SIGNS - Flaviyake | #CoffeeChat

This is Flaviyake, a singer/songwriter here in LA. I got to meet up with her at a coffee shop and she shared with me her story of how she ended up in LA, some of the challenges she had to face, and her purpose behind her music career.

She shared that there was a time in life when she felt totally lost.  This is something I can completely relate to. Feeling totally lost, having no idea where I'm supposed to go, what I'm supposed to do, and feeling like everyone else around me knows the answers, except for me. I felt like this my senior year of high school, my senior year of college, and frankly, I still feel like this at times. I feel like life is a great mystery journey and I just need to figure it out one day at a time.

 

What's interesting about her story is that in this time when she felt totally lost, she started seeing signs. From a dress at a fashion store to seeing white feathers, these signs have guided her and confirmed her decision to pursue music in Los Angeles.

After hearing her story, it made me wonder, maybe there are such signs in our lives as well, but many of us are way too busy with life to notice them.

Something she said that really encouraged me was this. She said, "difficulties and obstacles make our shape and make us beautiful like a diamond." She is someone who has faced some very difficult situations herself, so these words carried a lot of weight coming from her.  She shares in the interview that she lost her mom this year (2016), because she committed suicide. She talks about how people avoid talking about this, but it is something that happens too often to just ignore it. According to www.save.org, every 40 seconds, someone commits suicide in the world. With statistics like this, it makes me realize the gravity of this issue and how so many people around the world are affected by this. She mentioned also that when someone you are related to commits suicide, everyone feels guilty. Suicides not only affect the person, but it also affects everyone around them. I can't even imagine how hard this must have been for Flaviya, but also, I was moved by the beauty of her strength coming out of this difficulty. She said that whenever you feel depressed, or think that you want to kill yourself, you must give yourself another chance. To have this mindset to give yourself another chance and to do something; To write another song, meet new people, and do something every time because that's what makes you alive.

I can see how some of the difficulties and obstacles that she had to face in her life has indeed made her stronger and more beautiful. I'm really thankful for the ways that God has led her to LA through the different signs because what she does matter. The music she writes and the songs she shares matter. Her life is an inspiration and I hope that she can use the opportunities she's been given as a singer to share her strengths and to encourage other people who may be going through some very difficult situations themselves.

At the end of the interview I asked her to write a letter to whomever she would like to address the letter to. This is what she wrote:

"Dear warriors,

Be open to see the signs on your way. 

Be open for challenges. 

Follow your heart and beliefs. 

Challenges polish us to get a shape of a diamond.

Flaviyake 

12. 03. 2016"

 

Thank you Flaviyake for sharing your story.

Video of #CoffeeChat interview with Flaviyake: