where the rubber meets the road

Everyone has a set of principles and core values that they try to live by, and a set of beliefs, consciously or unconsciously, about the world, and how it works, and what is possible.

On our best days, we’d like to think we are steadfast in our faith, and secure in the knowledge that all really is well and that we are looked out for by a benevolent and loving God.

But our best days are not what test our faith or our beliefs. It is when we are met with moments of challenge that we really determine what it is we believe, in earnest.

Will we listen to that still, small voice, that part of us that knows that we know, even when it’s saying something we don’t necessarily want to hear, or something that is contrary to popular opinion?

Can we be of service to others and trust implicitly that what helps someone else cannot help but bless us tenfold? Can we believe in our own inner guidance when what it’s telling us is at odds with the material world?

We can say yes to everything when it is theoretical, but what happens when it is real? Who are we when it matters most that we show up as the love we say we want to embody? What do we choose when Spirit says to do one thing, and reason another? Who do we listen to?

I made a decision a couple of days ago to take down my newly released single – the duet with Kenny Loggins called “Friends Like Me & You.”

I know that on the surface, this is a decision that will baffle many people, because from a business perspective, it seems just plain crazy. But here’s the thing: when Kenny first came onboard this project and graciously offered and gave of his time, heart, and talent, I told him that all of us had to be happy. That was the rule. The creation of this album has been a celebration and a joyous love-fest, and that is the way in which I want it to go out into the world.

Kenny reached out to me after the single was already in the process of being released, because he had concerns about the timing of the single and the release of my album coinciding with his other project, the band Blue Sky Riders, who are releasing their own new CD in mid-September.

The ball was already rolling. Press releases had gone out. The song had been sent to 750 online retailers. I couldn’t stop it. So it came out last week, and I did not post the links to buy it on social media, nor did I give the go ahead for stories that had been set to run in the press nationally.

Instead, I decided to take the song down altogether, because, as it turns out, what I really believe is that this is a world of plenty, and plenty is not contingent on the timing of this release.

I also believe that honoring my word and respecting Kenny’s wishes is simply the right thing to do. 

I believe that the same people who were going to buy this song last week will still buy it when it comes out on my album a little bit later this fall. Yes, it is still coming out. Yes, you can still buy it. Heck, you can pre-order the entire In Color CD right now! (Pre-order Ilene's CD!)

I’ve learned that how things may look to others on the outside is nothing compared to how I feel about myself when I look in the mirror. I believe that possibility is infinite, that trust is necessary, and that all really is well.

I thank you for spending some time with me today. If you’ve enjoyed it, please tell your friends.

I wish you peace and richest blessings.

Ilene