How I Got Started with Song Portraits

In my adolescence, which lasted well beyond the teenage years, I took LSD more than a hundred times. That I emerged from dangerous drug use relatively unharmed and am here now, with (most of) my brain cells (seemingly) intact, is somewhat of a miracle. I thank my angels for protecting me from my own foolishness during that time. Yet, while under the influence, I occasionally experienced coming attractions of the gifts that would be developing later in life. Like divine carrots, glimpsing these streaks of gold inspired me to dig deeper in my quest to excavate the precious treasures within.
Usually, I took along my favorite spiritual self-study course, A Course in Miracles, to refer to during these psychedelic eld trips. LSD literally made the book come alive for me. (Have you ever seen a book breathe?) I remember picking it up during a particularly hairy hallucination and turning to a lesson stating, “I am upset because I see something that is not there.” Instantly the snakes slithering into my space became butter ies. Other phrases from A Course in Miracles that were handy to refer to in a psychedelic pickle were: “I could see peace instead of this,” and “Forgive, and this will disappear.”

During many of these experiences I would pose questions to the universe, and answers would appear in my mind in song. The music sometimes sounded like big production Broadway show tunes, and the lyrics addressed my questions profoundly, poetically, playfully, and always in rhyme. One time I asked, “Why does guidance always come to me in song?” The answer went something like this:

We know you well, and love you oh so dear
So we speak to you in the language you can hear Some listen best in silence or through art
But music is the language that speaks to your heart!

I began experimenting with asking questions and listening for the musical answers when I was substance free. Over time, as I learned to trust that the songs were always streaming live to me, I found that I didn’t need drugs to get online, and also that this gift was not meant for my ears alone.

One day I was at the Tucson airport waiting for a flight, when I decided to take out my guitar and sing to pass the time. Two other passing guitarists stopped to join in on the fun and back me up. Soon the three of us were surrounded by assorted travelers with an ear or a voice to lend to the jam session. We sang everything from classic Beatles to John Denver’s Leaving On A Jet Plane. At one point, I was afraid that an approaching airport supervisor was going to tell us to stop, but instead he playfully asked if we could entertain there on a daily basis!

I was taking requests from the crowd, letting them direct me, delighting them with my repertoire. (I have been called a human jukebox!) At a certain moment, I experienced a nudge from somewhere inside me to sing Amazing Grace. I squirmed, not wanting to wax religious and possibly rub a few people the wrong way. Yet my ego’s fear was no match in that moment for the promptings of Spirit, and I let go of my concerns long enough to initiate a powerful rendition of the song, joined by most of the crowd, which had been steadily growing in numbers. When we were done singing, a man came

up to me with tears streaming down his face. He told me he’d just come from his mother’s funeral. Amazing Grace, her favorite song, had been sung there. “Just now when I heard it again,” he said, “I felt her presence. I heard her telling me she was quite all right, and that she would always be with me.”

Silently I thanked the universe for using me as an instrument to touch this man’s heart. I also admitted that I would love to be used like that more often!

Music had always been a source of great joy for me, but it was beginning to show up as something I never knew it could be-a delivery system for guidance, healing, and transformation. I found I could open myself up to other realms and become a singing telegram for people. Often the words would address relevant issues that they were dealing with that I had no way of knowing about beforehand. 

At the time, I was living in a study community for A Course in Miracles, and my housemates and friends were grateful to be guinea pigs as I experimented with this most unusual gift. Was I channeling, improvising, or just exercising a heightened sense of spiritual spontaneity? I had no role models or teachers to assist me, until Michael Stillwater came to our community to facilitate a weekend workshop.

Michael had been doing healing work with his music for many years. He shared his own wondrous ability to intuitively create songs for each person in attendance. Watching him work was like seeing a preview of my future self. I asked him for help to bring my own expression out of the closet and into the world. The song he channeled was just the right medicine I needed to go deeper into unwrapping the gift I had been given to give.

I became an instant Michael Stillwater fan. Purchasing his entire collection of recorded music, I learned all of his songs on the guitar, copying his voice and guitar style as best I could. I even went to Hawaii to take part in a retreat he was co-leading. One day his wife, looking for Michael, walked in on me while I was playing one of his songs. She was shocked to find it wasn’t her husband singing. It was quite a thrill for me, to sound that much like my musical mentor.

But I was also finding and expressing my own sound and style, which was even a greater thrill. One evening I was finishing a concert in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. It had been very humorous, and the audience had exhausted its cheek muscles. Everyone was getting up to make a run for the snacks and/or to purchase my recordings, located strategically right next to the food. I heard a commanding voice in my head, as clear as a bell, saying, “Sit people back down in a circle and ask for a volunteer.” 

Before my mind had a chance to debate whether this was truly a voice to trust or a brain spasm from my days of psychedelic overkill, I asked everybody to gather on the oor. I invited someone into the center to receive a song. She spoke a few words about what she wanted support for, and then lay down. People lovingly placed their hands on her, and out of me came a supportive musical message. Everyone was stunned, including me, by the poetic beauty and power of what came through. Other people wanted in on the action, and many other songs followed. 

