Patricia Watson
Singer/Practitioner (Spiritual Coach)/Volunteer
I AM SINGING MY SONG by Patricia Ann Watson
I am singing the song that I came here to sing.
I am bringing the earth all the joy I can bring.
I am dancing to music composed from above,
vibrations of harmony, beauty and love.
I am keeping my life in a natural key,
so that I may become what I came here to be.
I think, so I am; as I’m living, I find
that my life has a tempo in tune with my mind.
I am feeling those rhythms within and afar,
directing my heartbeat or guiding a star.
I hear the symphony nature plays.
Composed in eternal and infinite ways.
I am chanting the song that accompanies birth
of wonder and joy of existence on earth!
Poet Unknown
From 1995-2009, Patricia Watson was President of P.W. Associates, Incorporated, which specialized in Management and Employee Development and Training. She was also an adjunct faculty member in the Management Development Program for women at Mount Saint Vincent University.
Since retiring, Patricia has been involved in singing at various churches, music festivals and theatres. She has a love for jazz and gospel music. She sings with The Patricia Watson Quintet, Ocean Blue Quartet and Seaside A Cappella Chorus.
Patricia is the chair of the Bridgewater Anti-Racism Task Force. She is the Co-Director of the Wisdom of the Heart Study group which has been meeting since 2003 in the Halifax/Dartmouth area. Patricia volunteers to read, online, to the second-grade class at New Ross Consolidated School and has enjoyed previously reading to the second-grade class at Bluenose Academy.
Patricia is a graduate of Antioch University. She received her license as a Practitioner (spiritual coach) in 2004 from the Centers for Spiritual Living.
In her own words:
When I was a young child, I had a recurring dream. I was on stage singing, and saw myself in the audience, or in the audience watching my performance. Over the years, I’ve come to realize the key message in that dream – to be true to myself. In other words, to do what I love, which is to be a singer and to work with people. This is the song that I’ve come here to sing. This is the key to my success. It took me a long time to give voice to this song – my song – and to realize that I am the only one who has control over my life and my thinking.
My journey to find my song began in Plainfield, New Jersey, where I was born on September 4, 1944. I was the oldest of seven children – three boys and four girls. My mother was brought up in a Christian family, so I spent many childhood Sundays at Shiloh Baptist Church. More than the foundation for my belief in a higher power, that church is where I first discovered the power of music. It became my passion, and I sang whenever and wherever I could - church choirs, the glee club at school and in various choral groups.
I might have followed my passion and made it a career had I not listened to, and believed, the many people who told me it would never bring me financial security. Instead, I married at the age of 21 and had a beautiful boy, whom we named John Wesley Howard II. This marriage lasted five years. These were happy times, but difficult ones. I had a son to raise and provide for, and although he brought great joy into my life, something was missing – a sense of self and a sense of purpose. At the time, I believed I would find myself through the acceptance of others. I had yet to realize it doesn’t happen that way.
One other thing was complicating my search for a sense of self.
Throughout my childhood, I came up against a cultural norm that accepted or favoured White people and their stories over Black people. The role models available to me often had nothing to do with my own cultural identity or heritage. I was left without confidence in my own worthiness. This empty feeling, coupled with my ongoing search for acceptance and lack of love for myself, led to a long period of drug and alcohol addiction. Drugs and alcohol were a way for me to avoid looking inward. They filled the gap where a sense of self should have been. I stopped looking for myself and caring about who I was.
I’ve often thought about what it was that caused me to turn my back on that chance to fulfill my childhood dream. Was I afraid of failure or of success? Ultimately, I think it was other people’s opinions and stories that swayed me. I believed their oft-repeated advice to take the safe road and seek stability instead of following my dream – a career in music. They may have meant well, but by listening to them, I lost the opportunity of a lifetime.
The years that followed brought significant achievements for me. I met and married David, a wonderful, loving man and I completed my college degree. Yet my addictions continued, and there remained a void in my life. Years would pass before I came to the realization I had not and would not become the person I was intended to be if I continued to follow the path I was on.
The “eureka” moment was the realization that I was losing my life, my husband, my family and friends to my addiction. Hard as it would be, I knew I had to shake this monkey off my back to become the person that I was meant to be in this lifetime. It was time to STOP, but how? The answer came when a friend invited me to attend a service at her spiritual community. I walked in the door and felt right at home, just as I did in my church as a child. It was a profound moment of spiritual awakening, and in it, I found the power to break free from my spiral. I began a renewed search for myself, this time through prayer, meditation, affirmations and using spiritual principles. My transformation had begun. I started by claiming my truth.
