Is Your Agent Cheating on You?

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Yes, your agent has other clients. Deal with it. Your agent would go hungry if she only had you as a client. She has to have “everything on the grocery store shelf” to have the best shot at making a living.

One of the fun parts of searching for and finding new talent is creating that awesome stable of actors with unique talents and skills that cover all of the possible casting needs in this crazy industry. We need one or two in every category.  Age, ethnicity, male/female, union and/or non-union, height/weight, languages, special skills, and every possible saleable commodity is needed so we can provide our shoppers, ahem, casting directors, with what they need. So when your phone call/email/text (pick ONE please!) isn’t returned right away, know that there are at least 20 other actors who are also demanding attention.

Again, I share with you that my love of actors and people in general was also the thing that had me leave the agency.  I was inundated with communication at all hours of the day and night because I didn’t set the proper boundaries I needed to have my own life work. This was a very valuable lesson learned for me and let it be one for you as well.  Please realize that while your focus is on ONE career, yours, your rep’s focus is widespread, on MANY others…it has to be. Give them the space and time to respond.  Here’s a great communication guideline to use:

  1. URGENT – Immediate (or within the next couple of hours)  – CALL them

     Examples:

  1. Car broke down/running late to audition
  2. Last minute accident or injury
  3. Having you sign something weird on set/at an audition

 

  1.  IMPORTANT – Something today – TEXT them

     Examples:

  1. Audition follow up – how it went/info
  2. You sent an email that you want to call attention to
  3. Checking in from set/audition and need something

 

  1.  INFORMATIONAL – Something this week – EMAIL them

     Examples:

  1. Recommendations for classes, photographers, etc.
  2. Review of new headshots or other marketing materials
  3. Invitations to performances

In my next post I’ll talk about not just the when, but the HOW to communicate clearly with your rep.  Stay tuned.

What are your thoughts on being “part of many”? Do you feel you’re on the inside; part of a team; listened to? Comment and share!

Your Agent Isn’t an Angel

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OK, by saying your agent isn’t an angel, I’m not disparaging their mood, mode or how they operate. What I’m trying to say is that your agent is not here to save you!  

Many actors suffer from the notion is it that it’s the agent’s job to dust you off, polish you to a brilliant shine, and escort you to the promised land. The belief is that the agent does all the work.

In fact this was MY mistake when I took on working with 90210.  Inherently the coach and teacher in me kicked in and I was spending an inordinate amount of time getting the talent I inherited and brought in by the last agent working there into what I considered to be “fighting shape”.  Polishing up their online profiles, telling them the best classes to take that would mean something on their resume and sending a lot of inspiring messages to prop up feelings of doubt, took time away from the most vital aspects of being a representative…submissions and bookings.  

I realized that even actors that are represented didn’t really know a lot about business and marketing and had the thought that it would and should be my job.  They’d do the “show” and I’d do the “biz”. And I was facilitating this…big mistake on both of our parts!

I had seen it for many years when coaching actors…this persistent thought that there’s someone or something outside of you that has the power to make dreams come true with little effort or output from you, and once you find that person, you’ll be rich and famous. But then it was “theory” and here it was in practice, evidence of this insanity.  I drove myself insane too, then I stopped it at the behest of the head of the agency.

I want to let you know that during my tenure there I had actors who never got an audition at all.  I was submitting them a TON and the CD’s weren’t calling them in.  Not because they weren’t talented (how would they know?) but because the materials I had to submit with weren’t viable and requests for new headshots or media on their profiles, updating resumes and other requests were ignored or took months.  I pushed the buttons knowing that they’d never get in the door…and it was a very disturbing place to be in.  Since I left, I’m fairly certain many of these actors have sadly been dropped from the roster.  A very avoidable situation.

Getting an agent doesn’t mean you’ll ever have an audition and it certainly doesn’t mean that you don’t have to do most of the work in getting opportunities yourself.  Leaving it all up to your rep is folly. You have to be in classes, write/shoot/produce/direct your own material, put up a play/Youtube video/Facebook live and get yourself out there. These days you have to work harder than your agent. Training in class consistently, creating your own material constantly, and doing whatever you can to engage with other artists is essential to your craft and your career. You have to give your agent the tools to sell you. Relying upon anyone other than yourself is career suicide. Giving up your artistic and professional responsibility to an agent is a grave error that too many actors make. Do the work and make your agent catch up.  

Stay tuned for more “insider” info in my next post.  To Your Success, Lisa

Conventional Wisdom Suggests that you Need an Agent, but Do You?

