Investing in YOURSELF!
By Deb Munro
This is such a tough time for many. The economy is catching up to most of us and everyone is tightening the noose on their budgets….understandably so. What a predicament for many. You’ve invested a ton into your craft, both in time and in money. You have family and friends that are rooting for you to succeed. So much is riding on your dreams and this is NOT the time to let them go. Although this industry can get discouraging, this is the time to press forward and find a way to succeed. You’ve invested too much to turn back now.
You are auditioning for a few sites or agents and still nothing or very little. Is it everyone or everything else around you, or is it you that needs assessing? Most people continue to blame others or other circumstances for the path they have taken. I challenge you to find your responsibility to your journey. We are solely responsible for our outcomes whether they are positive or negative. As soon as you can grasp this approach into your everyday life your outcomes will change and you will see better results.
The one thing that is true about me is that I love life. EVERY BIT OF IT! I appreciate much of what life has to offer me and I see nothing but positive things around me. Of course there is negative, but it’s the way in which I handle the downs that keep my life on such an up! I take full responsibility for my actions, my direction and my path. I have made all the choices I have made to get me where I am today, not only in my career but in my personal life as well. In order to have made these choices, I had to truly be comfortable with who I am as a human being and be willing to take large risks that I trusted would pay off. Lucky enough for me, my risks have paid off to date.
I’ve spoken about this before but I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the educational journey I took to learn. I travelled around the US and Canada to get the best training I could find. Inadvertently this also helped me to become the kind of coach I would want for myself….and let me tell you, there are only a handful of REALLY good coaches out there. A coach who truly cares about your success and knows how to handle your specific personality and skill needs. Let’s face it, most of us who get into acting are unique individuals that typically carry a lot of emotional damage and a need for attention. Choosing the right coach is extremely important.
Perhaps it’s a broken record to you by now that you should get more training. It’s hard to admit that you need it, even harder to afford it, but without it, the growth is that much harder to obtain. Consider it the fast track to your diploma. We don’t get degrees or diplomas (for the most part) in this industry, so the workshops and the private coaching seem to be the only way to accredit yourself. A good coach will help you obtain your goals and connect you to their world of success.
Let’s face it, success breeds success. So be sure that you look for a coaching team that is successful either as talent or in what they do. That adage “those who can do, do and those who can’t, teach” is not always true in the world of coaching. Sometimes there are those that just want to give back because it makes them feel good.
I coach not because I have to, but because I really enjoy feeling that I had some sort of hand in your career – be it small or a large part of it, I was able to join you on your journey and leave something behind in you that allowed you to add to your success. That is an honor to me that I take very seriously. All I ask is that you add me to your “Academy Award Speech” LOL. I’m not trying to blow smoke up your !#@ chimney…..and although I would like to share with your my workshop schedule for this year, I’m not saying this to win over your business. I’m sharing with you what I know to be true for me. I couldn’t have accomplished my career to date without the help of some amazing mentors and support teams.
Today is the day I reach out to all my mentors, friends and colleagues and say THANK YOU! Thank you for having a hand in my success. For allowing me to learn from you and to add that to my Rolodex of experience. To be able to call you friend and mentor. I am forever honored, forever humbled and forever grateful.Today is a great day to reach out to your mentors and thank them for all they’ve been able to share with you to help you succeed. If you open your eyes really wide – you’ll see that list is pretty big.
All my love
Deb