What followed was a search and rescue mission of healing. My goal was to become the person I truly AM – to evolve into my best self. I rid myself of the lie that I was not valuable. I continually affirmed that I have the right to have a beautiful and prosperous life because I was born great. I no longer had to look outside myself to find the treasure; it was already inside me. What I had to do was to accept the qualities that I love about myself and stop feeding myself critical, negative messages as I had done in the past.
Making a change like this was an incredible feat. As I began to open up, to embrace the beautiful person that I am, I noticed wonderful things began to happen. I started to truly notice and appreciate the things I was grateful for, and to understand that my negative thoughts and self-image only attracted more negativity into my life. What’s more, I began to own my own power. No longer would I let anything or anyone define my experience. I now know my true worth. It’s placed within my mind and carries with it everything that is needed to fully and perfectly manifest joy, abundance, love, power and untold treasures. I totally trust in my higher power; which I choose to call God.
Through years of work, study and prayer, I have been reborn. Part of this rebirth came when David and I moved to Nova Scotia 26 years ago. For years, David and I had been looking for a place to live when he retired. We looked at areas in the United States and Canada. We finally found a beautiful spot in East LaHave, Nova Scotia. In this new home, I’ve followed my heart and forged deep connections with amazing people. Amazing things have happened as a result – artistically, spiritually and professionally.
Around this time, I started taking spiritual classes online and in August, 2004 I became a licensed Practitioner (Spiritual Coach). I now teach spiritual practices online and am a member of Bedford United Church, Bedford, NS and The Center of Peace in Elkins Park, PA.
I also began to “sing my own song” as a real singer; thus, truly finding my voice. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to sing at various churches here in Canada and the United States and at various music festivals and concerts. I presently sing with The Patricia Watson Quintet, Ocean Blue Quartet and Seaside A Cappella Chorus. I’ve enjoyed some mind-blowing experiences as a singer and am exceptionally grateful for the joy music brings to my soul.
Today, I live my life fully because I am awake and eager to let go of the fear — which Ernest Holms refers to as “false evidence appearing real in his textbook Science of Mind”. That held me back for so many years. I live every moment as the woman I aspire to be. Love, compassion and forgiveness are my guiding principles. Faith in goodness – freely given and received – is my pinnacle for success.
The life lessons I take from my experiences are to follow my heart, follow my dreams and everything will unfold as it should. I don’t let anything or anyone stand in my way and I continue to be true to myself. That’s how I live a fulfilled life. My power exists within me. I know that at the centre of my being is a Divine Person. This source is my real creative power; it is who I am. I venture forth with the will to do, the determination to be and a joy in becoming. I am on the right path. My secret to success is to set an intention and not let anything interfere in achieving it. At last, I am singing my song for all to hear.
My Affirmation for Living:
I raise my sense of personal value, as I was born under a singing star.
I accept my Divine birthright and revel in the abundance of the
Universe that constantly fulfills my every claim.
I honour who I am - a spiritual woman of God living in
this time and space.
And so It is…Amen!!!
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What are you most proud of professionally? And who or why?
Overcoming so many obstacles so that I can truly live my life fully.
What’s your vision for Atlantic Canada in 10 years? What’s our biggest opportunity now?
That people be able to accept each other regardless of race, gender and take time to understand our differences.
What was your greatest stage of growth? What made it a shift for you?
Learning how to love myself by doing the inner work and acknowledging who I am and what I have to offer.
What’s your favourite or most read book or podcast? Now or at each of your greatest stages of growth?
Iyanla Vanzant “Acts of Faith”; David Michie “The Dalai Lamas Cat 3 Books Bundle Collection”; Ernest Holmes “This Thing Called You”; Rickie Byars “Let my Soul Surrender”; Kaye Parker and Patricia Watson “20 Winners at the Game of Life “; Leo Buscaglia “Loving Each Other”, Ram Dass, “Be Here Now”
What’s your deepest learning from this past year? How did/will you apply it?
How to take care of myself during COVID-19. I continue my spiritual practice of meditation and prayer, walking, exercising and connecting with family via zoom.
Who’s inspired you, directly or indirectly? How have they inspired you?
My mother and grandmother. They struggled through hard times and continue to have their faith and showered me with so much love and caring. They are my true role-models.
What would you have done differently?
Never touched marijuana and alcohol. Learned to love myself unconditionally.
What are the principles you live by?
Love, compassion, forgiveness of self and others, take time for me so I can give to others.
How have you recovered from fractured professional relationships? What uncomfortable truths have you learned about yourself in those experiences?
By owning up to my part in that relationship and reaching out to try and improve it. Sometimes it means accepting what is and moving on gracefully.
Not to wait until the relationship begins to deteriorate. When I feel something is amiss, acknowledge it and connect with the person to discuss the situation. This entails letting go of judgments and really listening.
"Music in the Soul can be heard in the Universe" - Lao Tzu
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Singer, Volunteer