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My brand for well over a decade, “How to Get and Keep an Agent”, has been my “hook” to get actors to pay attention to what I teach.  It’s because I know the prevailing thought process of every actor out there, ready for representation or not, is that you need an agent and/or manager to make your acting dreams come true.

Agents and managers validate you by saying “yes” to representing you, and when they do, what goes through the average actor’s mind is something like this: 

The doors of casting offices you’ve never been in before will suddenly be flung open and you’ll have awesome audition opportunities.

You’ll then be able to get in front of the real decision-makers, get hired on jobs in a major film or TV show, book a National Network commercial or Broadway show and the result is a big paycheck, champagne and red carpets. You begin rehearsing your Oscar/Emmy/Tony speech.

Conventional wisdom, and this thought process, is all kinds of wrong. I came to find that agents and managers are human beings with human limitations (like me) who require a LOT of understanding (like me!)

The first thing to really understand is that representatives are in a BUSINESS. Our business is to RE-present what you offer the marketplace to our contacts and MAKE MONEY.  Yep, that’s why we do it.  It’s not the only reason of course, but it is the primary one.  We choose the best options for that particular outcome…money in our pocket to pay the rent, put kids through school and enjoy a desired lifestyle.  We don’t choose to represent you because we like you and want to grab lunch or even because we think you’re awesomely talented.  We choose you because we think we can make money with you.

Your job as part of this TEAM, and even before you’re a member of a rep/talent team, is to make yourself easy to sell (both craft wise and with complete and amazing marketing materials) and realize that to be a working actor today, you need to consider yourself as more than simply a talented artist.  Gaining opportunities to show that stellar talent is a full time job, and it’s YOUR job.  A representative is an extension of your marketing efforts.

But you’re an artist who’s in it for the art. Great. But every other artist before and since has had to balance art with finance. It’s a completely necessary consideration. Hearing actors say things like “I have an agent but got in the door on that audition by myself…why didn’t she get me in?” Or, “my agent isn’t getting me any (enough) auditions.” Or “I’m the one writing to Casting Directors, marketing my butt off going to networking events and casting director workshops, so why should I have to give her 10%?”

I’m actually going to answer those questions and hopefully give you a different perspective in my next several blog posts. For now I just want you to accept the fact that your rep is trying to make money. And if you’re not a commodity that’s ready to be sold, it’s not personal, it’s business.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.  Feel free to comment and share!

Aaaannnnnd Scene. Why I left working at the talent agency.

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After teaching so many actors for so many years “How to Get and Keep an Agent” my first reaction when I was invited by the head of the agency to train in the commercial department of 90210 Talent, and then take it over, was a resounding NO. My almost 2 decades of being one of the owners of Actors Connection prepared me for what I knew was going to be starting another new business. My gut instinct was in play and since my coaching/consulting company, Act Outside the Box, was doing great things with all of the insider info I now had, I felt it might not be the right move.  But after several days of thinking about it and conversations with the head of the agency, he convinced me to “try it on for size”. So I decided “why not”?

I took the opportunity to expand into what I thought was the natural progression of my own career – to become an agent.  Seemed like a good fit, but it actually wasn’t.  Here’s why…

I quickly came to realize that I liked, and was great at, HALF of the job. 

The part of the gig I loved was what I’d already been doing as a coach and marketing consultant, however the other half was being at the effect of outside influences that truly sapped my physical time and emotional energy.  These days, being an agent means being constantly tethered to a cell phone, computer screen and clients, casting directors, and crowds of other people (actors seeking representation, production folks with details for bookings, contract info, the union and the list goes on…) in a 24/7 business that never stops demanding attention.

First and foremost, I teach people that if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing and pursing your passion, move on…and fast!  Life is meant to be a joyful endeavor and we spend a majority of it at work, so you have to love your job.  Being an agent is hard work and though I’m one of the hardest workers I know, I soon knew I’d dug myself a hole that I had to get out of because I didn’t enjoy this kind of hard work.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of people and plenty of agents who thrive on this constant activity and do LOVE the fast pace of technology, but there are just as many others who are getting out of their line of work because they started out when the industry was quite different.  

As a coach and consultant, I have always had a huge respect for agents and have taught you that, in most cases, they work much harder in service of your career than you think. And in many cases more than you do. Yep, I just said that.  Working at the agency, I unhappily found that last statement to be true.  

