A New Beginning

I found this blog yesterday and thought it had some great things to say about life-crafting.

A Tragedy

My wife and I graduated from Keuka College, a beautiful college on Keuka Lake in New York.  Graduation weekend is always held on Memorial Day, so my family and my wife’s family decided to rent a house on the lake for the weekend.  Ever since then, we’ve made it an annual family tradition.  Every Memorial Day weekend we rent a house on the lake together as a family.

In 2009 during our annual stay at the lake, through a long series of events that I feel were truly meant to be, our dog Athena ended up getting hit by a car and died.  Looking back it seems as if my whole life’s purpose flashed before my eyes in this one solitary moment.  The events and occurrences of my life up to that point seemed to fit together like an unsolved jigsaw puzzle – everything fit, but the message of the puzzle was still unclear.  But in that moment of tragedy, the different pieces came together in a more enlightening way than they ever had before.

Needless to say it was a pretty sudden and unexpected death that affected my wife and me greatly.  I could not shake the feeling it was somehow meant to be and immediately tried to decipher why that was.  What I learned, summed up in one sentence is, “Life is too short not to follow your heart.”

A New Beginning

And this is what my blog is all about.  I decided that I wanted to spend more time with my wife and kids.  I wanted to work for myself and stop making other people rich from my efforts.  I came up with a plan to do this and I have now implemented it.

This is not an easy thing to do.  Athena died almost two years ago.  This plan was supposed to be implemented within one year and I am just beginning to make significant progress now.  I feel a bit guilty I did not get it done sooner.  Unfortunately, life is like that.  We all have the best intentions, but ultimately life gets the best of us and we find ourselves 15 years later asking, “How did this happen?  Where did the time go?”

In the end, happiness is different for everyone.  It could mean any number of things.  I am a firm believer that happiness is a choice we can make.  Whether it is being happy with our self, our spouse, our job or something else.  To find true happiness you have to follow your heart and intuition.  You have to be who you are and follow a lifestyle and career that fulfills you; no matter what that entails or what people say about it.  And it is never too late to do so.

After Athena’s death, and in my search to help it all make sense, I put together a personal action plan that followed six simple steps.  It helped me take a snapshot of my life and analyze where I am now and where I want to go.  So I want to leave you with this 6 step process to getting what you want out of life.

1. Create a mission statement. – Mine was simply “To translate what gives me joy, fulfillment and makes me genuinely happy into a career that will allow me to work for myself and spend more time with my family.”  This meant starting my own business as a coach to help individuals and small business owners get what they want out of their life and business.  Formulating this sentence allows us to create a short mission statement that summarizes exactly what we want from life, which will help to keep it in the forefront of our minds when we’re making important decisions.
2. Make a list of your primary priorities. – This list will make your decisions easier as you will know what’s most important to you.  Anytime there is a conflict consult this list and make the decision based on your priorities.  Here is an example of my list: Family, Church, Health, Work / Money, Service to Others, Hobbies.
3. Take an inventory. – List every single major entity in your life – the people, organizations, career, hobbies, and anything else you spend time on in your life.  Write a short summary of each.  Explain what each one means to you, what you get from it, and if you are neglecting other areas of your life because of it.
4. Make decisions. – Take this list and make a decision on every aspect of your life.  Decide whether time you spend on certain activities could be spent helping you achieve goals in other areas of your life.  Decide if you will continue some activities, change others, or start a new one.  Time is the most precious commodity we have; do not waste it.
5. Develop a plan. – Develop a game plan of what has to take place to reach your dreams and make things happen.  Setup measurable goals for your life.  Break it all down into time frames of a week, a month, a year and then longer - 5, 10, 20, 30 years out.  These will constantly change and evolve so check them and update them frequently.
6. Schedule it, tell everyone and take action. – The most important step.  By scheduling your goals and your action items it allows you to set definite deadlines.  That gives you a better chance of sticking to it.  If you tell everyone what you are doing you are now creating ownership of your goals.  And of course nothing can stand in your way as long as you’re taking decisive action.  If you find yourself making excuses, stop!

I know it may seem crazy that some dog changed my life, but it was the lessons I learned from Athena’s accident that changed my life.  We all learn differently.  And despite my loss, I’m grateful for the lessons and the opportunities that have risen from it.

