The Pia Toscano Effect

If you've been living under a rock or do not watch the TV show American Idol, you missed quite a shocker where one of the show's contestant favorites, Pia Toscano (from my hometown of good ole' Howard Beach, NY), was eliminated.  Pia has all the qualities of a marketable star and any record company would benefit from signing her and from the shocked reactions of Hollywood, she's got what it takes. Like many people who've been following the show, I seriously thought Pia would be at least the final three or even the winner, but from what we saw, this was not the case and there is an even greater learning message here.  Interestingly, from the following exit interview below, Pia even admitted that she had a funny feeling that she would be in the bottom three of the voting that night.

Pia Toscano Exit Interview

You never know what can happen in life no matter how much you prepare for it but this is not to say that we should all be lazy bastards and do nothing.  We all have Dreams.  We are all living those Dreams at this very moment.  If we weren't, what in the world are we alive for?  Regardless if we're on the top of the mountain or we've hit rock-bottom, there is always something beautiful Life has to offer; or shall I say, reveals to us if only we'd pay more attention to It.  Life hits us with whatever we are ready and able to experience and it's only when we're blinded by our anxieties, fears, and neuroses that we believe that Life has "let us down".

Earlier that day of the show, during my daily meditation, I was meditating on the following reading from the Taoist text, the Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu, Verse 42:

Tao gives life to the one

The one gives life to the two

The two give life to the three

The three give life to ten thousand things

All beings support yin and embrace yang

          and the interplay of these two forces

          fills the universe

Yet only at the stillpoint,

          between the breathing in and the breathing out,

          can one capture these two in perfect harmony

People suffer at the thought of being

           without parents, without food, or without worth

Yet this is the very way that

           kings and lords once described themselves

Who knows what fate may bring -

          one day your loss may be your fortune

          one day your fortune may be your loss

The age-old lesson that others teach, I also teach -

          "As you plant, so you reap"

          "As you live, so you die"

Know this to be the foundation of my teachings

Take this passage for what it is and see if you can relate the Pia Toscano Effect to what's going on in your life right now.  If life gives you lemons, are you making lemonade, or are you letting those lemons get the best of you?  Sometimes our greatest upsets are our greatest fortunes....Always look for that diamond in the ruff in every moment, every experience and Life will always be a Jewel.  

BTW: Pia, if you're reading this, if you ever need a wellness/fitness guru, trainer, nutritionist, Life Coach/Health Consultant type of assistance to help you look and feel even better than ever now that you're going Hollywood (and we all know stardom can take its toll on one's health), I can be of service....;-)