I Am Thankful For…
Be thankful for everything by embracing the small and big wins, as we open the door to more opportunities, joy, and success
14 Ways to Get INSANELY Motivated!
No matter the season, the weather, or even what the day of the week it is, we can always use a little motivation to lift our spirits. I thought it appropriate to give some ways that I guarantee will make you immediately feel more successful (what ever that means to you!) for today and beyond.
Here are 14 quick strategies to get and keep yourself insanely motivated:
1. Condition your mind. Train yourself to think positive thoughts while avoiding negative thoughts.
2. Condition your body. It takes physical energy to take action. Get your food and exercise plan in place and follow it just like your business plan. I just started back at the gym again, yay!
3. Avoid negative people. They drain your energy and waste your time, so hanging with them is like shooting yourself in the foot…or worse. Learn and practice the word NO!
4. Seek out the similarly motivated. This is why the Act Outside the Box community exists. The positive energy of like-minded, pro-active actors will rub off on you and you can model their success strategies. Wanna join us? Check out The Gold Standard mentoring program.
5. Have big goals–but remain flexible. No creative biz plan should be cast in concrete, lest it become more important than achieving the goal. Know that every plan will alter.
6. Act with a higher purpose. I love this one. Any activity or action that doesn’t serve your higher goal is wasted effort–and should be avoided at all costs. Really “check in” with your gut…it never lies.
7. Take responsibility for your own results. If you blame (or credit) luck, fate or divine intervention, you’ll always have an excuse.
8. Stretch past your limits on a daily basis. Walking the old, familiar paths is how you grow old. Stretching makes you grow and evolve. I do something called “never dones”. Basically I take on, at least once a week, something I’ve never done before. It’s VERY exciting.
9. Don’t wait for perfection; do it now! Perfectionists are the losers in the game of life. I know this because I’m a recovering perfectionist! Strive for excellence instead.
10. Celebrate your failures. Your most important lessons in life will come from what you don’t achieve. Take time to understand where you fell short, then correct and continue.
11. Don’t make success your highest priority…make it happiness. Success is a feeling, not a thing or a circumstance. It is a place to come from, not to get to. Laugh and enjoy every moment of the inspired actions you’re taking toward your goals. If you can achieve that during the process, you ARE successful.
12. Avoid weak goals. Goals are the soul of achievement, so never begin them with “I’ll try…” Always start with “I 
will” or “I can.” Big dreams with short term attainable goals are the way to go. Remember, if you shoot for the moon and miss, you’ll still fall amongst the stars! (quote by Les Brown)
13. Treat inaction as the only real failure. If you don’t take action, you fail by default and can’t even learn from the experience. ACT Outside the Box.
14. Think before you speak. This should actually have been #1…but it’s a GREAT thing to leave you with. Keep silent rather than express something that doesn’t serve your purpose.
The above is based on a conversation with Omar Periu, one of the world’s best (and best known) motivational speakers.
And what is one of YOUR ways to get and stay motivated? Please share with your fellow acting community by commenting. Thanks!
25 Questions. Your Answers May Be A Surprise.
Would you like to know a little more about who you are and what you truly believe? Well here’s a simple test that only
takes about 2 minutes. Just answer yes or no to each of the 25 “Do You Believe” questions. Your answers may surprise you!
