"Amy" Moments
  • "Amy" Moments

  • September18th

    7 Comments

    Catch up

    Posted in: Inspiration, random ramblings

    Woah… its been a while, right? As a social media person, you would think I would update my blog at least once a week with relevant information. I mean, you have to keep readers engaged, right? (Although, I admit that I’ve used the past nine months to hide behind Seth Godin’s comment to “not publish unless it’s good”… at least that is what I’m saying as I struggle to type words for this post). Here is what I’ve been up to since January:

    • Made the decision to go back to non-profit: After a very productive time at a non-profit serving Native American educators and students,  I found a new home at  an organization that is the nation’s only and largest private funder of research on gambling disorders. More on the switch in a later post.
    • Learned more about office IT systems and website redesigns than I ever thought I would know.
    • Bounced back from an injury from small little fall when trying to dodge a tourist on a run.
    • Decided to actually take my fitness to the next level…and started working with Grant Hill of MyBootcamp. More on that in a later post too…
    • Reconnected with some incredible friends and met some new ones, who have inspired me to pick back up the pen and journal, or the keyboard and iMac, for the blog.
    • Traveled quite a bit for work, but didn’t have the time off to travel to see family or friends as much as I’d like.
    • Fell more in love with a wonderful man and cheered him on as he continues to reach his goals
    • Started to find my voice again…
    • Hosted my mother for a week and helping her to explore this great city.
    • Celebrated the engagements of my brother and his fiancé, my best friend and the love of her life and a couple who happen to be our favorite people in Seattle.
    • Finally had the opportunity to get the camera out and shoot again
    • Struggled to find that perfect work/life balance….and the struggle continues.
    Quite a bit has happened, but I feel like the last nine months have steadily laid a foundation for the remainder of the year. There is so much coming up: a huge work event in Las Vegas, a highly-anticipated and much needed vacation in Napa, my 30th birthday, a delightful change from summer to fall and possibly starting a new big project involving both the blog and more writing (stay tuned for that!).
    So, thanks to all five readers who have stuck around…more to come!

  • January9th

    9 Comments

    New Year’s Thoughts

    Posted in: Inspiration, random ramblings

    Less than one week into the new year, I realize one very critical lesson:

    I need thicker skin.

    I was planning on writing this lengthy blog post about my new year’s resolutions (or the resolution not to have resolutions, but to have goals and aspirations), what new rules I wanted to live life by, and the challenges I would tackle in the start of a new decade.

    Forget that… let’s just talk about the one recurring theme in Amy Liz land: the need to not take things personally.

    I’ve talked many times how I need to work on this and, because I’ve discussed it so much, I get so frustrated that I’m not farther along. The beauty of it all is that finessing life is a journey, not a to-do list.

    So instead of focusing on what needs to change, I’m going to focus on what character, personality and lifestyle traits I can enhance (even if some of them are in progress):

    1. I will pursue God wholeheartedly and seek Him in all things (from the big picture vision to the small daily grumblings, He will set my course)
    2. I will take time to meditate, be silent and listen to what He’s saying.
    3. I will not allow others to tell me who I am and who I am not. ( while I will always take advice at face value, I will not take it as deeply and personally as I have in the past, always allowing it to build me up or break me down, depending on someone else’s mood).
    4. I will be present. While it may not seem obvious, I tend to be in five places at once, sometimes allowing my iPhone to dictate
    5. I will cherish those who encourage, enlighten and inspire – and try to do the same for them
    6. I will forgive myself, and continue to forgive myself over and over, for the little things I hold over my head.
    7. I will not allow myself to feel incredibly behind the curve in anything I do.
    8. Instead of procrastinating, I will forge ahead and see what I can accomplish in spite of adversity
    9. I will not allow comfortable situations/feelings lull me into complacency – I will always challenge, ask questions and look for innovation.
    10. I will not allow my hands to get the best of me, whether it is my emotion
    11. I will be confident that I know what I’m doing, even when it seems like I don’t know what to do.

    And, while this isn’t a resolution list, I will still keep the “must travel and explore a new location” and “must check at least one thing off the bucket list” resolutions. Why? Because, let’s face it: I had a stellar year of firsts as I:

    Oh, and I met some of the most amazing professionals through social media. Yeah.. you know who you are!!!

    So, I’d like to make a toast to a 2011 of fun, laughter, love and thicker skin.  Cheers!

  • December7th

    3 Comments

    Living the Dream: Kennedy Center Honors

    Posted in: Uncategorized

    What are the dreams that you had as a little kid? To be an astronaut? President of the U.S.?

    Mine was to sing in a big venue, specifically the Kennedy Center Honors.  Last weekend, that dream came true.

    Since 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors celebrates the best in lifetime achievement in the arts and culture. They keep the show’s celebrities secret until they tape the first week of Dec.,but they always have amazing artists and great opportunities for choirs that back them up.

    Some of my earliest memories was watching this program with my mother, always marveling at the work of the honorees and loving the performance. To me, the level of the show is up there with the Emmys and Grammys – it was consistently a show I’d always watch and dream that one day I’d be there.

    A few days ago, a friend said that the choir that was backing up James Taylor and Mavis Staples needed more singers and asked if I could come and sing for the one… the only… Sir. Paul McCartney. Um.. yeah! (said without hesitating and a lot of OMG and squealing). During rehearsal, we listened to Steven Tyler, Dave Grohl, No Doubt, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson and Norah Jones perform. I just walked around the Kennedy Center with my jaw dropped and my eyes wide open.

