a good idea to bring the podcast mantras back. Alright. Well, now that we're nice and grounded and calm, it's time to dive into today's episode. I am gonna be sharing something that I have learned myself in the last few months, and that is to fully embrace your voice with all of the AI and influencers and just everything that this world is online and offline, sometimes it's easier to be something you're not. Sometimes it's easier to ask chat, UPT, or, you know, OpenAI to help you come up with an idea or to steer you in the right direction.
And I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I mean, if the tool is available, why not use it? If it's gonna make you warmer, why would you not have fire? But, at the same time, I've been learning that as an artist, you also have a responsibility to not rely on those things. And if you want to use them as a tool, that's okay.
But take that tool and make your own work even greater. You don't want to conform your work to be like the to be like the tool. That would not benefit the world nor would it benefit your art. So I like to think of anything that I publish, produce, share with the world. In a way, it's art and, you know, sometimes, like, an Instagram story might not be as artistic as a painting or a poem that I create.
But in a way, everything that you share with others, that you put your heart and soul into, and that you hope better communicates who you are and the existence that you have experienced on this earth, I think that that can be art. Anything that you share like that could be art. So I'm gonna be talking about using your voice today and why using your voice is important because there is nothing else like it in the entire world, and it would be a shame for it to be like someone else's voice or to be like a computer's voice. And we share stuff like this on the podcast a lot. I think I've talked about something similar recently a few episodes back, but I just wanted to kinda harp more on that because even my own habits sometimes, get stuck between behind using tools and using influences as, disguises for myself, and I don't want that.
And I don't think you want that either as a creative. So today, that's what we're gonna be talking about. Using our voice, how the world needs it, and how to embrace it and share it with others without any shame, any embarrassment. You've got this. I know you can.
So what is stopping you from sharing your voice? Is it the tools? Is it other people? Is it nerves? I think I might know what's actually stopping you.
You stopping is what actually is stopping you from using your voice. When you're talking on the phone with a loved one or a friend and you're just chatting away on FaceTime, are you thinking about what you're saying? Mostly, I'd be willing to bet that most of the time you're not. You're just flowing. You're in that spirit, in that flow state where you feel comfortable, where you feel seen, where you feel heard, and you're just talking off the cuff.
You're just being yourself. Why is that not always the case when we jump on social media or we jump in front of a camera or we jump on the mic? I am someone who has 63 episodes. I think this is episode 63. 63 episodes under their belt.
And every week, I still find myself feeling nervous, feeling like I have nothing to say. I know. Surprising. Right? And also just, like, afraid of what might come out of my own mouth, and there's really no reason for that.
I think that nerves and anxiety, they all are normal, but I do know that they don't have to be the the standard. So last week, we talked about having a new standard and transforming your mindset into a new mindset, a new standard so that you can evolve and become a better version of yourself. And I think that this message that I'm sharing with you today, it kinda piggybacks off of that. So you, you are what is stopping you from actually allowing your voice to shine through. You stopping.
You stopping and hesitating. It's that hesitation that is normal but doesn't have to be the standard. So how do we break through that hesitation? Well, I don't know. I don't have a a an actual, like, solution, but I am hopping on here to say, keep going.
Like, I think you should just, you know, not stop. That's what I'm doing right now. So, like, you stopping and hesitating is what's stopping. Now today, I didn't have a podcast prepared. I had a guest interview earlier, and I knew that I would be recording this afternoon, but I didn't prepare a script.
Doing that is keeping contagious victories in a in a posting streak. So do you see what I'm saying? Is that a good example? That by stopping, I would be not achieving what I want. But because I have committed to showing up every Thursday, hopefully Thursday, sometimes it's Friday, but mostly Thursday.
Showing up every Thursday and just cranking out these episodes whether I have something prepared or not, that is me not stopping. And that is the message of this podcast episode that if you allow yourself the freedom to keep going and if you encourage yourself to show up and take up space and slow down and listen to what actually is on your heart. I guarantee your voice is gonna shine through. And by not stopping, you're gonna be taking full responsibility of what it is that you want in this life, and you can get it that way. If you decide not to stop and if you decide to keep going even during the hard parts, then I guarantee you're gonna reach your destination eventually.
It's not gonna always look the way that you thought it would, but you will reach your destination eventually. So when you think about maybe so maybe when you think that you are about to stop, don't. Don't allow yourself to stop. Keep going because you stopping is what's actually stopping you. I recently came across a podcast that talked about taking up space with your story, that a lot of times people have really hard stories that have transformed their life and have made them into a new person.
However, if you were to ask them about their journey, about what happened for them to get there, they brush over the hard parts, and they just show you the beginning and the end. But it's those middle moments that actually transform ourselves, and those are the hard parts. So when you are telling a story that includes those hard parts, don't brush over them. Don't stop. Keep going.
Share what happened. Share the moments that really made a difference in your life. And for me, realizing that I could either show up today and share what was on my heart, what I've learned this week, or I could fumble and not and let let it slip. Either one, I'm responsible. So, you know, I'm not depending on anyone else to bring me my dreams or to achieve my dreams.