1. Do you believe that attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference?
2. Do you believe that we miss 100% of the shots we don’t take?
3. Do you believe that our aspirations are our possibilities?
4. Do you believe that projects don’t succeed…people do?
5. Do you believe that we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give?
6. Do you believe that those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves?
7. Do you believe that many times… less can be more?
8. Do you believe that in the middle of every difficulty comes opportunity?
9. Do you believe that you’re always one choice away from changing your life?
10. Do you believe that when you’ve done your best you can wait for the results in peace?
11. Do you believe that sometimes in the winds of change we can find our true direction?
12. Do you believe that laughter is sunshine in any life?
13. Do you believe that the most important things in life aren’t things?
14. Do you believe that a leader’s job is to look into the future and see things not as they are, but… as they can be?
15. Do you believe if you throw your heart over the fence, the rest will follow?
16. Do you believe that customer service is not a department… it’s an attitude?
17. Do you believe that the price of leadership is responsibility?
18. Do you believe if you change your thoughts you can change the world?
19. Do you believe you can burn brightly without burning out?
20. Do you believe that the greatest principal in the world is… the things that get rewarded and appreciated get done?
21. Do you believe that after the verb to love… to help is the most beautiful verb in the world?
22. Do you believe that whether you think you can, or you can’t… you’re right?
23. Do you believe that gratitude can change your life?
24. Do you believe that its not the things you get but the hearts you touch that will determine your success in life?
25. Do you believe that if you teach your child the Golden Rule, you will have left an estate of incalculable value?
Your answers to these questions will help you determine what you truly believe. For me the answer to each of these questions is… YES. I believe it! My mission is to inspire people who share these beliefs, particularly creative artists.
As the founder of Act Outside the Box, I’ve created over twenty-five seminars/products/courses illustrating these beliefs. The content is about what you need to know about your acting career – the logistics. The context is what you believe and how to persevere in a very lop-sided business arena.
This Q&A test was derived from my friends at SimpleTruths.com – repurposed for our community. Please feel free to share YOUR beliefs in the comment box below!
Your Success is in your Thinking
We live in a big universe full of possibilities, especially for creative people like you. If you stop to think about how vast this reality really is, you might go a little nuts … or maybe become fully enlightened, depending on the day of the week!
Figuring out how we rein all of this in to something tangible in our creative career can easily lead to complicated over thinking. I like to call this analysis paralysis. One of the only things you really need to know though, is that you’re not separate from anything or anyone out there. Everything is connected, including you and me.
The Law of Attraction is real and I’m a big believer of it and if you’re reading this, I think you are too. It’s why you’re on my email list or website so I’m going to be talking a lot more about it from here on out.
It’s our thinking and subsequent actions that determine what comes into our lives, good and bad, and what sometimes seems bad at the start (I like to call this uncomfortable) could actually be good for us ultimately. This is growth and development, expansion and ACTing Outside the Box! (see how I did that, LOL?)
It’s all good, except for one little part: the condition that says “First I have to DO this or that.” That’s called waiting for life to occur. That’s called means-to-an-end thinking. “First I have to DO this, then I can have that.”
It really doesn’t work that way my friends. When you put conditions on what can come into your life and career, your mind will never let you feel like you’re doing enough. You don’t feel like you’re enough already, so that’s exactly what you’re going to get: not enough. Starving artist is based on this precept. NOT ENOUGH.
“When I’m better, then I can attract the right agent. The person I am right now is not enough.” Or “if I had done is 
that way in the audition instead, I could have gotten the job.” Guess what, that’s a habitual mindset. That’s a mind pattern that will never leave you.
No matter where you go or who you’re with or how you do things, your mind will always tell you, “You’re not ready. You’re not enough. If I just have six more months of working on myself, my craft or when I get an audition with that casting director, then (fill in the blank here.)
“Can you imagine the kind of career I could have if I enroll in that MFA program?” “I’ll be unstoppable once I get an agent!” “Once I finish my summer program at this acting studio, then I’ll be ready to rock it.”
Here’s a fact: Life is now. Life is not, “When I’m perfect, that’s when I can have the right career.”
Stop waiting. Be open right now for the universe to unfold in front of you. Be open for the right situation to come your way. Just go with the flow.
Your success is in your thinking.
There’s a hidden payoff in sabotaging yourself like this: not succeeding at something. What a great excuse you’ve given yourself. What a great reason for not being able to have the career of your dreams.