When I put down my guitar at midnight, was aware that I had just turned a corner, and that my music and my life would never be the same.

How does it happen? It’s still somewhat of a mystery, even to me. How it happens is not my business. My business is to empty my mind, trust, and let it happen. The songs come through without effort. I get a kick out of other people attempting to explain it. In corporate and business circles they call it thinking very fast on my feet. In spiritual circles they call it being a clear channel, tuned in without interference.

My reception is not always static-free. One time a man doing a session with me asked for a song to encourage him as he learned to speak up more in his life. His name was Mike, and he had a Jewish last name. I mention that because when I started to strum the guitar, the music that I felt moved to play was none other than Silent Night. That was quite unsettling to me, given his ethnic background, as well as the fact that the music for these in-the- moment creations was usually fresh and original, not borrowed from a Christmas carol. So, in the ensuing moments of strumming the chords, there was a noisy protest going on in my head. My ego was assuming there had been a mistake in song selection, and attempted through sheer will to get my fingers to change direction. But they stayed the course, and in a second or two I would have to begin singing. This man wasn’t looking for an instrumental guitar version of Silent Night. Suddenly I had the first words in my brain and everything snapped into focus. I started singing: 

No more silent Mike, no more silent Mike Use your voice, clear and bright

Speak your truth and your truth sets you free To love yourself unconditionally
Speak from your power and worth Reclaim your power and worth

More verses followed that addressed other issues he was working on. When I was done, I opened my eyes and looked at Mike with tears streaming down his face and knew that it had been perfect for him. That session inspired me even more to let the voice of doubt fade into the background, and to let the songs of creation simply move through me. 

The trust and ease that I enjoy while letting this gift flow is exhilarating. My deepest aspiration is to experience that in all areas of my life.

To find out how you can have a Song Portrait made for yourself or a loved one, visit: Scott's Custom Made Song Portraits

Why I Do Not Hate or Fear Donald Trump

Donald Trump. Just invoking his name can cause some of my friends to go straight to fear, as if I had uttered the name, Voldemort.

I hold such a different perspectives, and feel moved to share them with you. But before I do, I want to say that I am aware that most of you do not sign up to stay connected to my offerings because you want to hear my political views. For that reason, I do limit these kinds of emails to no more than once a year. And I do speak of the current political environment with the intention to further our emotional well being, as well as our spiritual evolution. It's all grist for the mill.

Some of you might want to delete this email before it brings you down, or sends you straight into your head. Some of you might want to criticize my Pollyanna attitude. And a few of you might consider this really good medicine, just what the song doctor ordered. It is to you that I write this, with the hopes that my words and perspectives might help you heap less suffering upon yourself in regards to all things Trump.

First, let’s have a laugh at it all, by listening to: My Super Funny Donald Trump Song

And now, here’s four reasons why I don’t hate or fear Donald. And why I actually smile when I see him or hear him or even think of him…

1. I’m an Angel! For fifteen years I did not watch the news, putting myself on a conscious, disciplined media fast. I tuned out the negativity so I could learn to tune into my inner media, and learn to raise and maintain my vibration in a crazy world. At a certain point I felt guided to start reading the news again, but only as an angel. I see myself as part human and part angel. My human self reacts. My angel self blesses. I have trained myself to see with my angel eyes when I start to get seriously into my head about politics. My angel self blesses Donald. Sends love his way. And sends a wink to his higher self, knowing he is playing his part to perfection. I love him the way I love Marlon Brando for being such a great Godfather. If I cannot watch or read the news as an angel, I turn it off. No sense being informed if I am going to use that information to lower my vibration and add my negativity to humanity's collective.

2. I just don’t believe in victims and villains anymore. I don’t see Donald as a villain. I do see him as a child of God, playing a part that we all hired him to play, so we can all see with the collective consciousness of humanity just what the ego’s belief system of fear looks and feels and tastes like. When Donald gets aggressive and talks about solutions to complex problems like “Build a wall”, or “Don’t let the Muslims in”, I get excited. Why? Because he is such great teacher, showing us in livid and vivid colors what the ego (yours, mine) sounds and feels like. He shouts: "Aggression is strength! Let me protect you!”  I think the world is rapidly heading towards not tolerating bullies, and that Donald is leading the movement by being the world’s most public bully.

3. All is well is my practice. I used to think, "Maybe all is well on some cosmic level, but…. And there is always a but to butt up against! My finances, my country, Ebola, Donald Trump… the world never ceases to give me contrast, choices, and chances to react. So, my practice is to remember that all is well with Donald and his race to the White House. I see it as a lesson for our country and the world. A lesson that must be played out. And what is my part in that lesson? Do I want to send negativity out as my contribution? Do I want to hate his hatred, or feel threatened by him in any way? A Course in Miracles says, “Nothing real can be threatened.” So I believe I am getting real when I say, All is well, and I send you peace, Donny Trump.

