The power within

This week I was chatting with one of my best friends. She is one of the most amazing people I know and my longest friend of over a decade. Her and I share a passion for the arts which has been our common thread our whole friendship. My little Pookie (don’t judge me, that’s what I call her and I like it) is currently pursuing her passion having recently moved to the city of angels to make herself a well paid actor. She has what it takes to be on the big screen, big stage, TV, you name it! I believe in her like no body’s bee’s wax! She’s got an amazing voice, she’s an incredible actor AND to boot she’s one of the most beautiful people you’ll ever meet. What’s not to love?

In our conversation, she proclaimed her nerves for her upcoming audition this Saturday for RENT the musical. She just recently got a job as a server at a restaurant and she said, * “ Well I know that I would get a job serving quickly because I’ve done it for so long and I’m good at it, but I’m not too sure about this audition. I’ll go into it thinking it won’t happen but I’ll just go and see what happens. “WHAT? I said!! What, what, what? You think you’re better at serving tables than you are at the craft you’ve been practicing since you stole camera from your little sister to sing Annie’s, Tomorrow as a little girl!? That’s NUTS! You are way better at performing my friend because that is your LOVE, your passion, what makes your skin feel like a million rays of sunshine filled with care bears and dreamcicles and bread sticks from the Olive Garden penetrating through every fiber of your being! I told her it’s good she’s not putting all her eggs in one basket with the audition but her attitude and thoughts about it are already making her fail. Rather than thinking, I LOVE what I do and I’m going to give it my all, whatever the outcome is I will learn from it and be grateful, BUT I know that I’m WORTHY OF IT and good enough to have it.

So many of us sell ourselves short from what our potential is. And we say these things before a presentation for work, or a job interview, or when waiting for something we secretly long for, because we don’t want to be let down with the outcome. But when you go into a journey already thinking you’ve failed you won’t have the confidence enough to bounce back when you’re going through it to succeed because you’ve already proclaimed what is. Am I saying that if she thinks positively she’s going to get the audition for sure? No, unfortunately that is not a guarantee. Not everything that we want we get, but we do get what we need at that point in time. All the difference the attitude shift will do, is make her perform to the BEST of her abilities without thinking of an outcome. Only focusing on the reason that she’s there in the first place is going to make her shine from within. If the directors don’t see that then that job wasn’t the job for her at this time, BUT she will have learned that she loves it all the more to keep trying until someone sees the light from within and when they do, that will mean that’s exactly where she’s supposed to be. She is going to succeed because she loves what she does. As for you, what are you selling yourself short on? Are you making an excuse to why it is okay for your to fail at something rather than just doing it because of the core reason you wanted to do it in the first place? Take this time to reflect on what your LOVES are and don’t let them go. Outcomes are outcomes and the all lead you to YOUR place in this world even if you don’t understand right away where you’re at or where your headed. Make sure you enjoy and LOVE the journey. Say a little prayer for my little Pookie or send her really good thoughts for her audition this Saturday! Be loved, be passionate, be saucy. Happy Friday!

*not necessarily a verbatim quote. Sorry Pookie.