In fact, it’s the GOLD medal of reasons, pun intended! It keeps you stuck even though that reason is painful because deep down inside you know you’re ready for the success you’re looking for.
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t continue striving to be better because that’s the juice of life, right? But for goodness sake don’t beat yourself up for every little flaw, or even the big ones for that matter!
Let go of all that. You don’t need to completely structure every second of how this is going to work for you. Be open. Smile and relax. Chill out.
You’re the right person, right now. You’re good enough as you are. Can you improve? Of course. We can always improve. Once you really get this, you’ll understand forward progress without making your happiness depend upon it. I love to learn and I love to teach because there’s always something more out there to add to your already AWESOMENESS!
The most important thing you can learn is that dwelling on the “if I” and “when I” and “it would be better if” or “if I had that, then I would” takes you out of the present moment.
Thinking about the perfect future is what stops you from having the perfect present. It’s the only thing that stops you.
To your success, Lisa (remember, it’s in your thinking!)
A Personal Note to Women who ACT
Today I am writing you a very personal note because I have a lot of appreciation for all you do as a woman in the acting business. I don’t know the many roles you have played on stage, film or TV, but I know that being a woman in life carries many roles in itself when you are also a spouse, a mom, a daughter, a friend, etc. It’s sometimes exhausting.
Did you see the news report that came out today about women being smarter than men and scoring higher on IQ tests? It seems to be because of all the “roles” we play, the things we juggle, and the people we take care of, including ourselves.
I want to share with you that I’ve been struggling for a few months now with the Superwoman Syndrome.
I didn’t realize that although I had done years of personal development work in my life, there were still limiting beliefs I held in place that kept showing up that told me that “to be successful means hard work”, “you have to just keep pushing through and don’t show any weakness”, “this is what you have to do for your family, your actor community, and all the others who depend on you”, “you have to be an example for everyone”…and on and on.
When my niece looked at me this past weekend in Las Vegas with an odd expression (we were there for her 4 day volleyball clinic at UNLV) she noticed how utterly exhausted I was and said, “Auntie Lisa, we don’t need all of the stuff you give me and mom, we just want to be with YOU and we want you to be happy.” I love that kid and I heard it loud and clear. She really got me thinking about that. Why did I feel like I had to do everything perfectly?…why did I put so much pressure on myself to perform? Who says it has to be this way? Why do I make up these deadlines I create that have me missing some of the most precious moments in life? Are they really out there WAITING to hear from Lisa Gold?
The answers came through the questions that I asked, and the questions that my mentors asked. It’s ALL made up! And I can accomplish everything I say I want to with grace and ease…
But I have some work to do myself and I can’t teach what I haven’t learned. Sometimes it’s not easy but I do realize it serves me in so many ways to play in this “gap” and become more and more aware of each moment of my precious and fabulous life.
I felt the need to plant a seed and share this with women in particular (hey, I know you GUYS have your moments too, but I’m not a guy!)…and share the pathway that I travel to start living my life on MY TERMS and with so much joy in my heart. To live my purpose is always my goal.
I have a vision for the “New Superwoman”, the woman who embraces life on her own terms, redefining what is important and doing what nurtures her, tapping into her own femininity, inner passions and designing a life that fulfills that. It includes having peace of mind, a playful heart and a prosperous experience. Always.
I invite you on the journey.
I’d love to hear from women just like you on how you overcome self-sabotage, limiting beliefs, and tap into your feminine energy to create a balance of peace, playfulness and prosperity in you life, and your show BUSINESS, while juggling all that YOU do.
Please take the time to comment so that other gals out there who read them can draw on your experiences. You can’t teach what you haven’t learned. Time to share with our wonderful community!
I look forward to reading what you have to say and wish you all peace, passion and purpose! Love, Lisa
Resistence is Futile
OK, so I finally, finally, finally gave in. I bought a GPS for this trip. I’ve traveled across country by car many, many times. Early in life with my parents, then again in my 20’s when I moved from FL to LA, a few more times for a few more reasons and again a few years back on a journey to speak at colleges across the country about The Business of Show. This time it’s to build the Act Outside the Box brand on the west coast.