4. Maybe this is just my incurable optimism, but I see Donald as forcing the evolution of the Republican Party. To survive, they are going to have to hit bottom and adapt to the changing times, times that no longer tolerate bigotry.  Donald serves this transformation. He bleeps out the shadow side of the old paradigm consciousness with no censorship at all, as if he had Tourette Sydrome. The narcissism and racism and greed that has always been in the shadows cannot hide anymore.The gig is up. I see it imploding upon itself, hitting bottom. There are no young republicans anymore. There are no college campus movements to support Trump.  White men are now the minority in the country. To me, this is exciting stuff. Donald is acting like a homeopathic remedy. A small dose of his toxicity during the primary is forcing our nation to build a strong immune system, one where the American people will stand up to the bully and show this man the door during the general election. And I don’t believe it will be close. Again, maybe this is just my incurable optimism, but it makes me happy, and I'd rather be a happy optimist than a fearful realist.

So, to those of you who are still giving him your power and allowing Donald to trigger fear, hatred, or any kind of reaction other than love, I hope a few of these points go under your skin and help you keep your personal peace and sanity in our insane, but lovable world. Yes, you have every right to say no to Donald Trump and what he stands for. But let that no be free of fear, gentle, firm and unshakeable.

And then, please, move on to whom and what you say yes to. That’s where your power is. That’s where your love is.

And do take your homeopathic dose of levity by enjoying my hilarious Donald Trump Song:



With Joy,

Scott





Scott Kalechstein Grace is the author of Teach Me How To Love, A True Story That Touches Hearts & Helps With The Laundry!, available at Amazon in Kindle or Paperback by clicking on the title.  In addition, he is the Spiritual Dr. Seuss, an inspirational speaker, a transformational humorist, a life coach, and a modern day troubadour. He makes his home in Marin, California and loves presenting at conferences, giving talks, concerts and workshops. Visit http://www.scottsongs.com for more.

Resting Your Case

I was telling a story at a Unity church service  about my encounter with a young woman that happened nineteen years before, and someone stood up in the middle of my sermon and shouted "That was me! I was that woman!" 

It was more than a little juicy, this divine interruption/intervention. But let me back up a bit.

To begin my talk I used the Native American teaching tale about the two wolves. For those of you who haven't heard it:

An old Cherokee was teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy, a fight between two wolves. One of them is greed, arrogance, superiority, resentment, self-pity, guilt, inferiority, lies, false pride, and ego. The other wolf is joy, love, peace, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

And the grandfather's simple reply: "The one you feed." 

File that away, and now let's go back further in time.

I had a chance to first meet the woman who stood up at church while giving a house concert. Towards the end I was taking requests for personalized healing songs, and someone mentioned that it was her birthday and that she would love a special song. I invited her to come into the center of the room and lie down on the carpet, and people gathered around to lay their hands on her while I brought forth a spontaneous song to honor and celebrate her unique journey. She started to cry. It seemed obvious that her tears were happy ones, as she also had a beaming smile on her face. I kept strumming and delivering the birthday telegram, connecting deeply with her on a soul level with the song. She continued to accompany me with her crying, adding occasional bursts of laughter as percussion.

Perhaps ten minutes went by. The good vibes were contagious, potent, and palpable. I assumed everyone else in the room was flowing with the experience and enjoying themselves, until out of the corner of my eye I registered that one woman had gotten up, found some sage, lit it, and was spreading the incense around the room. She seemed agitated. "What's up with that"? I wondered.

Eventually the concert ended, and after snacks, cassette sales (it was twenty five years ago), and goodbyes, I finally called it a night, feeling more than satisfied with the evening's work/play.

But the following morning I got a telephone call from the lady who had been saging, and she was truly incensed. She spoke with great anxiety and volume, and I put her on speakerphone, partly so my traveling buddy Stephen could hear what she was saying, and also to get a bit of distance from her voice. She let me know, in no uncertain terms, that the night before I had been over the top inappropriate with the song recipient, that the poor, vulnerable, birthday girl I had been singing to had obviously been re-living past sexual abuse, and I ignorantly let the song and her anguished wails go on and on. A real healer would have intervened and not let her drown in her experience. I was not at all trained or equipped to handle such a situation, and I had no business trying to do any healing work I was doing. I should immediately stop going deep with people and stick to lighthearted humor and entertainment. 

She was sure she was doing both the world and me an important service by calling out another New Age charlatan and putting me in my place.

While she was giving me a piece of her mind, Stephen was giving me a peace of his. 

"Scott, this is all her stuff! It's not at all about you. She's deep in a projection. The woman you sang to was having the time of her life! The only abuse going on is happening right now. Don't take this seriously. Don't give her power. Just breathe. You're safe, you're innocent, it's not about you at all!"

Two voices. Two wolves! One howling accusations, and the other reminding me to relax and not to take it personally. Which wolf to feed?

Did I take to heart the sermon from Stephen-Wolf?

Wish I had.