    And then today was a day for the record books.

    We started with a 1pm call and taped the dress rehearsal. Each time when I walked up backstage (always walking past the greenroom, peeking inside to see who was there), I had the most intense case of butterflies I’ve ever known. Its fascinating to think that you get to live a dream, one that you thought never had a chance of happening.

    When the curtain pulled up last night after James Taylor and Mavis Staples sang “Let it Be,” it was the most exhilirating rush of my recent life. All I could see was some of the audience members and the President, and I kept looking around to identify celebrities’ faces.

    Then, we broke out the “na na na nas” for Hey Jude… and Paul McCartney started getting down. Seriously. I’ve seen Oprah boogie (and she was dancing right beside him), but watching Paul get into the song was a whole new experience. They passed out lights to the audience, and everyone started waving their arms – it looked like we were in the best rock concert of all time.

    Oh, and Steven Tyler said hi to me backstage. I freaked out!

    So, please excuse me if you catch me daydreaming or talking about this incredible day. I mean, its not every day you get to sing for Matthew Morrison (aka Will Schuster of “Glee”), Julia Roberts, Brad Paisley, Diana Ross, Alec Baldwin, James Taylor, Oprah and the President and First Lady. :)

    Make sure you watch the Kennedy Center Honors on CBS Dec. 28. Check your local listings. It was an incredibly powerful show and I know you’ll enjoy it. If you look at the Paul McCartney choir, I’m on the right side of the men in the middle, 2nd row, third woman from the middle.

    Here’s CNN’s quick clip of the evening. If you can’t view it, click here.

  • November23rd

    1 Comment

    Wounds take a while to heal

    Posted in: healing, Lamentations

    Sorry to come back to the blogosphere on such a low note, but sometimes you just have to write what is in your heart.

    My 29th birthday was a little over a week ago. And you know what birthdays mean: reflection time.  I was in Albuquerque for work, so I had plenty of alone time to think over the past year and how much things have changed. A year ago, I would not have imagined that I would go through the highs and lows. It also feels like such an extreme year – from the high of coasting through Costa Rica with the most amazing man to a traumatic family moment that I’d never want anyone to go through. In all, life just seems to march on.

    For me, the lesson in it all was just to be grateful for what I have and allow God’s whole and true perspective of the world to ring true in my life as well. Sometimes that is much more difficult than others, especially when you hear the crackle of thunder and lightning, as if the world might fall apart again.  You work toward healing past hurts and watching the wound close up, hoping that it won’t reopen.  Sometimes, we just aren’t that lucky and it can open in the most unexpected ways.

    I got a call this morning that brought all of the life to the wound our family experienced almost a year ago. A friend of mine coped as the same tragedy happened in her friend’s family and needed advice on what to do.  All of the questions and fears swirled my head. “How do I be there for her?” “How do I cope?” “Oh God, how can this happen to someone else?” The doubts and panic can set in immediately. All of these thoughts on the heels of revisiting a heartbreaking moment of the past year. A little too much deja vu, if you ask me.

    Ultimately, though, I find it utterly amazing when sadness and despair does bring life and healing in another way. I’m happy I was able to help her think through some tough questions while revisiting mine as well. It didn’t allow for a very “sunshine and rainbows” sort of day (in fact, yesterday was way too full of tears), but it allowed me to process a painful moment all over again and realize once again how wide, high and deep God’s love truly is. Even though I want this wound to heal overnight, apparently it takes longer than a year. Or two. Or more. All the while, God’s promises are that He’ll be faithful to carry us through those utterly painful moments – and I’m clinging to that and believing it for my friend and family.

  • August23rd

    5 Comments

    Time to Unplug

    Posted in: Uncategorized

    Gabriel Rocha UNPLUGGEDHello.  My name is Amy Liz and I needed a vacation.

    And, we’re not talking just a “Hey, let’s go to Ocean City for the weekend.”

    We’re talking a vacation that uses my passport.

    So, D and I went to Costa Rica for a week. We spent weeks planning on where to go in the country, how to get there, and where to stay.  We learned a lot about each other in our first vacation together.

    Other than a week together in tropical paradise, what was the best part? Not being able to use our phones.

    I know, I know.. this is coming as a shock to many of you. If you know me well, you probably always see me with my iPhone, always on Twitter or Facebook.  Here’s how the conversation went down:

    D: I really don’t think we should bring our phones on vacation

    A: <<silence & crickets>> Really? Are you kidding?

    D: Yeah. Super spendy to use it.

    A: Well, maybe I’ll call just to see (Side note: I knew he was right.. I just wanted to make one last-ditch effort).

    After about 20 min. on the phone with AT&T, there was no way to bring our phones cheaply to Costa Rica. I whined about it a little as we left for the airport, and really missed it on the plane and once we got in country and were looking for the incredibly small airport we needed to get to.

    But, after about a day, I totally forgot that I had an iPhone. We found other ways of getting to places and actually asked for directions – in Spanish. As a result of not being tethered to that darn device, I was able to speak more fluently, think a bit more clearly, and have great conversation with my traveling partner. Most importantly, I unplugged and relaxed. There is nothing more precious than that.

    So I’m back in the States and, yes, I probably missed out on a lot of tweets and things that I should have known via social media. But I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world.

    Pictures coming soon! PURA VIDA!

    Photo Credit: Gabriel Rocha, Flickr Creative Commons

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