And always with a map. And before the last time, without a cell phone.
My friends and other well wishers for my journey said “What? You don’t have a GPS?” To me it felt like I was going in to outer space or something. Come on, I-40 is fairly plain and simple. Hard to get lost.
But I’m one of those folks that prefer to do things the old fashioned way I guess. I like to use my wits and brain and intention and attention. Heck, I don’t even use a calculator to balance my checkbook!
Buuuutttt, I gave in. In Staples the week before I left and with a giant coupon in hand, I bought a Garmin (I’ve named her Sally the Sat Nav) and you know what? I LOVE her! She speaks in soothing tones and gives me little updates along the way.
Sometimes it IS better to stop resisting. Sometimes it’s better to go with the flow. But I still like knowing in the back of my mind that I can get there with a map! Lisa Gold
Sunset in Charlotte
As I leave Charlotte, NC this morning I wanted to share this glorius picture I took outside of Wal-Mart last night. Getting here on Monday night took about 3 hours longer than expected because of what? An obstacle of course. As I often teach in my CEO course, the best laid plans also need to include the certainty, not possibility, of obstacles.
A traffic jam outside of Richmond, VA had me sitting at a standstill for over 2 hours. When I did get to move at a rate of 2 to 3 miles per hour I got excited. So why relay all of this to you here? Because it wasn’t a problem. I had prepared myself for things to get in the way. I had snacks, great CD’s and took some mental inventory during the time I was delayed.
It seems to me that perspective is the key to life and as I spent yesterday in the rainy, and as my friend Cindy would say dreary day, I was rewarded for keeping my thoughts and my general outlook on life positive. After buying a special dog food at the end of my visit here with my friend, who I’ve known for 35 years, I walked out of the store and in to this beauty. I stood there transfixed at the wonder of it all.
The next time you see something as beautiful as this, take a moment to reflect on all that is good in your life. You’ll certainly have obstacles, but no problems. Lisa Gold
Let’s Start at the Very Beginning
A very good place to start. OK, so I have frequent flashbacks to a time when I was about 8 or 9 years old, riding along in the passenger side of the family car while my mom is driving. It′s raining and I′m looking out the window with all of these wonderful thoughts, my head pressed against the window thinking to myself, “I′m gonna be a famous writer one day and everyone will read my stuff and they′ll laugh and be inspired and really get to know me and I′ll make a difference in someone′s life”. Then I never did it. Hmmmmm.
Before I FINALLY got this website off the ground, my thought was that this could be a super forum to get OUT of my head and on to paper (so to speak) the many things I’ve learned from others, the things that I’ve discovered that work in my life, and most of all, to communicate to a community of souls who I’m so deeply inspired by, but at the same time deeply interested in helping because it’s needed. So many actors are, forgive me, clueless as to how to get what they say they want and my new blogging platform-based website is going to be my conduit to communicate what it’s gonna take, at least in my opinion.
Though I′ve written some amazing papers/reports for school, my diary, letters to the editor, letters of complaint to the airlines, templates for my seminars on How to Get and Keep an Agent and others, “morning pages” ala Julia Cameron and her book The Artist’s Way, this is my first attempt at public outing of my inner thoughts. I intend to now show the world, almost 40 years after my flashback scenario, what′s going on inside this crazy head (and heart) of mine.
I hope you’ll continue to check in from time to time, scan the different categories of subjects that will contain the musings of a person who absolutely loves her life, what she’s doing, and has had several…make that a lot of, hard knocks. I haven’t gotten to where I am, and I’m not going to get to where I’m headed, without obstacles. But I’ve come to find it’s not getting rid of obstacles that’s the point…it’s how you handle them that is the true measure of a person. Lisa Gold