While I sided with him intellectually, the woman's prosecution was far too captivating, as it brought to the surface some long harbored self-doubts. My inner critic blamed and shamed me for weeks, replaying the tape of her words as evidence of my inadequacy and guilt in the courtroom of my mind, and I seriously questioned if I should throw in the towel and leave the healing part of my work to valid professionals with authority and credentials.

Never mind that the woman who received the song left the concert gushing with gratitude. Never mind that I had a folder in my file cabinet filled with piles of handwritten letters of appreciation for the work I had been doing with people. The prosecution had filed a far more forceful and emotionally compelling case, hypnotizing a jury of my fears by continuously chanting the mantra/verdict, "Inadequate, Not Enough, Guilty!"

I've often tried to win the courtroom fight by beating the prosecuting attorney at his own game, feeding my defense with affirmations and declarations of my innocence. For years I have tried. It's been very trying work, and all my trials have left me pretty tired. 

I have had much more success resting my case and laughing it out of court. 

My Spiritual Dr. Seuss poem, How the Guilt Stole Christmas, was written to support myself and others to rest your case instead of trying to win it. It's brilliant, if I can say so myself.

And now, back to the church. The woman jumped up and exclaimed, "That was me! I was the birthday girl, and you were singing to me that night. I'll never forget. It was one of the highlights of my life!"

A part of me that had never been totally sure, relaxed. After the service I got to catch up with her while I munched on church snacks and sold a few CD's. We both were amazed and grateful that we had crossed paths again and got to say hello.

What did I learn from all this? A courtroom is no place for us, God's Innocent Kids. Our innocence needs no defense. I learned to feed the love wolf. That's why we are here doing time. To learn to unlearn guilt and listen to the love wolf. That's our life sentence. Case closed and dismissed.

Have Your Own Private Scott Concert (for you, your family, your party, your friends)

I have performed for audiences ranging from several people to several thousand. While I enjoy the thrill of standing in front of large numbers of people, I actually adore giving personal concerts to small groups even more so.

Living rooms, fireplaces, eye contact, hearts touched, seeing tears well up.

That's where I shine the brightest and enjoy myself the most.

And now, because of modern technology (Skype and FaceTime), I can do that from my living room to yours.

Anywhere you are in the world.

I am inviting me to invite me into your home.

Share me with family and friends.

You can have me any which way you want. Ask me to do funny spiritual songs. Ask me to keep it serious, soulful, and deeply touching. Or both. I can do my Spiritual Dr. Seuss poems, or make up poems in the moment about anyone or anything.

Request me to make up songs about whatever is relevant to you and your peeps. Ask me to make stuff up about your family, your kids, your mate.

Whatever you request I will sing about. Including birthdays and songs to celebrate and honor your loved ones. And yes, you can record it all.

I am being guided to keep the cost of a private concert with me via Skype or Facebook to a minimum. Just to get the energy rolling and building.

The cost will be sliding scale. $100 to $300, suggested contribution. You can gather some friends and ask them to contribute money, or pay for it yourself and host a party.

Or just keep it to yourself or your family. I’d be happy to to this just for you, a solo show.

Let me know you are interested and let’s begin conversation about it.


With Joy,

Scott Grace

Handle Your Self With Care

Treating yourself like a precious object will make you strong.

-Julia Cameron





One of the first songs I ever wrote, Learning To Love Myself, (click on the song title to enjoy) was written while gazing at myself in the mirror. The words of the chorus were, “Every day, in every way, I’m learning to love and respect myself.” I sang it for hours, hoping that by affirming it over and over, somehow I would get it and magically start loving myself. Little did I know back then that to really love myself I had to get to know myself. I had to become conscious of the different parts of me swirling around in there, and establish good communication between them. And so I began the ongoing, ever-changing venture of developing a loving relationship with the person I was going to spend the rest of my life with: myself.



To describe the dynamics of this relationship, allow me to take you on a guided tour through my psyche. You will meet my critical parent, my loving parent, my little boy and my higher self. These are mythic characters that I will bring to life through a playful blend of fantasy and reality. I use them to depict a valid process that goes on inside me, one that at times I both struggle and triumph with.



The loudest aspect of my insides is the inner critic, or critic for short. The critic’s job is to constantly draw attention to what is wrong with other people, the world, and myself. (And what a good job he does!) Tracing back my critic’s family tree, I found out that the first seedling came to this country with the Pilgrims on the Mayflower. Historians noted that the critic was seen in the back of the ship, gazing in Europe’s direction, muttering things like, “This was a big mistake. We should have stayed home. We should have known better!” (The critic is quite fond of the word should.)



The main focus in those days was survival, and the critic’s whip did seem to motivate people to work hard and to will themselves to survive. The critic thrived back then, and was an integral part of building a life in the new world. From the farmers’ fields to the preachers’ pulpits, from schoolhouses to family homes, the culture was permeated by the straight and narrow thinking of the critic.



