As promised, I'll be comin' at ya every Tuesday. The only problem is, I've been so crazy busy that even though technically, it's Wednesday, I am still considering it Tuesday because I haven't gone to bed yet. I want to brag for a second, but also hope to inspire too.
When I was a kid, I fell in love with acting and performing. I participated in the drama club in middle school and was always a member of the advanced production class in high school. Not to toot my own horn, but I've got talent.
Then I went off to college and figured it was time to grow up, get a real job, etc. I studies mass communication (media, basically) and while I really liked it, I always felt a little empty.
After 10 years of tucking my love of acting into a deep crevice of my mind, swearing never to dig it out again for fear of pain and resentment that might stray me from the path of what I thought was mature discipline, I woke up one day and decided to go for it. That day was less less than two months ago. I have since booked four separate, PAID acting jobs. The pay is rather low, as I expected, but I honestly don't care because first, it's experience, and second, IT'S PAID! That's a HUGE deal! I've gotten parts in four out of five auditions that I've attended. That's pretty damn good if I may say so myself. I know that frequency will not likely remain, but I'm still stoked.
Whatever it is you're wanting to do, it's not too late. I know it seems impossible to believe when you're stuck in a depression, but once you put the simplest thing into motion, you'll get what you want. It may come slowly, but it will come. Your brain won't let you forget it. It will nag at you, poke at you, and ask you, "WHY THE HELL HAVEN'T YOU DONE THIS YET?!"
Ask me how I know....because that's what I did for *10* years!
You can't simply dream, you have to DO. Right now, get a piece of paper and a pen or open a blank Word document. Write ONE thing you've always wanted to do. It doesn't have to be some life-altering experience. It can be as simple as going to store that has always looked interesting, but that you've never visited, or reading a certain book, or taking a random art class, or making one phone call to a company you've always been interested in working for. Then do it.
Keep doing it. After you visit that store, read that book. After you finish that book, take that art class. After you take that art class, call that company. You'll condition yourself to say yes to your desires and you'll learn ways to make them happen. You can start making increasingly "harder" goals. It won't be as easy, of course, but what worth having is? Don't believe me? Look at all the obscenely wealthy, yet incredibly vapid losers we all idolize who seem to have everything handed to them by right of birth. Yet somehow, they're miserable, they turn to drugs or other types of thrill seeking, they can't stand the pain of knowing they don't really do anything.
I know, it kinda sounds kooky, like something from The Secret, or one of those other lame self-helpless books, but I'm not claiming anything mythical or mystical....mythistical? Anyway, I am merely suggesting things that you can definitely do, and I'm not basing it off of any defined pseudoscience. These are just simple tasks that anyone with a pen and paper can do.
I know, I know, I know. It's HARD, but think of it the way, you're going to be dead soon. It may seem far off, but it's not. Besides, it could also happen any time, so you have to make the best of your life NOW because when you're dead, it won't matter, even if you do have some kind of spiritual belief about the afterlife. Of course, I'm not here to take that away from you, however, I would love to murder the idea that suffering equals reward. It doesn't. Always keep the Golden Rule. No matter what your beliefs are, if you always consider others, live with passion and goodness, you should still qualify for whatever super-neato, post-mortem experience you subscribe to.
Don't let your "faith" hold you back from anything! Besides, you're not following your faith's rules 100% anyway. More importantly, no belief should get in the way of you doing what you really want...unless your dream is like...stalking some hot celebrity or something. In that case, seek a psychiatrist.
Please, today, right now, this moment, do something that makes you happy, no matter how small.
Showing posts with label following your dreams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label following your dreams. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Excuses, Excuses
Humans are such great excuse makers. I'm not sure what the evolutionary significance of this trait is, but in any case, we all tend to let this negative ability rule our lives. We can't lose weight because we're old. We can't take on a hobby because we're poor. We can't enrich our relationships with friends because we don't have time. We can't enlighten ourselves because we don't know how (and refuse to learn). Even as I write this blog damning the process, this very second, I am making excuses for not accomplishing other things I really want in my life.
