What can I say? I really had a blast at our show in Sylvan Lake on November 1. It’s always a pleasure performing with my fellow band mates in Angels Breaking Silence, and it was good to connect with the guys from Fall City Fall, Pros and Kahns, and MVCP. Rock on, guys!

To all those who came to our show at Incline, thanks so much! We appreciate all the comments and positive feedback we’ve been getting. We would love to come out and play again.

Earlier this year I recorded a little demo called “Nightlife.” This song is still a work in progress, but I hope you’ll take a listen. You can download the track for free on my website: http://daw-music.com/ Cheers!

David Andrew Wiebe Seeks an Agent

I am currently seeking an agent that can assist me in the following matters:

- Handling legal/copyright matters

- Booking and negotiating shows

- Scheduling photoshoots, interviews, radio appearances, etc.

- Promotion and marketing

- Establishing new contacts, and keeping in touch with current ones

I will be working closely with said agent, and am willing to offer $15.00/hour plus 10% for each paid gig. For more information, you can reach me (David Andrew Wiebe) at info@daw-music.com.

David Andrew Wiebe Seeks Bookings for Fall 2008

With many new songs being written, a new album on the way (it's done when it's done), and several new collaborators, I am looking for some new opportunities to perform. Here are some ways in which you could help:

- "Grand Openings" – keep an eye out for businesses that are opening as they often hire musicians or bands for a grand opening event

- Private Parties – please consider me for your next party

- Recommend me to your Workplace – many businesses have parties/customer appreciation days where musical entertainment could fit in nicely

- Career Day Speeches – I am available as a guest lecturer, albeit inexperienced

- Pass it On! – forward this email to people you know who could be of help

Angels Breaking Silence Lines up Shows for September

If you haven't heard about Angels Breaking Silence yet, then obviously I've done you a great disservice. I play guitar for this amazing new band which includes original Lightly Toasted Touché members plus a new lead singer, Tim Snelgrove. I encourage you to look us up on Facebook or MySpace (http://myspace.com/angelsbreakingsilence). We've got some exciting shows lined up for September and we hope to see you there.

Thanks for reading!

I am currently seeking an agent that can assist me in the following matters:

- Handling legal/copyright matters

- Booking and negotiating shows

- Scheduling photoshoots, interviews, radio appearances, etc.

- Promotion and marketing

- Establishing new contacts, and keeping in touch with current ones

I will be working closely with said agent, and am willing to offer $15.00/hour plus 10% for each paid gig. For more information, you can reach me (David Andrew Wiebe) at info@daw-music.com.

My website (www.daw-music.com) has been hacked and defaced. Adam and I are doing what we can to correct this situation, but in the mean time please use my MySpace page: http://myspace.com/davidandrewwiebe. Hopefully we can get everything up and working again soon.

Exercise releases endorphins and makes you feel good. It keeps you in good physical condition. You've heard about all the benefits of exercise before. So why exercise if you're trying to manage your anxiety? 

In my experience, it's hard to think anxiety-inducing thoughts while exercising. When I go outside and go for a walk, my thoughts seem to get clearer. I often have insights about life and come up with ideas for articles and blog posts. I begin to feel good physically.

Exercise is life-affirming. It's a way of saying to your mind that you will continue to live, and you will still be here a day, a week, a month, a year from now. It's a way of saying that you care about yourself and your life. Anxiety and fear is quite the opposite. Fear says your life is threatened. Fear says you have no control. Fear says that something bad is about to happen. 

If your anxiety has developed into agoraphobia then please be sensible and don't do anything rash. You may need to work on your confidence before you can bring yourself outside. Exercise is nevertheless a proven way to reduce stress and anxiety.

There are plenty of great resources for anxiety on the Internet, so don't just take my word for it. Look into these things for yourself and you'll get back on the right track.

In late February I had my first panic attack. Anxiety has always been a problem in my life, but I have never experienced the obsessive and cyclic thought patterns I was perpetuating last month. This eventually led to a panic attack and a trip to emergency.

If these types of thoughts can come on that quickly, then I believe that they can be eliminated just as quickly. I have read about people that have struggled with anxiety for decades, and I sympathize with them because I now know how it can affect all aspects of life. I see my situation a little differently because I haven't struggled with these problems to the degree that many people have. I haven't dealt with these issues for more than 3 weeks, so I haven't had the time to condition myself to consistently react negatively to stimuli. 

One thing that has been helping me over the last couple of days is positive self-affirmation. Examples of this would be:

- I am a strong, healthy person
- I am not stressed, and I am not worried
- I'm going to enjoy my day 

Consistently repeating these affirmations to myself has kept me in the right space of mind. One negative thought is enough to send you down the wrong path, but it's better to believe that you are in control regardless. Imagining the worst case scenario isn't going to help, because a) it's not going to turn out that way, and b) it will paralyze you with fear.

Tackling your issues head-on is probably a good idea. What are you most worried about? What are you most anxious about? What are you most stressed about? These are the areas that you need to walk yourself through. It's a hard thing to do, but it is possible to see your situation in a new light. 

In all honesty, anxiety is something I'm recovering from and something I'm still dealing with. I'm not saying that positive self-affirmations are going to help every person in every circumstance, or even that I'm an expert in the field. However, I have a hard time believing that positive self-affirmations would have any negative effects.

Being open about it and writing about it has also helped me. I believe that I'm on the right track to recovery; I believe that I am taking the right steps, and I believe I will be able to function as a normal person again.

Today I had a great discussion with a friend about synergies that are happening in our lives. If some people heard what we were talking about, they might say that these so-called "synergies" are merely coincidences. I don't look at life that way. I don't believe that mistakes dictate our lives. When I see synergies in my life, it's like the universe is winking at me. It's like God is giving me a nudge. Synergies make me excited. It's as if the planets have aligned and everything is pointing to the fact that I'm on the right track.

That's why I think the Law of Attraction is such a marvelous idea. When you're resonating with a particular purpose or goal, you begin to attract like-minded people and the resources you need. When I think about my circumstances 5 years ago versus my current circumstances, the difference is night and day. Back then resources were scarce, but now there's abundance. This is a really exciting time.