With each new generation, survival became less of an urgent focus and the pursuit of happiness became more of a priority. The critic began to feel out of control, perhaps even out of a job. It started to sense danger to its own existence. On therapists’ couches, at weekend workshops, and anywhere self-awareness was present, people began to question the rigid rules and bureaucratic overtones of a critical voice. These days the critic’s military tactics are quite outdated, and he is in training to operate a modern computer program that protects and serves without police brutality. The updated software incorporates gentleness, compassion, and humor, three qualities previously not found in the critic’s tool bag.



My inner critic is a bit like the Japanese soldier who was found roaming the jungles of an obscure South Pacific island, twenty years after World War II was over. He was convinced that the war was still a reality and his nervous system was geared to fight the enemies. Sony, Panasonic and Toyota all helped educate him about the current state of peace and prosperity. Eventually, he was honorably discharged from his military state of mind and learned to be at ease with himself and the world.



Used as survival strategy during a wartime economy (childhood), my critic is currently being eased out of the jungles of fear and is learning his place within a peacetime sense of self. The critic learned about life from watching too much tunnelvision, fixated on the channels of right or wrong, good or bad. Left to himself, he would continue to watch his black and white tunnelvision set all day long, to be in remote control of how we picture life. But lucky for us, we have Big Scott to guide the critic away from his old programs. Big Scott is a voice of love and support that we’ve been developing over the years. When the critic barks at us in his usual righteous tone, “You did that wrong again! You’ll never be good enough!”, Big Scott might switch off his TV and take him outside to gaze at nature. “Look, Mr. Critic.” (The critic listens best when called “Mr.”)  “Look at all these different bushes and flowers. None of them are exactly alike. Are any of them right? Are any wrong? Are there any mistakes or flaws in nature? And aren’t we a part of nature?”



Sometimes the critic mellows and takes a deep breath. Sometimes he puts up a fight. Imagine knocking on the door of the Pentagon in Washington and telling the staff that the country doesn’t need weapons anymore for its protection. Might there be some resistance? The same is true for our personal pentagon. When it comes to taming the critic, Big Scott has to be patient, persistent, and persevering.



Big Scott’s main job is to take good care of our inner child, Little Scott. Without firm and loving parental guidance, Little Scott tends to get himself in trouble. He might choose to eat things that taste great going down, but make us feel sluggish for hours later. He might run across the street without looking both ways for cars. He might even run and dive heart-first into a relationship, forgetting that he can’t swim in such deep waters without Big Scott pacing his strokes and keeping him afloat.



In Little Scott’s room there is a special intercom. This line is directly hooked up to the inner critic, and when the critic does a sermon, the child hears it on his speakerphone. This is very painful for him, and he usually hides under the covers, trembling in the dark until Big Scott comes to love him up. Like any parent, Big Scott is learning how to care for Little Scott through life’s most effective on the job training program, trial and error.



Big Scott has one more job, listening to and acting on the guidance of Swami Scott. Swami Scott is a wise and powerful being who lives on a high mountain peak in our inner Himalayas, somewhere between our eyebrows. Swami Scott has only one disciple, and he encourages complete inner-dependency. After taking many workshops and seminars, and studying with other swamis, personal contact with Swami Scott is one of my greatest joys. I sit at his feet in confidence, knowing I never need fear giving him my power. He is my power!



And now to formally introduce Little Scott. We used to think that being an adult meant not being childlike anymore. But look into any adult’s heart and you will find a child in there, no matter how grown up they appear to have packaged themselves. My inner child is a delicate, tender, brilliantly creative and exquisitely sensitive child of God. He feels life to the fullest. He can feel anger, hurt, sorrow, fear, regret, joy and ecstasy, sometimes all in the passing of one hour. But he can also hide really well from those feelings if he doesn’t feel safe.



For much of my life Little Scott did not feel safe to feel or express what he was feeling. Parents, teachers, other kids, and the inner critic all seemed to gang up on him and contribute to his not having a safe space to explore emotions. So the kid learned to cope by hiding, pretending, and isolating, which translated to many years of substance abuse. The disconnection from feelings went deep. I even found spiritual pursuits could be used to numb out. Feelings band-aids come in many forms and disguises. My first ten years of meditation, though helpful in many ways, were a form of medication, spiritual anesthesia for the layers of emotional pain my inner child carried.



What Little Scott needed was for Big Scott to learn to come into his room and listen to his feelings, with empathy and acceptance. The child needed a loving presence, a consistent inner friend who would be there for him without judgment or diagnosis. Little Scott tried to find that love through sexual relationships. Women would come and go, but the emptiness of not having his own inner connection would return. In that emptiness he cried out, asking for love and nurturing in the only ways he knew how. He cried through addiction. He cried by not letting Big Scott reach his goals. He cried until the criticism, the constant high-speed busyness, or other forms of self-abandonment would stop and Big Scott would come into his consciousness for a loving bedside chat.



Those chats have become the cornerstone of my recovery, my highest and holiest act of meditation. During those times Big Scott listens compassionately to the little guy, cradling him tenderly while he shares, making a safe space for tears, fears, anger and joy to be felt. Tissues are on hand, and the critic stays out of the room. This is where we are learning about the power of acceptance, simply hearing where we are at without trying to fix or change things.



