Having A Voice

By freddielaraThoughts

Having A Voice

Over the span of what is now 29 years I have worked in this business on and off.
In that time I have trained hard, worked lots, not worked at all for months and
sometimes years. I have been in shows that have been nominated for awards, small
and huge theaters and television shows, I have done tiny little shows that have
gotten huge amounts of press and critical raves as well as expensive huge shows
where no one knew we had come. I have made tons of money and then starved. I
have lost my way and found my way back to enjoying the craft wholeheartedly.

What keeps me coming back after all these years? I have acting students that are
younger than that for gods sake.

I had a teacher once tell me that there were really only three reasons to ever
say yes to a project. The first was to work with talented people, the writer,
another actor or an amazing director. The second reason was that this project
would be a stepping stone to move me up creatively. And finally, most
importantly, that creatively it moved me somehow.
Money was never a reason. Stardom was never a reason.

Maybe if I was a more pragmatic teacher I would say that your retirement fund is
a consideration. And I’m not saying its not. But what I have found throughout
these past three decades is that when I do the things I love, the pieces I am
passionate about , the money and abundance comes on it’s own.

Money comes and money goes but it’s the experience of your life that really
matters, and my experience is that when I’m doing that piece I love, that moves
me, that touches me and the audience in some deep and cathartic healing way then
I am happy and feel more abundant than if I had a trillion dollars. On the other
hand I have made loads of sweaty cash on pieces I couldn’t give two hoots about
and the sometimes the year long tedium of doing the same piece over and over
again was exhausting and miserable. And besides when I’m controlling and
managing my life like that it does feels like ,once again, I am trying grab hold
of things tight instead of allowing the universe to move and expand through me.

So, like all these other conversations, this is just my opinion. But to really
love what u do, to become a healing story teller we must trust the universe to
take care of us as we go about being the illuminators of humanity. We have a
new employer now, and we have a bigger reason to do what we do. So let the flow
move through you, and trust your employer to take care of your bills and take
care of your promotions while you choose more carefully, or better said, while
you allow more easily. Then see how your being of service benefits not just you
but those around you. And, since you are doing what you were meant to do, see
how much happier and full of joy your experience of your personal and work life
can be… See how much more your life expands to. Because the universe has a
bigger plan for us than you or i could ever imagine. All we have to is train as
well as we can, and show up with as much integrity as we can.. And you’ll see
just how far the universe can take you.. Far beyond what your human eye could
ever see..