What a nice day this turned out to be. I slept in really late. I worked on the blog for awhile and wound up talking to a friend late. Im still on such a high from my Greece trip. That is a lasting, I think lifelong memory for me. So it was different sleeping in till 11 am. I really didn’t sleep hardly at all when I was Greece and operating completely on Adrenalin. So Im hoping I got caught up last night.
The reason I only stayed 48 hours in Greece, is because I didn’t want to miss an acting class. With our second session starting on the 22nd of this month on Wednesday, Im not going to have many opportunities for little getaways like this for awhile. I had been working the 6 day 70 hour thing. So I thought the break was deserved. But I did feel kind of bad for my staff. They have been working 7 day weeks (some of them) and also 70-80 hours a week. The difference is Im a spoiled westerner. Most of them appreciate all the overtime they can get. They are here to work and make money. Im too locked into my 40 hour ideal m-f time frame. That just isn’t realistic here for this season of my life. The fortunate part for me is that I love love love what I do. So I never really have to work. Take today for instance with the acting class. I’ve been working this 6 day for the past two months now. It is very mentally straining as I have to be “on” for the entire day. I teach three different Two hour classes, childrens, teens, and adults back to back to back. Its quite taxing. But since I really enjoy it, I don’t consider it to be work. Im actually quite looking forward to going into the office tomorrow. How strange is that to love your job that much? Im glad im in the center of God’s will for my life.
OK…one of the main reasons why Im on such a bit of high right now is one of my students had a break-through tonight. He’s an young arab, probably 24, with just not a lot of experience in the acting department, but he wants to try. Ive seen a lot of good and bad actors in my day, and this guy starting out, had to be one of the absolute worst. But he was so determined, so naïve really to his own ability. I worked hard with him. He did a monologue tonight from the Wizard of Oz, about courage…the one the Lion did…you remember. It was perfect for him. The first few times through he really struggled with the lines. And he got flustered and wanted to give up. Then I took him aside and I said, I want you to visualize your parents when you do this. Because really, that is who he was talking to in trying to gain his courage. So he went up there and all of a sudden, this bold, brazen character came out of his while he was yelling his scene. It shocked everybody. It was actually pretty decent. When he finished, the entire class hooted and hollered for him. Everyone was so proud. It was raucous and a pretty emotional moment for him. Character defining even. Like he had overcome this big fear, this big weight holding him back. He succeeded, be believed in himself. That’s why I love teaching…for guys like this guy to achieve their full potential.
After the class everyone went out to eat again. There is such a sense of community building amongst the students its really great to see. That’s what I want to see. Its in moments like tonight, where Im reminded that I am really making a difference. It just makes me want to do it more and more. I’m blessed and fortunate to be a tool in these people’s lives. Acting is great therapy. Its also a great tool to help teach you how to maximize your true potential. Im so glad that I do what I do…still. I tell my students about what makes an actor successful? What makes an actor successful, or any person in life successful is that they never ever ever ever give up. I’ve been rejected and beaten down thousands of times (not an exaggeration), both emotionally and professionally. I didn’t give up though at times family and friends urged me to. My faith was not in them…it was in the calling that God had for my life. If God be for us…then who can be against us… Was my motto for not giving up. Its in nights like tonight…I see the fruits of my labor…and it feels great.
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