As we cease pushing and shoving ourselves around, feelings come up to be felt and are released as part of a natural cleansing process. Little Scott becomes lighter and freer. He feels handled with care,  a sense of safety which allows his heart to open and express love. He gets a familiar twinkle back in his eyes, a light by which Big Scott, Swami Scott, and Little Scott work/play together to share joy and inspiration with others.



And so we see that love and service starts with being kind to yourself. It takes courage. In a culture that teaches us that strength is about grabbing a bull by its horns, it takes courage to gaze at yourself in the mirror and say, “I will not fight.” It takes courage to walk the path of least resistance, to be a peaceful warrior in a world that has not yet learned to value the power of gentleness.



This is my dream, and I invite you to join me: that more and more of us negotiate a cease fire with our inner critics, that we treat our inner children to a lasting, happy childhood, and that we handle ourselves, each other, and our world with the utmost care and respect. 



 Click on the song title to listen to the song...

Handle Yourself With Care

 By Scott Grace


Once I thought by now I’d be

Mr. Functionality

Perfect and complete in every way

But I still get lost and then get found

As I walk this sacred stumbling ground

I need to reassure me, I’m O.K.

I’m all grown-up the world can see

But that is just one side of me

I’m also a tender child finding my way

I sometimes fumble in the dirt

I have a heart that can be hurt

And so I hear a voice within me say

Handle yourself with care

There’s a precious child of God in there



There’s a judge inside that’s sometimes strong

Convinced I’m doing my whole life wrong

So quick to rise up to my prosecution

But as I grow it’s getting clear

The judge is just a voice of fear

And gentleness my only real solution

For how can the child in me feel safe

If I’m trying to whip myself in shape?

There must be another way to grow

The petals of my heart open in a loving self-environment

A flower grows and blooms

When it’s given the room

So handle yourself with care

There’s a precious child of God in there



And so I live life day to day

Some obstacles get in my way

And though I groan I see the strength that’s birthed

I still get lost and then get found

As I walk this sacred stumbling ground

But life is getting sweeter on this earth

Reaching out to make heart connections

Making my peace with imperfection

Finding out the world needs what I have to give

For as I love the child in me

 My heart extends so naturally

I can lend the world my shoulder

When my cup is running over

So handle yourself with care

There’s a precious child of God in there


1995@Copyright ScottSongs

The World's First Inner Critic Cleanse

For five days, starting whenever you decide to take the plunge, you are invited to hit the mental RENEW button and heal some of the sludge accumulated over a lifetime of being exposed to toxic levels of self criticism. Yes, we are going to cleanse…. the inner critic. 

 If you can relate to being your own worst enemy and want to instead become your own best friend, if you have no trouble feeling compassion for others, but are much harder on yourself, if you know you should' stop shoulding on yourself but just don’t know how, maybe it’s time for a cleanse.

That’s right, announcing what may be the world’s first Inner Critic Cleanse. Of course, I am being playful here. I am not implying or promising that in a week’s time you can purge all self-criticism from your experience. Old habits die off gradually, slowly. As you build new habits and practice new tools, the old ones fades away. Not in five days. But in those five days I will give you all the tools that have worked for me. You’ll have videos and processes you can come back to again and again over the years. You will have some powerful mojo in your hands, tangible things you can do to feel better when you find yourself in critical condition.

Let me tell you how The Inner Critic Cleanse works.

I will send you an inspiring piece of writing with a tool each day to implement and put into practice.  You will also get a daily video with an EFT tapping round to help re-direct, re-program, soften, heal, tame, and tickle the inner critic. This will help you go beyond the intellectual understanding to a heartfelt experience of being gentle with yourself.

In going on thirty five years of consciously working on myself, I have practiced so many different tools for healing the inner critic. (My critic right now is saying, “You should have fixed me by now!”) So many approaches work, but I have discovered that for different moments and situations I am better off with either a Yin or a Yang approach. Approaching the Critic with Yin medicine means putting into practice the truth that only love heals, and that even the Critic needs love and empathy to soften and ease. It is just trying to protect you, and has good intentions. A Yin approach soothes the critic with compassion, non-resistance. It’s Ghandi, instead of Rocky. It’s unconditionally loving all parts of you, Yin medicine.

But sometimes a fiery Yang approach kicks but and gets the job done. These methods are quicker. Sort of a “Shut Up, Critic, Go To Your Room and Give Me Some Peace!” This approach involves matching its energy, meeting the critical voice with the aggression that might be needed to stop a bully. And that’s what the critic can feel like sometimes, like a big bully that is using shame and blame to shut you down and make you feel bad about yourself.

The critic ain’t a big fan of your creativity. Because he or she is a perfectionist, and creativity is sloppy, messy, and far from perfect, from beginning to end. If your creativity is in the closet, guess who is keeping watch by the closet door, and guess what happens when you start to work with the critic...more permission to be creative!

