I’m excited that today, singer/songwriter Robyn Dell’Unto, is “Speaking From the Heart”, and sharing her experiences with all of us. Not only does Robyn sing and write songs, she also teaches young people to do the same. Founded by Robyn Dell'Unto in September 2011, ‘A Song Of My Own’ is a unique and interactive songwriting workshop designed to support children and youth in their exploration of music and song. Over 200 original songshave been written and recorded during A Song Of My Own workshops since the program’s inception. After hearing about the work that Robyn does, I had to invite her to take part in this series. Thank you, Robyn, for the beautiful work you are doing!

Ever wondered about the writing process? How does it work? I get asked about my writing process quite often and love having conversations about expressing one's thoughts. Writing is a solitary practice so it is more fun to have people around to inspire you along the way. So when one of my blog friends and fellow authors, Heather Grace Stewart, invited me to take part in this blog hop, I wholeheartedly agreed. How the blog works is that you mention the author who invited you (i.e., Heather) and then share your answers to the Blog Hop questions. Thanks for the invitation Heather! Prepare to be inspired and feel free to share your thoughts on the writing process!

This quote in my last post  gathered quite a few responses, “Passion is positive anger; it is anger harnessed into constructive action. For example, you feel angry that someone or something you care about has been harmed in some way; therefore, you resolve to do everything in your power to prevent such injustice from happening again. This is an example of anger harnessed to bring about positive change.” Readers and job seekers wanted advice to harness their energy into turning their dreams into reality, valuing themselves, and not losing hope.

My birthday is coming up this week.  In the past couple of years, I felt like a failure around this time of year because I was reminded of milestones of adulthood that I hadn’t yet achieved. However, this year my outlook has changed and I am embracing the day!

In the past, the way I coped with insults was by seeking support and advice from others. Many people like to offer advice – I think the worst piece I ever got was when, after sharing with someone that I had been criticized, I was told in a harsh tone, “Suck it up and deal with it.”  I had been really low, as someone had said something really hurtful when I was vulnerable.  Usually I am good with bouncing back from an insult, but this time it took a little longer.  My delay in bouncing back wasn’t due to the insulting comment; it was because of how I dealt with it.

Imagine this scenario: you have the talent, the drive, and the passion; yet you are still stuck with no where to go.  How can you advance to the next level? You can’t do it all by yourself; you need the help of a coach, a teacher, or a mentor to help you get there.

I was watching the television show, “The Voice,” last night; it has coaches who help beginner singers turn from good to great.  I love how the coaches – all outstanding singing performers in their own right - (Blake, Adam, Christina, and Cee Lo) hear promising talent and give them a chance to develop into greatness.

A loyal reader of mine asked if I could share on the topic of unrequited love; they are coping with this situation presently, and would like some support.

Unrequited love is love that is not reciprocated or returned by the other person.  Basically, you fall in love with someone whom you can never be with for a variety of reasons.  It is really hard on the person who has these feelings for the other, especially when they think that the other person is the man/woman of their dreams.

I'm excited that Amanda Abella of Grad Meets World volunteered to be part of my interview series on perseverance. I can relate to her experiences and she has inspired me. Amanda Abella is a freelance writer and blogger based out of Miami, Florida. Her day job consists of interviewing job candidates for a small employment agency while she moonlights as a personal development junkie. When she's not at work or at her local yoga studio you can find her running the popular Gen Y blog Grad Meets World or writing copy and blog posts for clients. Her mission is to help Gen Y see the potential they have while providing practical tips and resources to help them create their post-grad lives. 

Sometimes we think we are the only ones who are going through issues.  However, every generation goes through similar stages in life.

I came upon an assignment I wrote for a class in high school, called “The Young Adult of the Past and Present.” For the assignment, I had interviewed one of my grandmothers.  The original document has been changed only to take out personal information.  

My grandmother has lived in the same city for her entire life; she was born in 1921.  I chose to interview her because I think she has had a really interesting life. I wanted to find out how she was socialized to handle three developmental tasks: 1) separation from family, 2) development of intimate peer relationships, and 3) choice of career.

I find some people in life like to complain about their situation (i.e., their relationships, school, work, sports, etc.).   I have heard the following complaints way too often:

• I’m not happy in my relationship.
• I’m really unhappy at work.
• I’m not enjoying my thesis, etc.
• I don’t like my coach or my teammates.

It seems like they are never happy, and there is always something that is bothering them about their situation.

When it comes to love, do you follow your heart or your mind?

Picture you are the "Bachelor" or "Bachelorette" and you have a BIG decision to make.

**For those of you who don't watch reality television, the Bachelor/Bachelorette are reality shows where a person has to select their future wife/husband out of group of twenty five people.

Let's say the Bachelorette has narrowed down her choice of guy to pursue a relationship with to two very different people.

It seems the topic of finding love on Online Dating Sites is a popular topic in our society today.  Personally, I know many people who have found "love" or are currently using sites to find "the one".  Congrats to them. I have mixed views on the topic, and since I am not a user of such online dating sites, I am simply going through others' experience using the sites. I think these sites are good to meet people who you would consider dating, but I think the real test occurs after you meet the individual in person.  I know of many couples who found each other in person, but who would probably not be matched together if they had used a dating site.