When I realized that I worked all day, every day, in service of actor’s careers and that most of my clients did not treat their own career like they were actually in a business, I knew I could serve a LOT more actors by giving them yet another perspective on getting and keeping a rep. 

My thoughts about what the job would entail and what it actually was were very different and I’m going to share in my next several posts everything I learned so that you’ll have all of the vital and important information you need when seeking a rep or working with the one you have now. Stay tuned.

To Your Success, Lisa

 

5 Things Confident Actors Do Differently

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ConfidentwomanWe all know those kinds of actors — the ones who stride with an air of certainty into a room. They’re not always the most attractive, or smartest. They’re not arrogant. They’re the ones who make you want to be around them.

Growing up, I seemed to make people run the other direction. My loudness, attention-seeking, and social awkwardness kept me questioning myself. In my teens and early adulthood I also suffered bouts of depression, gained a ton of weight, and became so fiercely independent I didn’t have a lot of friends.  I threw all of my focus toward acting where I could “make up” who I wanted to be that I was not in real life.

Why can’t I be thinner? More popular? Smarter? I continually asked. If I was, I’d surely be a star! Then I changed the questions: What creates this aura, this vibe of confidence? What do these other great actors do that I don’t?

Soon enough, I received an answer and I felt my vibe shift. My new found confidence shifted my world — my career, my relationships, and my health.

After many years of study, discussion, and practice, I realized these five things are what confident actors, heck confident people, do differently than those who lack confidence. Remember, CONFIDENCE is 50% of this business.  These are my must-do’s for confidence:

1. They live their purpose.

Your purpose is to be authentically you. No more, no less. When you applaud your fears, neuroses, and quirks, suddenly these qualities become your assets.  Use them in your craft and in your regular world.

Insecure about your looks? So are thousands of other actors — embrace your height, weight, wrinkles, and all other aspects of your body and teach others to embrace theirs! Think you’re not as smart as the next guy? Fuggedaboutit and do what makes you feel like a genius! When you’re living your truth, you’re unstoppable.

2. They practice their unique ___ (Fill in: calming, uplifting, etc.) ritual.

This is a BIG one that I make a priority when working with my coaching clients. Some of the greatest thinkers, artists and performers of our time have a pre-performance ritual that gets them revved for show time. While a unique ritual is about doing, it’s also about feeling. A ritual creates the feeling you desire before you actually get to the doing.

For example, if I want to have rockin’ confidence before a date, I’ll strut around my house in high heels. If I want to feel calm, I’ll focus on my exhale breaths. I have a big sign over my desk that says “Breathe”. I also have a morning practice that sets the tone for my day. We all have rituals that calm our nerves, get us in the game, or prepare our mindset for focused ACTion. Know yourself and what you need to get in the zone.

3. They spend (and love) time alone.

A dip in confidence can come when plans aren’t made or fall through and you’re left with time alone. How empowering is it when this time comes as a gift?!

There’s nothing that revives my confidence more than time alone. Wait, let me clarify: time alone that I occupy with self-love. If I spend my alone time wallowing in misery, I perpetuate my insecurities. When I shower myself with love, in the form of a bubble bath, rest, or yoga, I realign with my core values.  Even zoning out in front of the TV with a good movie and a glass of wine is one of my favorite past times.

Know what you need to make this precious time with yourself the best time. There is nothing more fabulous than someone who not only “tolerates” but absolutely  ADORES their own company.A conceptual look at confidence, poise, assurance, cool.

4. They take nothing (or very little) personally.

Do you know any confident actor who takes everything personally? No, no you don’t! Those with true confidence know that any perceived ego blow is more a reflection of the speaker than of them.

When you’re able to hear criticism and not take it personally, your reactions change. You’re able to feel compassion and love for all, regardless of how they treated you. Life isn’t as much of a drama. It stays on the stage where it belongs. Confidence emerges naturally with life-love.

5. They ask empowering questions.

We’re constantly making evaluations for what things mean and what we should do.  These associations are initiated by questions. The more empowering questions we ask ourselves, the more confident we will be.

If you ask dis-empowering questions like, “Why does this always happen to me?” or “Why don’t I get any call backs” your mind will come up with an answer. Instead, ask questions like, “What am I happy about that I did in the room? What could I be proud about if I wanted to?” Or if there is a problem, ask, “What is great about this problem? How does it serve me? What can I feel grateful for?” Then you can shift into the confidence required to solve it.  When empowering questions become second nature, you have no choice but to find confidence-inducing answers.

Modeling confident actors and others is the surest and fastest way to become one yourself!  In fact I modeled this entire post after one created by Saren Stiegel of MindBodyGreen, who originally wrote about confidence in women.

 

Take Your Persistence Inventory

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Napoleon Hill, a true inspiration leader, wrote this in his highly acclaimed book THINK AND GROW RICH originally published in the 30’s.  Millions and millions and millions of readers (and book sales) keep it on the shelves today.  Go NOW to your local bookstore and heed these wise words.  Hey, the language may be a bit dated, but you’ll get the drift…

HERE are the real enemies that stand between you and noteworthy achievement.  You will find not only the “symptoms” indicating weakness of persistence, but also the deeply seated subconscious causes.  Study the list carefully and face yourself squarely if you really wish to know who you are and what you are capable of doing.

These are the weaknesses which MUST be MASTERED by all who accumulate success and in turn, wealth and happiness.

1.  Failure to recognize and to define clearly exactly what you want.

2.  Procrastination, with or without cause. (Usually backed up with a formidable array of alibis and excuses.)

3.  Lack of interest in acquiring specialized knowledge.

4.  Indecision, the habit of “passing the buck” on all occasions, instead of facing issues squarely. (Also backed by alibis.)

5.  The habit of relying upon alibis instead of creating definite pans for the solution of problems.

6.  Self-satisfaction  There is but little remedy for this affliction, and no hope for those who suffer from it.

7.  Indifference, usually reflected in one’s readiness to compromise on all occasions, rather than meet opposition and fight it.

8.  The habit of blaming others for one’s mistakes, an accepting unfavorable circumstances as being unavoidable.

9.  Weakness of desire, due to neglect in the choice of motives that impel action.

10.  Willingness, even eagerness, to quit at the first sign of defeat. (Based upon fear.)

11.  Lack of organized plans, placed in writing where they may be analyzed.

12.  The habit of neglecting to move on ideas, or to grasp opportunity when it presents itself.

13.  Wishing instead of willing.

14.  The habit of compromising with poverty instead of aiming at riches.  General absence of ambition to be, to do, to own. (Lisa adds “insert self described starving artists here.”)

15.  Searching for all the short-cuts to riches, trying to get without giving a fair equivalent, usually reflected in the habit of gambling.  (Lisa adds “waiting for the big break.”)

16.  Fear of criticism, failure to create plans and to put them into action, because of what other people will think, do, or say.  This enemy belongs at the top of the list, because it generally exists in one’s subconscious mind, where its presence is not recognized.

…People refuse to take chances in this business, because they fear the criticism which may follow if they fail.  The fear of criticism in such cases is stronger than the desire for success.

Sooooooo, I hope you got the drift here.  If you identified with any of the above, there’s some internal work for you to do.  And there is no shortage of ways and means to do it.  Start by reading Think and Grow Rich, or participate in my adapted seminar based on Napoleon Hill’s teachings – Think and Grow Rich Acting.

To Your Success, Lisa

Practicing Happiness

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Practice makes perfect, right? Wrong!

First of all, nothing’s ever perfect. I’d even say you don’t really want anything to be “perfect.” Why not? Well, once you’ve reached perfection, where else is there to go but backwards or, even worse, nowhere?

No, the point of practice isn’t perfection. We want to strive for perfection, yes, but that’s only going to work if you understand that it’s not just about the destination but the journey as well. That’s why it helps to look at the process when it comes to those outcomes we’re reaching for. Because what would be the point of getting to where you always wanted to be if you’re beat up and worn out by the time you get there? Where’s the happiness in that?

Happiness is a process as much as an outcome. Don’t get me wrong – a hard-earned victory is awesome. But think about it; should happiness in life be restricted to success in finances, or business, or career, or the attainment of goals?

We have all been there at some point in our acting career, saying something like, “If only I had [fill in the blank], I’d be so much happier.” Hey, sometimes we may even get whatever it is we think will make us happy, but what usually ends up happening? We’re psyched for a little while—if at all—and then we find out it wasn’t really enough to make us as happy as we thought it would. There’s always more.

You can work your butt off to get to where you want to be by practicing.  Practicing your monologues, your on-camera audition technique, your marketing and networking strategies—you can practice many things until you get them down, but that doesn’t mean things are always going to turn out perfectly. Practice doesn’t make perfect.

Our business of show is DESIGNED for the striving and not the arriving.  Take a look at this:  You do a mailing to get an agent and get called in, but they don’t take you on.  You finally get an agent, and after a while you don’t get as many of, or the kind of auditions you’d like so now you want a new agent.  You get the audition, but not the call back.  You get the call back but not the part.  You get the part, then your part is cut.  You get the part and the show goes to Broadway, but you’ve been replaced by a “star”.  You get an awesome role in a movie, but you end up on the cutting room floor.  Your movie is finally produced and your role in it is Oscar worthy, and the film goes straight to video.  You get that Oscar nomination, but don’t win.  You win the Oscar, but still have to audition for your next movie.  (Hugh Jackman had to audition for the recently nominated Les Miserables – did you know that?)

Practice becomes habit, and habits become permanent unless we consciously change them. We’re practicing something all the time through our habits, even when we’re not really thinking about it. If you practice the thought that “I’ll be happy when [fill in the blank] happens,” then guess what? You’re always delaying your happiness until [fill in the bank] happens. Not because things will never be great, but because you’ve become a master at being unhappy. Unhappiness will be your habit!

You have to practice being happy no matter what is going on in your career and in your life in general; whether you win or lose, succeed or experience temporary setbacks, whether everything is the way you have always dreamed or if you are still on the road to your next major destination.

Practice whatever you want to be in the future now. I had a wonderful conversation just today with a coaching client who said she is changing the way she sees herself from wanting to be a working actor to being an active actor.  This makes her happy…when she is doing something for her career, even in small increments, and not waiting for the “outcome” to delay her happiness, she is really enjoying herself NOW.

The key is to enjoy the process and the journey. We can have moments of perfection, times where we wouldn’t want a single thing to change.  Usually you think it’s only available when you are up there on that stage but believe it or not, happiness can occur just as easily doing computer research on the industry or putting together a contact list. It’s totally within our control to practice being happy doing whatever we are doing right now!

So now it’s your turn:  What are you going to practice right now?  What’s that one thing you want to achieve and are willing to enjoy the process while making it a habit?  I’d love to hear your comments!

Take it Easy

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There’s a book out there called “Life Was Never Meant to be a Struggle” by Stuart Wilde. The title pretty much says it all, yes?

You sure wouldn’t know it by the way actors live and work at their career. The fact is many actors suffer through the journey of reaching their dreams.  They do what they do because they were taught (incorrectly) they have to, because they think or heard they should, or quite simply have NO IDEA what to do to have their hopes and wishes come true—BUT they blindly keep on keepin’ on even in the face of personal unhappiness or financial struggle.

And that’s exactly what a lot of actors’ biggest struggle is when it comes to getting acting work. We don’t do what we love because we’re not clear about what we want.

When I coach or lead certain goal oriented seminars, I usually start out by asking actors to share their big dream, then their plan to attain it.  I get a lot of blank stares.  And instead I get a laundry list of hopes, wishes and desires, but no measurable, attainable results and any INSPIRED actions to get there.

The first place to look, of course, is at your natural talents. Natural talents are gifts from the Universe, gifts from spirit, or whatever you want to call your creator. These are things that you do well, that you didn’t have to learn to do. You’re basically born with this skill. It comes easy to you. It’s something that people look at you and go, “You’re natural at that.” And most importantly, you like doing it!  That’s the GIFT of talent you are offering the world.

But how do you get to offer your gifts and make a great living? The most obvious reason a lot of actors never do is fairly simple and not at all a spectacular revelation.  They haven’t created loving what they do OFF the stage or set or class—and struggle through life because of it—oh yeah, and the fear: fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear of rejection, fear of looking foolish, fear of disapproval and even fear of success!

I believe the acting business is not meant to be a struggle.  While acknowledging that struggles do happen in the form of detaching yourself from some of what your acting teachers sold you..(i.e. you’re talented, now all you need is an agent) growth is hard in areas you don’t have a lot of experience in, but once we get through it and become more AWARE of just how easy this stuff is, the struggle lightens.

We have to unlearn what we believe in order to escape the struggles that the illusion of becoming an overnight success and not having that happen.  Once you get it straight in your head that a BIG BREAK doesn’t come out of no where and caused by something you just started last Tuesday, it’ll make things easier.

Not to get TOO woo woo, but I BELIEVE we are part of a divine source of unlimited power—creators of our own experiences. That’s the reason we chose to be actors…who after all are the ultimate creators.  Actors with a strong spiritual connection tend to find that life is easier, living life knowing who they really are and that what they really want is to fully express their art rather than playing a role in a show for a few weeks.  Heck yeah, we WANT the gigs, but that’s just pleasure with a paycheck!

When you “take it easy” then everything begins to open up and flow easily too—work, relationships, finances, etc. Life really shouldn’t be that hard. Unlearn, discover, apply, and for goodness sake, take it easy!

Now it’s your turn- I’d love to hear from you! Do you utilize your natural talents in your life as well as your career? Is your pursuit of your dreams a struggle, a joy, a connection to your inner creator?  Share your opinion and experiences with me by making a comment.  Thanks, Lisa

We Suck at Setting Goals

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There’s a good chance you made a New Year’s resolution this year, and there’s also a pretty good chance you’ve already broken it.

It’s no secret that setting goals for yourself is hard, especially when many of the goals you have may be out of your control.  But the things that ARE in your hands that are accomplish-able are still a challenge and the hard truth is that many people who make goals never achieve them.

Much worse than not achieving your goals, however, is failing to set any for yourself in the first place. No matter how big or how small your intended goal is, just setting one for yourself is important. Whether you intend to take a new acting class, score an agent, or simply become better at following up with industry you’ve met, setting your goal and being aware of it is much better than not knowing what you need to work on, or not caring.

For actors who set and achieve goals successfully, there are some important habits that make all the difference. For example, actors who take the time to write their goals down are much more likely to actually achieve them.

The following graphic takes a look at the state of goal setting—how many people set goals, how many people actually reach them, and what those goals might be.

Whether you’ve already broken your New Year’s resolution or you’ve never set a clear mission for yourself before, make it your first goal to take a look at the graphic below.

Setting Goals Infographic

This column and the graphic provided by OnlineEducation.net with additions
contributed by Lisa Gold.

What are Your 12-12-12s?

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For some reason I love numbers. There have been certain numerical patterns in my life I’ve noticed. For example I have lived at 3 different places in 3 different cities, all with 407 as the number in the street address. Weird, huh?

I also seem to wake up naturally at the exact same time every day when I don’t set an alarm – 7:17am. No matter how early or late I go to sleep, I always wake up at 7:17. Now that’s definitely weird.

My birthday is October 10th and I am one of those lucky folks in this century to have a numerically interesting birthday – 10-10-10.  (CLICK HERE to see what I did.)  It was AWESOME!

Since today is also one of those numerically interesting dates,  today I decided to make lists in 12’s. I thought I’d share:

Twelve things to say YES to:

  1. People who make you laugh.
  2. Sitting in sunlight.
  3. More rest than you think you need.
  4. An invitation that feels exciting and scary at the same time.
  5. Hugs.
  6. Moving your body.
  7. Daydreaming.
  8. Opportunities that get your juices flowing.
  9. A brunch invitation – with Mimosas.
  10. Going to a movie you’ve never heard of.
  11. Petting an animal.
  12. Smelling flowers.

Twelve things to say NO to:

  1. Rushing.
  2. Negative thoughts.
  3. Conversations with people who constantly drain your energy.
  4. A request that immediately causes you stress.
  5. The inner critic who tells you you’re not good enough.
  6. More work when you already have a full plate.
  7. Pushing yourself to do more when you feel tired.
  8. Unhealthy guilt or shame.
  9. Second helpings when you feel full.
  10. Acting out of spite or fear.
  11. Saying things you don’t mean in anger.
  12. The next drink when you know you’ve had enough.

Twelve things that CONTRIBUTE to a great life:

  1. A pet (or two or three!)
  2. An ability to laugh at yourself and others.
  3. A home that nurtures your soul.
  4. Good friends to share the details of daily life with.
  5. Sense enough to back out of arguments that never go anywhere.
  6. A beautiful garden.
  7. Eating fresh, healthy, home cooked food.
  8. The ability to say “I’m sorry.”
  9. Becoming good at feeling your feelings and trusting them.
  10. Relaxed breathing and being present in your body.
  11. Reading books that grow you as a human being.
  12. Acting Outside of the Box.

Today I invite you to create your 12/12/12 list. Do it quickly and spontaneously and notice what you learn about yourself.  Don’t censor or try to “figure it out” or make it perfect.  Just write 12 things to say YES to, 12 things to say NO to and 12 things that CONTRIBUTE to a great life – YOUR great life!

By the way, notice that nothing on my list is about my job(s) in show business.  It’s part of my life that I could have included…but there is so much more!

Please feel free to share your comments on your 12-12-12s below!  Lisa