I have allowed myself the creation of a lifelong dream, to publish a book, as well as many other dreams. I have recorded nine professional music CD’s, and have created hundreds of songs, poems and YouTubes for one reason: Because I’ve learned to silence, or at least lower the volume, of my fearful critical voice. The critic is not fond of you creating anything, going for your dreams or taking risks. It exists and functions to keep you small, safe, and protected. Anything new is dangerous, a threat. And it will do anything and everything in its power to make sure you stay in your comfort zone.

The critical voice has no power but the power you have been giving it. And you can cut off it's power source.

I invite you to take one week out of your life where your intention, your inner commitment, is on taking back your power, healing and not feeding the critical voice in your head. I will be your guide. I will hold your hand as you stand up to the bully.

What I ask from you is a willingness to read and really ponder the words I send, tap along and breathe deeply to my videos, and in general be willing to do the homework, which include some writing exercises (journaling), visualizations, and some mirror work. In general, if you are open and curious and willing to try new things, you will do great. Be a good beginner, bring a Zen mind, and you will have a shift. 

I will be showering your inbox with tools and tappings, songs and ideas. If even one or two of the tools you take to heart and practice, this course, this cleanse, will improve the quality of your life for the rest of your life. It will work if you work it. Your willingness is the deciding factor.

Please take a moment now and imaging your life with a significant reduction of static from the inner critic. Life with an inner critic who has far less power to guilt trip or fear trip you into staying in your comfort zone, or to talk you out of feeling good about yourself. Life with a strong positive inner voice in your head that is on your side, lifting you up and helping you keep the faith.

What will the cleanse cost?  I’d like $100 for my time and talents. There is a referral reward of $20 off for each person who comes to the cleanse because of your efforts, so get five friends and you could do it for free. How many people do you know in your life are in critical condition because of their inner critic? We all could use some help on this issue.

I would also recommend a coaching session with me so you can have some personal support, helping you clarify your goals and kick some critic butt. And, if you are wanting to seize this opportunity for all its worth, a follow up coaching session after it is over would be my suggestion. The inner critic thrives and grows, like anaerobic bacteria, in the dark. When you shine a light on it, it shrinks. Allow me to hold the light for you and with you on this issue.

Nothing says commitment more in this culture then money. When you invest money in your personal growth, you are putting your money where your mouth is, putting your psyche on alert, and letting the universe know you mean business. You are committing to loving yourself more fully, and developing  a positive, encouraging, nurturing and unconditionally loving inner voice.

Warning: The inner critic will not like you doing this cleanse. It will tell you it is too expensive (HA!), and that you are being swindled out of your money by a charlatan who knows you are vulnerable on this issue and is preying upon you. It will tell you you don’t have enough time. It will preach the gospel of,  “You will probably be the one person who doesn’t get value from it. You will fail this cleanse!” Do you see that the inner critic is just fear disguised as doubt, distrust, and aggression, aggression  turned towards you? You are bullying yourself! Stand up to the bully!

And you don’t have to do it alone. We will do this together. It’s less scary, and more fun that way.

The moment you say you are in and send me the money…. you re in!  I would also suggest writing a paragraph or two about what you most want to get out of the course, how the inner critic has held you back in your life, your particular relationship with inner criticism. And also, ponder and write a bit about your critics biggest complaint about you. (My critic might say “Scott is a lazy bum who sits on his assets and only shares a fraction of what he is capable of giving to the world!)

Tired of the critic talking trash about you? Let me know you are in by emailing me at scott@scottsongs.com

You can join the program for $100 and get all the videos, EFT tapping and songs and essays. I will pour my heart out to you for the week. You can email me with particular questions and concerns. I will answer.

For an extra $80 ($40 less than a usual regular private session)  you will also receive an hour long  personal coaching session with me over the phone, FaceTime or Skype, complete with EFT tapping and a custom made song channeled just for you. Both the tapping and the song will be recorded by me and emailed to you promptly after the session. I would suggest that the healing session be early in the week, or even this week, so I can help you clarify how you can get the most out of the Critic Cleanse Week.

If you want even more support, if you are super intent on using this cleanse as an opportunity for a major turnaround and course correction, a session with me before and after the cleanse is suggested. For $260 (an $80 discount from my usual coaching fees), you would get the program, plus those two sessions. And I would encourage that second coaching session be scheduled for the week after, for maximum affect.

Can you feel the potential of you devoting some time to this topic? I can. My inner critic is trembling, letting me know I have no right to offer this. And if my critic is this scared, protesting this loudly, I know something wonderful is about to happen. Join me.

In Joy,
Scott Grace

PS. You can sign up for the Critic Cleanse  at whatever level you desire by sending $100, $180, $260 to my Pay Pal account at paypal.me/scottgrace. Please send via Friends and Family.

You can also pay by sending  a check via snail mail to Scott Grace, 162 Forrest Avenue, Fairfax, CA, 94930. Let me know when the check is in the mail.