In terms of career, my basic goal is to organize enough small, part-time gigs that I enjoy to amass a full-time income. This mission is easy enough for me because I've always been single and lived modestly. It may be more difficult for many of you out there that are chasing your dreams and have families, nice houses, car payments, etc. The things I'm trying are really meant for me, but I always hope to be able to inspire other people. So, perhaps you might not be able to walk away from your miserable job right away. Perhaps you might not be able to save money. Perhaps you don't have time to take on any more responsibilities.
Sorry to be a brat, but those are all excuses. I know, it's ugly and unpleasant, but I do my best not to bullshit people; there's enough bullshit in this world as it is. Sadly, what most people do the second they hear this, is come up with more excuses. This is far from the first time I've made that statement and every time I make it, I am met with what seems like a battle royale of pseudo-sympathetic excuses. Inevitably, to remove the focus from themselves, people will always politicize the point. "Oh, so, you're saying that it's poor people's fault they're poor? WELL YOU'RE WRONG! If it weren't for this or that political blabla then blabla wouldn't blabla." Never mind that I never said any of what they're assuming.
Alas, we are so good at making excuses for ourselves that we'll even make them for other people to convince ourselves of our own bullshit. Hey, if someone else really can't control their circumstances at all and it's not their own fault, it's possible that my own unhappiness is not my own fault. That's the hideous truth of these defenses. We hate to admit to ourselves that we are in control. We look to faith, we look to government, we look to family, we look to community, we look to give control of our lives to ANYTHING but ourselves to make damn sure we have "good" excuses. It's not me, it's God, it's karma, it's Republicans, it's Obama, it's Sarah Palin, it's my parents, it's my neighbors, it's this girl in my class, it's my teacher, it's glandular. Why the hell would you let any of the above things control YOUR life?
The bottom line is if you want something badly enough, you'll do whatever it takes to get it. That may mean not sleeping for as many hours, not eating as often, giving up a hobby, cancelling your cable, downgrading your cell phone plan, turning your air conditioner off, line drying your clothes, giving up meat, selling some of your nicer things.
To put it a little better:
I do not know this man personally. I am not a representative of him or his company or anything related to making money off of showing you this. It's valuable advice we can all use.
STOP WITH THE EXCUSES! There are 24 hours in a day. Use them all!
In terms of career, my basic goal is to organize enough small, part-time gigs that I enjoy to amass a full-time income. This mission is easy enough for me because I've always been single and lived modestly. It may be more difficult for many of you out there that are chasing your dreams and have families, nice houses, car payments, etc. The things I'm trying are really meant for me, but I always hope to be able to inspire other people. So, perhaps you might not be able to walk away from your miserable job right away. Perhaps you might not be able to save money. Perhaps you don't have time to take on any more responsibilities.
Sorry to be a brat, but those are all excuses. I know, it's ugly and unpleasant, but I do my best not to bullshit people; there's enough bullshit in this world as it is. Sadly, what most people do the second they hear this, is come up with more excuses. This is far from the first time I've made that statement and every time I make it, I am met with what seems like a battle royale of pseudo-sympathetic excuses. Inevitably, to remove the focus from themselves, people will always politicize the point. "Oh, so, you're saying that it's poor people's fault they're poor? WELL YOU'RE WRONG! If it weren't for this or that political blabla then blabla wouldn't blabla." Never mind that I never said any of what they're assuming.
Alas, we are so good at making excuses for ourselves that we'll even make them for other people to convince ourselves of our own bullshit. Hey, if someone else really can't control their circumstances at all and it's not their own fault, it's possible that my own unhappiness is not my own fault. That's the hideous truth of these defenses. We hate to admit to ourselves that we are in control. We look to faith, we look to government, we look to family, we look to community, we look to give control of our lives to ANYTHING but ourselves to make damn sure we have "good" excuses. It's not me, it's God, it's karma, it's Republicans, it's Obama, it's Sarah Palin, it's my parents, it's my neighbors, it's this girl in my class, it's my teacher, it's glandular. Why the hell would you let any of the above things control YOUR life?
The bottom line is if you want something badly enough, you'll do whatever it takes to get it. That may mean not sleeping for as many hours, not eating as often, giving up a hobby, cancelling your cable, downgrading your cell phone plan, turning your air conditioner off, line drying your clothes, giving up meat, selling some of your nicer things.
To put it a little better:
I do not know this man personally. I am not a representative of him or his company or anything related to making money off of showing you this. It's valuable advice we can all use.
STOP WITH THE EXCUSES! There are 24 hours in a day. Use them all!
Finally, a start!
As described by my profile, I walked away from a corporate job and hopefully won't have to turn back. Though, the date seems to be fast approaching that I may have to take on something part time. If I do have to turn back, then it will just be a bump in the road. Nothing is going to stop me from pursuing my dreams, even if it means temporarily dealing with a job I can't stand.
I am not a professional motivational speaker or author. I am not a part of any get rich quick scam. I am simply a gal tired of seeing people throw their lives away miserably because they've been programmed to believe, that they don't really have a choice, that they're too poor, too old, too fat, too shy, too awkward, too stupid, too BLABLABLAAAAA. Excuses. That's all you have, a list of excuses. As someone who has suffered for depression for ages, I know it's nearly impossible to get out of that mindset while you're stuck in it. This is why I am starting from the beginning. I am starting with nothing.
I don't want to give the wrong impression. I AM a capitalist. I love money. Artists, intellectuals, and creative types tend to disagree. In fact, I have often been accused of not being a "real" artist, intellectual, or creative type because I do support capitalism. Apparently, creativity only manifests itself through socialists. I guess I never got the memo. I always figured that art supplied were expensive, gotta pay or 'em somehow, use money as your avenue to success. Success is nonpartisan and capitalism is the one and only way. There is never any point to working hard for anything if the benefits don't increase thusly. The disparity comes when people believe that through capitalism, only the uber-rich can succeed. BIGGEST MYTH EVER, but you can research economics on your own.
Long story short, if you don't believe in your success, no one else will either. You can blame your age, your weight, your location, your education, the government, your looks, whatever you want, but the only person on this earth that believes in you and can help you is you; not the president, not Jesus, not even your own parents. You, just you, are the alpha and omega of your life. Whatever your faith, or lack of it, there is no point in not living the life you want.
It is my intention to let you hitch a ride while I chase dreams, tell you what I've tried, what I haven't, what has worked, what hasn't, and how you can get up the guts to say, "EFF YOU," to the job you have and hate.
I am not a professional motivational speaker or author. I am not a part of any get rich quick scam. I am simply a gal tired of seeing people throw their lives away miserably because they've been programmed to believe, that they don't really have a choice, that they're too poor, too old, too fat, too shy, too awkward, too stupid, too BLABLABLAAAAA. Excuses. That's all you have, a list of excuses. As someone who has suffered for depression for ages, I know it's nearly impossible to get out of that mindset while you're stuck in it. This is why I am starting from the beginning. I am starting with nothing.
I don't want to give the wrong impression. I AM a capitalist. I love money. Artists, intellectuals, and creative types tend to disagree. In fact, I have often been accused of not being a "real" artist, intellectual, or creative type because I do support capitalism. Apparently, creativity only manifests itself through socialists. I guess I never got the memo. I always figured that art supplied were expensive, gotta pay or 'em somehow, use money as your avenue to success. Success is nonpartisan and capitalism is the one and only way. There is never any point to working hard for anything if the benefits don't increase thusly. The disparity comes when people believe that through capitalism, only the uber-rich can succeed. BIGGEST MYTH EVER, but you can research economics on your own.
Long story short, if you don't believe in your success, no one else will either. You can blame your age, your weight, your location, your education, the government, your looks, whatever you want, but the only person on this earth that believes in you and can help you is you; not the president, not Jesus, not even your own parents. You, just you, are the alpha and omega of your life. Whatever your faith, or lack of it, there is no point in not living the life you want.
It is my intention to let you hitch a ride while I chase dreams, tell you what I've tried, what I haven't, what has worked, what hasn't, and how you can get up the guts to say, "EFF YOU," to the job you have and hate.
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