As you know from my previous blog, me stepping away from the JLA Office for extended periods of time is a huge source of anxiety for me. To be honest, I started off my vacation biting my nails. As nice at is visiting and experiencing new places, I was away from some of the key work elements that allow my acting career to continue to flourish. Some of these things include working with my team at the JLA Office, working with my acting coach and taking lessons at my dance studio. Let me tell you - there is nothing like the work that we get done in person at our office. It is inspiring and uplifting and motivating to be around people who are so dedicated and driven toward a common goal. This is why I find it so challenging to step away from these people, places and things. I feel that all of these elements are a huge part of me and my growth, so being apart from them, especially at the beginning, is gut-wrenching.
I have learned some really valuable lessons on this vacation thus far. I just finished the first part of my two-part vacation and yes, for me it’s hard enough to take just one part! I am so thrilled to be here at the JLA Office, even if just for a few days, before we head out to the second part of our ocean passage.
First of all, I have to say that I really made this “vacation” work for me. If I were forced to be away from my work and my journey to chasing my dream for all of this time, I would have gone mad. Luckily for me, my Husband totally understood and allowed me to take many hours throughout the day to dive into my work. I was able to have conference calls, work on scripts and just do whatever I had to do so that I could continue to evolve my acting career. He knows that I have already dedicated so much time and effort into building the foundation of a career that I am so proud of!
While on our ocean passages there were periods of time where I was completely unreachable out at sea for 24-hours+ with nothing but the ocean surrounding me. This pretty much forced me to take the time to take in the beauty of the simple things in life which in turn forced me to slow down and live in the present. From this I started meditating more often and found myself becoming more at peace with my life and where everything was at. I became more aware that I needed to practice more in living in the moment and really appreciating each and every stage of my journey as I live it. I realized that each moment I live will be ones that I never get back and that all that I am learning in these early stages of my career are so important. I know that Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor would I want my acting career to be built in one day. Each block that I add to my foundation deserves merit and recognition for all hard work and effort that went into it.
I have come to realize just how transfixed and dependent I am on Social Media. I am so dedicated to my fans and love being able to respond to my fans in real time. My Husband always complains that I am constantly on my iPad checking my fan-sites which is totally true! I feel such a strong connection to my fans which will never change, so being unable to communicate to them was a struggle for me. From being away from Internet connection, I was forced to live in the moment in a world without social media and technology. I found myself becoming more aware of the beauty and wonder of the world which has always been a huge passion of mine. As an artist I feel that we can’t grow in whatever art form we are evolved in unless we take the time to appreciate the basics of life. You really don’t get much more beauty than that of the simple things in life.
I realized on this vacation that I was missing this balance in my life. I realized just how obsessed I was with my work to the point where I was not taking adequate time to appreciate these every day blessings that are always around us and that we take for granted. My obsession with my work will never change. I am a workhorse. I know this will never change. That being said – I know that there needs to be a balance in work and taking time to appreciate these simpler but very important things in life.
Balance is something that we all struggle with in some way or another. As I am sitting here with my team and everyone is talking about their struggles with balance, I realize that everyone is trying to find some kind of structure and balance in their lives. In this era, we are all under the impression that we can have it all – which we can, especially because the Internet makes everything so accessible. That being said, this access also seems to make us so obsessed with it that we lose sight of the fundamentals of life like having human interactions and building authentic relationships.
Technology has allowed us to accomplish so much. If you compared what you are able to get done today versus what you would have been capable of accomplishing five years ago, you’d be amazed. Don’t be so obsessed with what you’re NOT getting accomplished and instead, focus on every brick that you have laid to build your foundation throughout each day. Each brick took valuable time in your life so it deserves respect. In my opinion, we all deserve a pat on our backs for doing a great job BECAUSE WE ARE DOING. God bless you each day as you lay the very important fundamental foundations to your life’s work. I really love the saying “God loves a trier.” Go out and find your balance that will allow you to chase your dreams and appreciate the simpler things along your journey!