Or you can use plastic. To pay with a card email me at scott@scottsongs.com and I’ll let you know how to do that.

Coming Home to Yourself For The Holidays

Welcome to these here holidays, the season of light.

The last few years I’ve had several dark Decembers, heart hurting, struggling emotionally to get through the holidays. You could say the grinch (my ego) has stolen Christmas.

And I know I am not alone in feeling down this time of year. The holidays amplify any shadows that have not yet been brought to the light.

My daughter is going to be with her mother for a week this Christmas. Last year they were in Germany for a few weeks, and being away from my darling daughter for the holidays triggered some pretty painful stuff. I got through it, but getting through it (surviving) is not what I am after.

This year I’d like to reach out to others who might be having a difficult time of year as well. I’d like to hold hands with a tribe of people and join together in not just getting though it, but in being our best and brightest selves during this season of light. Or at least having a more consistent sense of humor.  Gosh, sometimes that’s the best I can do.
If you are prone to holiday blues, grief, loneliness, self-pity, or the stress of trying to please everyone, or just the madness and overwhelm that might come from being with relatives that push your buttons, I would like to support you this year.

I am introducing, drum roll, please, a seven day support system called:

Coming Home To Yourself For The Holidays

It’s designed to help you not just go through the holidays, but to grow through them, and maybe even glow through them.

If you join, from December 19 through December 25th you will get a love note from me about a particular issue that we deal with during the holidays, something you can and will relate to.

I will also create and compose healing songs, and also make tapping videos to help deal with and maybe even clear the issues. I will be going all out to support you. We will go through a week of life together.

The issues I will address? You tell me. When you sign up for the course you are welcome to write in and tell me what you go through this time of year. Loneliness, self judgement, self pity, dealing with relatives, missing family, longing for a mate, trying to please everybody you love and falling short, general stress, emotional overwhelm? 

What’s on your plate?

The more personal you get with me, the more personal support you will receive.

Some of my writings and videos will be inspired by what I am going through, and others will come directly from your sharings and requests. I will keep your name out of it and everything you share with me will be confidential.

If you join the program, it is suggested that you send me a paragraph or two about what you find hardest about the holiday season, and what you believe you need to release and come to peace with to have more peace and maybe even some Holiday Cheer for these here holidays.

Here are the logistics and finances.

I have been guided to open this up for ten people. No more. This is not McDonalds. I want to offer you some gourmet support, not fast food.

You can join the program for $100 and get all the videos, EFT tapping and songs and essays. I will pour my heart out to you for seven days. That’s the minimum entry level.

For $200 you will also receive a private and personal coaching session with me over the  phone, FaceTime or Skype, complete with EFT tapping and a custom made song channeled just for you. Both the tapping and the song will be recorded by me and emailed to you promptly after the session. I would suggest that the healing session be early in the week, between Dec 19th and the 22nd.

Or, if you want even more support, if you are super intent on using this season as an opportunity for healing, for $300 you would get the program, plus two coaching sessions. And that second coaching session can be on Christmas Eve day or Christmas. If Santa is working hard on those days, so can I.

One more level. We can speak and/or email as much as once a day for that time period for $500. Basically, at that level I am your personal holiday healer and coach the way some folks have a personal chef. For seven days you will have me as your personal healing chef…..

My number one commitment this year is being a compassionate and caring guide for those whom, like I have, find the holidays extra challenging and painful.

There is no reason to feel alone and unsupported. Help is available. I am available.

This is what I do best, assisting people who are working with issues I am in the process of getting through. As A Course in Miracles says, “You teach what you need to learn.” We teach and learn together. I am no guru, but those of you who have had a session with me know that I am quite gifted at tuning in to a person, listening with a caring and compassionate heart,, and saying just the ‘right’ things to help the healing process along. I don’t offer quick fixes or dogmatic cliches, but I do do my best to ‘get’ you as a unique human being, and reflect back to you how lovable and capable you are at being you.

You can sign up for Coming Home To Yourself For The Holidays  at whatever level you desire by sending $100, $200, $300 or $500 to my Pay Pal account, scott@scottsongs.com

You can also pay by sending  a check via snail mail to Scott Grace, 162 Forrest Avenue, Fairfax, CA, 94930. Let me know when the check is in the mail.

Or you can use plastic. To pay with a card email me at scott@scottsongs.com and I’ll let you know how to do that.

Most folks tend to isolate and white knuckle it during the holidays. And eat tons of food to dull the pain. Getting support is an unusual thing to do. It takes courage. It’s the road less traveled.

The moment you make a decision to do something like this,  the healing begins. When you invest money in yourself and write that little essay about what comes up for you this time of year and what you are wanting support for,  you will be saying to the universe, “I am ready for a deep healing this year.” And the healing will begin. Stuff will come up. And instead of just enduring it, you might just find yourself resolving it.

If there is a way I can hold your hand for these seven days and help you move forward, I will. That’s my commitment to you. What’s yours?

With Love,
Scott Grace

www.scottsongs.com