If you liked what you read here please feel free to visit Chris Gaddis’ website at chrisjgaddis.com 

A Little Better All the Time

Healthy Actor Meet-Up Well..do we all feel a little healthier? I should say so!  Dr. Jason Maggio really delivered on his presentation at the first Healthy Actor Meet-up.  Dr. Jason had us at hello when he started doling out his obvious knowledge about general health, diet, stress and ways to make it all better. Not another "guy giving a talk so that you'll hopefully patronize his business", Dr. Jason was passionate, engaging and very knowledgeable; and, not to mention, very easy to listen to.  A good turn out of actors posited questions about the average troubles we all suffer from. The difference - the answers weren't average at all. He had the patience to be technical to a point without losing any of us in the audience. Simple things too, like explaining the role of water and the importance of being adequately hydrated. Did you know the number one cause of headaches is slight dehydration and that most people are a little dehydrated? Neither did we.  He explained the dangers of sugars (not merely in weight gain, but in blood chemistry issues that could pose long term problems). And my favorite were his discussions on stress. He offered really easy solutions that affected a number of the body's systems all with the aim to regain balance. And guess what, they are things you can do that cost you nothing. What a gift his seminar was. We look forward to seeing him again. Encore! http://allthewayhealth.com/ All the Way Chiropractic Dr. Jason Maggio 8575 Fern Avenue Suite 101 Shreveport, LA  71105

January Check- In

Greetings, Friends!

I logged on this morning and was shocked to discover it was the final day of January.  How can that be?
If your January has been anything like mine, it has been a combination of the "dailiness of life" as well as surprises,  new ideas, unexpected events, steps forward and steps backward toward achieving goals and dreams.  As John Lennon said, " Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans."

Today is  great day to take stock of your feelings about the first month of 2011.  Have your found your energy increasing or diminishing? Are you encouraged by your progress or discouraged ? Perhaps  a little of both? Many people set unrealistic goals for the new year and then go through a cycle of self-criticism when they falter in moving forward at the unrealistic rate they set for themselves.  Others dream of changes but feel overwhelmed by them and frozen in place, unable to move forward.  As actors, we score high on imagination but sometimes falter with follow-through. Instead of giving in to discouragement, get active! Research goal-setting and learn where you might have stumbled along the way.  Get more information and get going!

Are your goals SMART goals?  Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely? This is not a new idea. If your goals do not fit this concept, google SMART Goals and take a look at how this process will make your goal-setting and follow through much more efficient and effective.  Here's a link for a free SMART Goals worksheet to get you started:  http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/78835.aspx

Your passion and excitement will fuel your goal-setting and ultimately provide you with the energy to move forward. Don't give in to self-criticism.  Start afresh and let's get going!  I'm cheering you on! Let me know how it goes.

Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. - Creativity, Love and Dr. Martin King, Jr.

http://zenstorming.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/creativity-love-drmartinlutherking/

Creativity, Love and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Posted by Plish on January 20, 2009

 

We often think of creativity and innovation in terms of the needs of business.  Yet, in everyday life, people are continually being creative, risking and innovating.  This type of daily creativity, driven directly by the needs of others can result in powerful innovation and the betterment of humankind.

This beautiful story of graciousness is about a man, who upon seeing a guest at his table eating peas with a knife, also eats peas so as not to make the guest feel badly. 

What the man in the story did was more than graciousness, it was  Love - a profound, deep act of love that was willing to break rules of etiquette so that the other person would feel acknowledged, respected…

… loved.

Dr. Martin Luther King (whose birthday we celebrate) once said of this love in his sermon, “Loving Your Enemies,”

“(this deep love) is something of the understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill for all men. It is a love that seeks nothing in return. It is an overflowing love…”

He uses the word “Creative” and it is fitting. 

There were many ways the man in the story could have taught his family about loving others, about respect, about graciousness, yet in a moment’s twinkling he led by example, in simplicity, by eating his peas with a knife!

Dr. King continued:

“…when you start hating anybody, it destroys the very center of your creative response to life and the universe; so love everybody. Hate at any point is a cancer that gnaws away at the very vital center of your life and your existence. It is like eroding acid that eats away the best and the objective center of your life.”

 Truly powerful words and they should be taken to heart. 

While Love creates an environment of creativity, hate inhibits creativity because it destroys the core of the human which is called to Love.  A person who is diminished in this way is not operating, creating, innovating from a position of power, but from a position of weakness and frailty - the person is no longer being authentic to the depths of human beauty.

When there is a lack of beauty within, the corresponding lack of an authentic generative creativity leads to a world  devoid of innovation, devoid of graciousness, devoid of justice, devoid of peace, devoid of Love.

So next time you’re struggling, lacking in creativity, try digging deep and seeing everyone, including yourself, through the eyes of Love.

Specificity

All artists seek specificity. To be specific one must be awake, alive and available to respond moment to moment to moment. Specificity can only be found in the present moment. - Mary Thoma

Healthy Actor Tip #5

Acting in Joy - As an actor myself, and one who has worked with and taught actors of all ages for years, I’ve seen a lot of unhealthy approaches to working with actors and a lot of damage done. Actors have a deep desire to give of themselves and share what is most important to them. Acting requires a vital vulnerablity and tremendous courage. Do not settle for less than complete respect and an approach to your work that strengthens and does not abuse your gifts.

The Art and Soul of Acting

New to acting or an experienced artist? We are dedicated to the development of impassioned students who seek to possess powerful imaginations, intense intellects, and an open and joyful heart deeply connected to the people and the world around them.