August 2015 – Eat Drink Savor Life

Horizons, Self Growth

“The giver is greater than the gift. What does it mean? It only means that what we gain is nothing, it is what we give that counts. It is nothing — what has been done to us — if only we did all we wished to do, that is what counts. Either learning or wisdom, position or power or wealth, all these things gained are very small compared with what one can give to the others.” – Hazrat Inayat Khan

I am the first to admit that I am often my own worst critic. One of the hardest truths that I’ve had to face as I near the age of 30 is that we are often our own worst enemy. Not some ominous and scary force that lurks in the shadows and conspires to knock each of us over when we least expect it. More often than not each of us does a great job of cutting ourselves down before anyone else even gets the opportunity to do it.

I challenge you to become your own number one cheerleader while serving as a faithful servant to your community and personal tribe as well. It is important to get to a point where you are self-aware, self-confident, and gutsy enough to take risks to fulfill the hopes and dreams that you’ve carried deep inside. No one will come along and make this happen for you. You have to chase it like there is really no tomorrow. The funny thing about people who sit back in complacency is that they complain about what is not going right without making proactive choices to change things. The ritual itself is counterproductive and a waste of energy for those who engage in it.

5 Simple Guidelines to Get Out of Your Own Way

Stop Undervaluing Yourself
Follow Your Passion Intentionally
Have a Plan and Be Flexible
Give Support to Your Community
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

You can either dictate your own destiny by intentionally making choices that continue to lead you to your goals and dreams or you can passively let others dictate your path for you while utilizing your God given gifts to build their dreams. The choice is up to you. Don’t you dare complain for another wasted second. Capitalize on the moment to put your time, energy, and passion into something (whatever positive thing it may be) that propels you one step closer to your dreams. Bring your passion along with you regardless of where your life and career path may take you. You never know what door might open just by getting out of own damn way! What you stand to offer and give to the others by following your passion may pale in comparison to letting your fear of failure stop you before you start. In short, I challenge you to get out of your own way and make things happen.

Until the Next Post,

Janece

Sloss Music and Arts Festival (aka Slossfest) was held July 18-19, 2015 at Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama at the height of the summer’s sweltering heat! Despite the heat, Slossfest proved to be an awesome and unforgettable event. It was a two day event that spotlighted everything from great music, art, food, drink, and the Birmingham area in a way that I never thought I would see! It featured 30 plus artists including: Primus,Tyler the Creator, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, Modest Mouse, The Avett Brothers, Band of Horses, Cage The Elephant, Young the Giant, Lord Huron, Manchester Orchestra, Sturgill Simpson, The New Pornographers, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas, Kaleo, LANY, T. Hardy Morris, Muddy Magnolias, and many more!

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Day I of Slossfest

Aside from the great music, I enjoyed sampling the great craft beer from Alabama in the various bar areas at Slossfest. The Starr Hill All Access Area was by far my favorite and featured the Siren of Sloss Summer Pale Ale collaboration beer with Trim Tab Brewing along with their Belgian Witbier with Cherries, Soul Shine Summer Pale Ale, Reviver Red IPA, Keller Czech Pils, and Jomo Vienna-Style Lager. The Siren of Sloss Summer Pale Ale was something special and tasted like a refreshing and crisp IPA disguised as a pale ale! Cathead Distillery of Mississippi also hosted a cocktail lounge that featured mixed drinks. Piggly Wiggly hosted the Craftly Beerly Garden that featured the following Alabama breweries: Trim Tab, Druid City, Cheaha, Old Black Bear, and Singin River.

Siren of Sloss Summer Pale Ale

The food selection was also pretty impressive and included Jim ‘N Nick’s, Cantina on Wheels, Philly Connection, Shindigs Catering, Jalapeno Corndog, Repicci’s Italian Ice, Flaming Wok, Mexi Grill, Choice Burger, Phat Daddy’s, Sprout & Pour, and Efe’s. I enjoyed the insanely delicious Phat Daddy’s alligator tenders and hushpuppies and a solid Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich by Philly Connection while I was at the fest.

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Phat Daddy’s alligator tenders and hushpuppies

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The fountains of Sloss Furnaces

The New Pornographers

The Blast Stage and Sloss at sunset

In addition, the Sloss Metal Arts Program hosted Hands-On Iron Pouring demonstrations for attendees and allowed them to buy one-of-a-kind iron souvenirs from the demos. Various art vendors and local mixed media artists (Yellowhammer Creative, art by Kunkle, Anne Coneway, Feather wild, etc.) had booths where patrons could purchase unique art pieces. Patrons stayed hydrated by MailChimp’s convenient and free water filling stations on-site, Alabama Power offered free charging stations, and Yelp had a great water misting tent to cool down from the festival’s crazy heat during the day! Overall, Slossfest was a special moment for Birmingham and I’m already looking forward to next year’s festival despite the crazy heat of this year’s fest!