The Answer To Your Question: Should I Leave Town?

Whenever I’m debating on doing something fun or taking a trip, I’m often reminded of my late father’s wise words: DO IT NOW.

For the actor, I’ll add…

Mark Twain summed it up pretty well too:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore. Dream. Discover”

So, is there something you long to do or somewhere you’d like to go that you are putting off because….

• you could get cast in something
• you don’t want to miss out on anything
• you don’t have anyone to go with
• you tell yourself you can’t afford it

All of these reasons may feel very true to you, but they are also based in feelings of lack + not trusting the Universe’s divine guidance.  (I’m not talking about going into debt to go on vacation either, but treating yourself to a day off to do something fun)

I know from past experience, that when you have an intense focus on only pursuing your acting career or waiting to have a mate to enjoy your life, that these are often the exact reasons you need to get out of town.

(I also now know as a wife + mom of 2, that packing a bag + going on a day trip is a lot easier to do when you are single!  So, all you guys and gals that don’t have to lug a stroller, baby wipes or diapers…please…start traveling!)

In my single days, I always wanted a boyfriend to take me away to a 5-star resort for our vacation.  The funny thing is, I never really gave myself the 5-star treatment I desired.

Once I began doing so, things started to change in my life.  In fact, I remember signing myself up for a weekend meditation retreat at The Deepak Chopra Center.  I made a conscious choice to book a nice hotel + treated myself to a weekend alone in LaJolla, California.

It wasn’t about spending a ton of money, but just getting out of my comfort zone + taking in new surroundings. I strolled the streets, went for a run on the beach, read a book in the park and learned a lot about the importance of quieting one’s mind.

It was a time I will cherish and never forget.  It was a turning point in my life.  And of course, just as I was leaving town, auditions came in (ones that I could do when I got back) and soon after I met a wonderful guy. (not the man I married, but a relationship that gave me the valuable lessons that led me to the man I would marry)

About 7 years after that solo adventure, I found myself back in LaJolla, with my husband and our 2-year old son, walking the same streets I had walked while wondering how my life would turn out.

And yesterday…..(13 years after that trip I took…alone) I returned from our 7-year anniversary getaway at a 5-star resort (with a surf break right out front, since Josh’s favorite form of meditation is surfing). We booked the trip a few months beforehand and ended up attracting jobs to pay for it all before we even left.

And of course, an audition came in for me while I was away.  I liked the material, so we shot it on my Iphone, sent it off and then went to dinner .

The moral of the story:

• Treat yourself the way you want to be treated.
• Get out of town.
• Get out of your comfort zone.
• Learn something new.
• Book the ticket.
• Go on the trip.
• Look up from your phone + connect with people.
• Shoot the audition on your phone if you connect with the material (+ have good lighting.)
• Go back to enjoying your getaway.
• Trust in life’s divine timing – in your career + in your personal life.
• Know that things have a way of working out, even when it may not seem like it is.

All of the above will make you a better actor + a much more interesting person.

And besides, the minute you book a trip, you will probably book a job.  It’s a shining example of Deepak Chopra’s “Law of Detachment,” one of The Seven Spiritual Laws of  Success.  This happens to be one of my favorite books I read 13 years ago, while overlooking the cliffs of La Jolla.

Here’s to your adventures!

Morning Mindset Meditation

If there’s something I’ve been putting off, I rethink it + do it now.

I trust that my career will be here when I return  I trust the rigtht roles are on their way to me.

I know I will be a better actor for going out and experiencing life.

This summer, I will take the trip, explore, venture out and see new places.

I will meet new people.  I will connect.

When I am in a new place or a new enviornmnemt, I will not bury myself in my phone.  I will keep my head up and out, as I know every human wants to be seen and heard.

I will notice my surroundings.

I will stop to smell the roses, smell the ocean.

I will spread joy wherever I go.

I will keep my eyes up and my ears open.

I will keep my heart open.

I will study human behavior.

I will be a sponge, soaking up life and the love that surrounds me.

I don’t need a mate to have an adventure.  I have fun deciding what to do next.

I don’t need a ton of money to take a trip. I find creative ways to explore.

The more I love being with myself, the more love I will attract to me.

I treat myself kindly every day, no matter where I am in the world.

I do it now. I take the trip.  I know in my heart, that my acting career will be here when I return.

Thanks for sharing…