Xuebing Du
⁂
will byers stan first human second
Keni
TVSTRANGERTHINGS
taylor price
dirt enthusiast
NASA
★
ojovivo
titsay
Not today Justin
occasionally subtle
KIROKAZE
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
cherry valley forever
Product Placement
JBB: An Artblog!
macklin celebrini has autism
noise dept.
seen from Tunisia
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Liechtenstein
seen from Nicaragua
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Chile
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from South Africa
seen from United States
seen from Germany
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@skydivingforpearls
Austin Bat Night
It smells good here. Tonight, I’m standing next to a bridge, at a place on Google maps called the bat viewing area. In Austin, Texas, at sunset, apparently a flock of bats all flies out looking for food at the same time. I’ve seen bats before, but I’m told this experience is one to remember. I travel a lot, and I often assume I know a place before I actually do. I admit to some arrogant…
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A Taste of My Best Life
As the weather warms in the northern hemisphere, people start to follow the examples of the animals in spring. All around me, I witness more of my fellow humans enjoying the outdoors, going to concerts, dancing, and dating. I too, have started to embrace somewhat of a winter thaw. My hibernation of sorts began with COVID. Although I found ways to expand here and there, just as I started to get…
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I Heart the Met
I Heart the Met
All my life, I’ve enjoyed a wide variety of interests. I enjoy conversations about astronomy and physics as much as jazz or horticulture, and I’ve always seen myself as a bit of a Renaissance woman. Apparently, those varied interests of mine have also seeped their way into the friendships and relationships I have, as well as the jobs I hold and careers I pursue. Yet as my horizon widens, flying…
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My Two Way Door
Huge news about the next leg of my journey and a challenge: what risk have you been avoiding?
Today, I embark on an extraordinary new journey – two in one, actually. As I swipe my fingers across my phone’s digital keyboard while flying across the country, I fulfill the first of many promises to myself to write. Promises I intend to keep. Sometime this summer, an article caught my attention and ultimately made its way into my coaching conversations and way of life. In it, the author Jeff…
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Ready, set, Go
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com As a teenager, I worked for an overnight camp. One day, my director asked if I would take two Korean campers who spoke no English at all. On that day, I learned the important lesson of agreeing to try before feeling fully ready for something. Luckily, the two girls had so much fun, they returned for a second week. I learned some fun Korean children’s…
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Starting Fresh
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com After years of working as a coach, my focus has grown and shifted. Where once I just wanted to help people transform, I now help emerging leaders make a significant impact for the world. My website, however hasn’t changed. You can still learn about my training and book a session, but it says nothing about deep confidence. It says nothing about the transformative…
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Poop
Despite all our perfectly presented social media posts, sometimes, life does not go as planned. Our favorite food or product gets discontinued. We wait in long lines or traffic after we’ve left a bit late for an appointment. Our health insurance denies us for a much needed procedure. Our plane trip gets cancelled. Our loved ones get sick. Someone dies. Our country gets overtaken by a hostile…
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It Was Never about School
Today, I return to the Metropolitan Opera, where I’ve been fortunate to sing since I finished my master’s in opera in 2007. My mind racing about the gig, a radical appearance change I’m planning, a trip out of town, someone coming to visit… I struggled to sleep last night. I’ve spent my day denying and wondering about my apparent “first day of school” excitement. After all, I have already gone…
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Delphinus
Image by Adam Mescher Stargazing tonight under a perfect summer sky, I stumbled upon stars I believe my eyes had not yet met. Delphinus, to me a new constellation suddenly clear but with faint light held my gaze and my curiosity. After hours of solitary joy and contemplation, I made my way back to my room past a beautiful deer and the enchanting song of the cicadas singing me a lullaby. Even…
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Let's go, again.
Let’s go, again.
Right now, I’m taking Skydiving for Pearls for a spin. This, my vehicle for change. It’s time to exercise my writing practice in a clear, intentional, and vulnerable way by once again showing up every day, five times a week. Everything I do in this blog pushes me outside of my comfort zone, as does this. Whatever I write each day, whether for my book, articles I’ll publish, gratitude journals,…
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Go and Scream Love!
Go and Scream Love!
Image by Dimitar Belchev
Do you have black friends afraid for their lives right now? I do. One friend commented earlier that her daughter asked her where they were going to live now. Another said she was afraid to go outside. When I was a child, I had a voice here and there that would say things like, “Why are you watching that colored people show?” and “There goes the neighborhood!” You know what…
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Show up, Day #264
Show up, Day #264
(photo by Munshots)
Silence. Sirens. Well-intentioned, good people seem to have one of these choices right now, as so many of us simply don’t know what to say. No matter how we might feel right now, just silence serves nobody. I honestly can’t remember the last time I wrote anything political on Skydiving for Pearls. Believing as strongly as I do about trying things that make me uncomfortable,…
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Meaning and Rebuilding, Day 263
Meaning and Rebuilding, Day 263 This week, hoards of singers mourn... in an industry that now wants to face the current world responsibly... we show up, rebuilding, envisioning where our transformations take us. Peace by piece.
(featured image from the broadcast of Prince Igor, at the Metropolitan Opera)
This week, hoards of singers mourn after thousands of us watched directors and medical experts who together discussed the foreseeable future of our industry. I’m not here to unpack the grim news of our likely months or years of recovery, but if you’d like to watch it yourself, here’s the webinar. Everyone online seems…
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Burial at Sea, Day 262
Burial at Sea, Day 262 I wrote all of my gratitude for my career on the back - the lifetime of singing that raised me and brought me thus far. I sailed it into the East River and sang "Wie du warst." It returned...
For the past two decades, I’ve joyfully experienced the brilliant sunshine of a fulfilling and magical classical singing career. I’ve worked hard, frolicked with friends, studied, learned, listened, shouted, sang, acted, breathed, and danced. Over this past year, I enjoyed a return to some of my favorite operas at the Metropolitan Opera, booked some really fulfilling solo roles in new operas, and…
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Curiosity Eluded the... Day 261
Curiosity Eluded the… Day 261
(featured photo by Meriç Dağlı)
… woman practicing Mystery Week. I confess, although I try most of the time to maintain a positive attitude and take care of myself, sometimes, I just want to phone it in, waste a day, tread water. Admittedly, even on an off day, I still managed to spend significant time learning Spanish and newly, Turkish, on Duolingo, lead a group call with other coaches on Posit…
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Unearthing Mystery, Day 260
Unearthing Mystery, Day 260 This blog saved my life... Some moments have threatened that... but I stand tall today, knowing that we can lean into life's mysteries, intentionally changing ourselves and the world. Happy Mystery Week.
Over a year ago, I introduced Skydiving for Pearls to my practice of Mystery Week. Since then, for one week per month, I’ve tried to avoid scheduling anything until each new day begins. Sometimes, this has worked brilliantly, and I have a full week to spend falling down rabbit holes each day, visiting with friends who don’t over-plan their lives, and finding new discoveries to enhance my life.…
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Care for the Planet, Day 259
Care for the Planet, Day 259 We all exist only because Earth can currently support human life... we have a birthright of stewardship, a need to take care of this home that holds us all.
(featured image by NASA)
I love this additional sixth way of well-being, care for the planet, added by the community of Kent. Not originally included in the New Economic Foundation’s Five Ways to Well-being, this reminder keeps at the forefront the truth that we all exist only because Earth can currently support human life. Born on this beautiful rock hurdling through space, we each have a…
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