Life can hit hard, and life can hit fast. There will be a fair share of rain, a few tornados, and a title wave here and there, but as messy and crazy as life may seem, you must remember that there is always light.
When I had moved to New York some years ago, a friend suggested I read a popular novel, “The Secrets” by Rhonda Byrne, which explains the power of positivity. Though it was a great read, I was so caught up in the chaos of a new move while juggling my passions and chasing my dreams, that the beautiful messages of this novel didn’t fully resonate with me in that moment.
Now, today, as my career is taking-off, I found myself inspired to pick up my old copy of this book, to truly feel and believe what the secret is all about.
As an Artist, you face constant emotional obstacles. There will always be a critic standing in your way, someone telling you to put your dreams aside and to be more realistic. In my own life, I find that my toughest critic is always myself, and I’m sure you can relate. I get so invested in my passion that I become a perfectionist, and at times overly critical of my own performance. I can be too hard on myself, and sometimes focus too much energy on the slightest shortcoming, rather than all of the amazing positives. It can become an exhausting battle defying this negativity while remaining true to your talents and fully believing in yourself.
But, that’s the point; however, that’s the secret. The highs don’t mean anything without the lows, and your success is a reflection of everything that you’ve overcome to this point. No matter how dismal, grey, or difficult something may seem, it’s crucial to remember how far you’ve come to be where you are. Issues and hardships happen, more often than we’d like, but you can’t let pain, anger and disappointment linger. You have to turn these negatives into a positive, and positivity is all about perspective.
Positivity is a practice; it’s a commitment. Rather than say, “I am trying to write a book,” a simple shift in mentality is the first step. You are not trying- you are. What starts as a basic visualization will soon become an actualization. I regularly picture the next-steps in my acting career not as future events, but as my current path. The pictures you see in your mind, must become your belief system, and like a TV show, you just need to slightly change your channel and frequency a bit. You need to remove doubt from your thought stream. Change “Am I?” to “I AM.”
As you live life in the moment, it’s crucial to “ask and believe” in order to receive. Be grateful for every moment that you have, as life is one-time gift. All it takes in capturing greatness is a slight change in your thought process.
So what’s my secret? Acknowledging hardship, but not letting it linger. Fighting negativity and focusing on all of the beautiful aspects life has to offer, in which I’m so grateful for; happiness, health, love and opportunity. Always remember, your dreams are your reality; all it takes is a little positivity!