The Day of the Taping

8:08 AM I woke up dreaming about writing this “travelogue” of the day of the taping.

10:12 AM Preachers & Teachers is a page on the beliefnet.com website. It features some of the world’s greatest living spiritual teachers in 2-3 minute segments on their core beliefs as well as spiritual questions and answers.

They are coming today at 4:30 PM to tape me!!!

Am I nervous? Naw, of course not! And, of course! Nervous doesn’t mean incapacitated for me. Instead it means that my adrenaline is running pretty high and fast. My task today is to stay centered and focused so that when it’s “showtime,” I can channel my adrenaline to give out the best of my energy for the camera.

4:30 is not my best time of day. I wish they were coming at 11. Oh well, they’re not. Spiritual discipline here: just say yes to what is.

I have a new dress! Wonderful periwinkle blue. I got it especially for the taping. Then I’ll start to wear it normally. On this particular day, the shoes don’t matter. (The things I think of! But I truly believe that if we care about it—whatever it is—then God cares about it too. Even if it’s just that my shoes match my dress.)

11:58 AM My sweetheart and I had to sit down and finish up our tax forms in preparation to meet with our tax preparer next week. Talk about grounding! Nothing like doing taxes to keep me here.

I kept thinking about what shoes I am going to wear, and my sweetie had to keep me focused till I finally put the shoes aside. I will wear what shoes I will wear! And that’s final! Skittery skattery mind o’ mine.

3:07 PM Yikes! My mind is ALL OVER THE PLACE. Thinking about the new pump that is going into the basement on Saturday. Thinking about my day job. Thinking about why, oh why do I have to take this medication that has made me gain 40 pounds—and just before being filmed! I’m pretty sure I know what will happen when the crew gets here.

I’ll get still. Very still. Deep within myself and the wisdom that graces me, and then I’ll be able to speak authoritatively and authentically. All this crazy energy has to go somewhere first—that’s all!

Off to do my face and get dressed. They’re expected at 4:30. Will they be on time? Or early? Or late? Chattery mind goes off on YET ANOTHER tangent. Ya gotta love it.

I’ll use my God Be All Me mantram whilst I do my face. Say a prayer, dear one!

3:17 PM All dressed up and nowhere to go . . . I’m kidding, but not. They want to tape me in my own environment. So I’m all dressed up and ready to go. I can’t really concentrate on much so I’m going to read my novel and flit in and out of prayer.

4:04 PM Sitting in my chair, I’m starting to shake. It’s that old hormone, adrenaline, pure and simple. It’s always this way for me before a performance too. Shake for thirty minutes and then voila! Showtime. I just need to make a path for the adrenaline so that I can sink deep and give my best.

4:25 PM The phone. They’re late! About fifteen minutes away with NO traffic. This late in the day God only knows how long it will take.

4:40 PM The buzzer! Thank Goddess.

6:19 PM I just closed the door. The producer and the videographer were very pleased. I was a one-take wonder!

I did five segments:

1. The core of my message to the world: Peace through the Divine Feminine.
2. Why do bad things happen to good people?
3. How can I learn to listen to my intuition?
4. How do I find my mission in life?
5. The God Be All Me prayer.

The video guy, self-confessedly not spiritual at all, said as he left, “You have an amazing presence in front of a camera.” That’s always my solid test. If the crew pay attention, I’ve done a good job.

And . . . it was so quick that they asked me to do another two segments!

6. How can I mend a broken heart?
7. How do I forgive someone who has hurt me?

So, soon enough, (I'll let you know when I know) I’ll be on beliefnet.com’s Preachers & Teachers, listed right under Deepak Chopra. Susan Corso.

Is that cool, or what?