But if I take responsibility and just show up anyway, then I'm not allowing myself to get in my own way. One of my favorite quotes from Mel Robbins is if you're searching for that one person who will change your life, look in the mirror. And I've said it on the podcast before because it's one of my favorites, and I have it on a little sticky note in front of me, so I see it a lot. But really, like, no one's gonna come and stop you from doing what you wanna do. And in the same respect, no one's gonna come and just hand it to you.
So in both scenarios, the only way you can achieve what you want and get the dream that god put on your heart is to not stop, to keep going. Now I understand there are moments of rest, and he makes that very clear to us that we have to be rested in our full best self in order to really receive what he has given us. But, you know, I don't think resting and stopping is the same. I truly believe that stopping is preventing ourselves from becoming what we are designed and created to be. And resting is, well, doing just that.
It's taking a moment to pause, to catch our breath, and to get, you know, realigned. And there's nothing wrong with resting. There's nothing wrong with stopping. It's just having that mindset to persevere and to continue on. That is what it takes to get to where you need to be.
So you stopping is what's actually stopping you. Okay. So at the beginning of this podcast, I mentioned that your voice is yours and that you should honor it. You should allow your voice to speak. Don't rely on AI.
Don't be so heavily influenced on others that you forget who you are and you lose your voice. Well, I do wanna share a story with you. Over the weekend, I almost lost my voice. I was really bummed on Monday because I was supposed to jump on the mic and have an interview, and I couldn't because my voice was completely gone, like, nearly completely gone. You might be able to tell that it's still a little scratchy.
However, I was so bummed because without my voice, I couldn't record anything. I couldn't share what was on my heart. I couldn't connect to someone that I had been looking forward to connecting with. And I don't wanna forget how I felt on Monday because I like I said, I was bummed. But sometimes when I'm feeling lazy and I just wanna, like, type something out really quick and I need a little bit of a prompt or, you know, some inspiration from chat GPT or whatever.
Sometimes I don't remember how important my own voice is to me. And so I hope that this episode can remind you that you've got something special in you. Like, your voice shouldn't be taken for granted. And I don't just mean, you know, your vocal cords. I mean, the words that god places on your heart, the inspiration that you yourself could give to others by just sharing a story, by sharing your life and and what you've learned and your experiences and things like that.
So don't let your voice get away from you, and don't take your voice for granted, and don't let it go unused. So stop stopping yourself. Get out of your own way because it's you that is stopping you. So don't let that happen. Take full responsibility for your life and, you know, pray to God to give you that courage, that strength that you need to just get to that next stepping stone.
So I hope that you were able to reframe your situation like I did and make your someday today. If you have a victory story that you wanna share, then share it. I'd love to have you come on the podcast, Talk about what you're into. Talk about the things that you have learned from your job or your business or from a trying time in your life. Like, it doesn't have to be exclusively a business story.
I know because I'm a creative person that other creative people are inspired and motivated in different ways. So now more than ever as a creative, we are, like, tempted with tools and influences and styles and trends, and sometimes it really is easy to forget who we are, the uniqueness that we have, the viewpoint that God has gifted us with, and our unique voice. So I just I want to encourage you to remember that and also encourage you to dig deep and find that voice that God gave you and use it. So don't say no to it. Don't say no to your voice.
Don't stop yourself from letting it speak And allow the Holy Spirit to shine through you and allow God to use you and use your voice to reach someone else. You know, just like me almost losing my voice and being hoarse, I could have let that story stick with me today and prevent me from sharing this episode with you. I could have let my unpreparedness not having a script stop me from connecting with you. But god uses the broken people. He uses our stories to inspire other people to get moving and get out of their own way.
So I just wanted to jump in front of you and share that with you so that you can be inspired. Maybe this was exactly what you needed to hear today. Maybe I just needed to jump on here and say that you have the opportunity to make your someday today and that I love you and that you can do it and you can make your someday today. So thank you for listening. I will be sharing this episode on my YouTube channel, so make sure to check it out.
If you want more inspiration like this, like little just quick bits of positivity, then join us over on Facebook. We have a free Facebook community called Contagious Victories. All you have to do is search it in a little search bar on Facebook, and it should pop right up. We would love for you to join. If you have a story or if you see a cute picture of a puppy that's inspiring while you're scrolling on the Internet, that's the place where you can drop that kind of stuff in the contagious victories group.
I find inspiring, encouraging messages all the time, all throughout the week, and I'll just drop them in that group and hope and I hope it finds the right person at the right time. That's what it's about. We also share the podcast episodes. If there's ever a video recording, you can find the interviews over in the Facebook group as well and, any other updates. That's that's what that group is for.
So join us over there. It's a great place to get to know the other listeners and, introduce yourself. We'd love to have you. Well, that's it for this week, and I just wanted to say thank you again for listening. And and set a little reminder for our episode next week because we are having another guest on the show.
So I'm super excited for you to hear my conversation with Anna. And, yeah, just until then, I will catch you next time. Have a great week.
Thanks for joining us for this week's episode of the contagious victories podcast. If the show inspired you to share your own Victory Story, I'm here to tell you the world deserves to hear it. Submit it to me online at ToriBlackmon.com. Review and subscribe if that feels right. Telling a friend about
the show, helps Contagious Victories to grow.
Plus, we all appreciate a little sunshine. I'm Tori B. Thanks for listening. I'll catch you soon!