As the year comes to a close, I love taking the time to “take inventory” on the past 12 months.

The challenge can be to do this from a soul-connected place of love vs. an ego-connected place of fear + judgment.

Your ego wants to know the answer to these two questions:
How many jobs have you booked and how much money have you made?

Your soul wants to know the answer to these two questions:
How have you loved and who you have effected?

Jim Carrey went on to say in an inspiring commencement speech,
“…because everything you gain in life will rot and fall apart.and all that will be left of you is what was in your heart.”

During my year-end ritual, I used to just list the facts about my career accomplishments…Booked X number of jobs. Made X amount of money.
After all, most of us were taught to measure our success + our value in terms of numbers, grades, rewards and accolades.
But, as we’ve seen from so many examples in our industry, wealth, fame + accolades won’t give your soul a sense of completion.

Why? Because your soul is not ego-based. Your soul doesn’t care what agent you’re with, how long your resume is or how many followers you have on twitter.

Your soul cares about who you are becoming + how it can fulfill its purpose.

So, the #1 question every actor should ask in December, to tap into what is most important is:

What are you most proud of?

Now try placing your hand on your heart, taking a deep breath in + exhaling, focusing inward and ask this question again, to your heart + soul.
What are you most proud of?

When I asked myself this question, with my hand on my heart—really asking my soul this question and not my ego, the answer came so quickly and oddly enough, it wasn’t the jobs I booked or the money I made. (although I am grateful for that too)

I am most proud of all of the actor’s I have effected this year.

Those my work has helped in big + small ways.  All of the lives I’ve touched, from the ones I know about and those I may never know.

For some actors, I have helped transform their clarity, their confidence, their happiness, their joy, their creativity, their deep knowing that “I am enough,” + “I can shine my light brightly.”

For other actors, my work has transformed their mental + emotional states, allowing them to bring their most expanded + powerful self to their work, resulting in them winning awards on stage + screen, walking the red carpet, getting offers for series regular roles, booking their dream job, quitting their day job to act full time + having their most fulfilling year to date.

Each of these actors have all helped to fulfill part of my soul’s path.  Thank you

I am also most proud of taking action despite my fears + owning my space this year as one who is here to effect and uplift others. Allowing myself to really “be seen,” by putting my face + name on my ActorInspiration.com website was part of that ownership.

Acknowledging that doing this work is part of my soul’s journey, no matter how scary it felt, no matter how much of my own fears it brought up, but doing it anyway + now, 8 months later, seeing the effect it has had on so many people, their careers + their lives, has helped my soul feel a sense of completion this year + has often moved me to tears.

I am proud of tithing 10% of Actor Inspiration’s earnings to the Facing Forward Foundation to help children born with facial deformities receive the surgical care they need, even if their families can’t afford it.

I am proud of becoming braver, wiser, more present + more patient.  I am proud of the time I have spent enjoying my growing children + the wife I have been to my husband.  I am proud of my ever-expanding career.

Because, yes, doing our creative work also fuels our soul. Booking jobs fuels our soul. Our acting work can have a huge effect on others. It all matters.

But as you take inventory this year, be mindful of doing it in a way that uplifts your soul vs.tending only to the needs of your ego, which may leave you feeling like you didn’t quite measure up, since the ego wants you to never rest.

So, what are you most proud of?  What is your soul, your heart, your truest-self most proud of?

Leave a comment below – I’d love to hear what it is!

And if you find, that you are having trouble looking at the past year without feeling a sense of sadness, frustration or anger…it may be time express those emotions + release them.

When you lift the clouds of repressed emotions that may be looming over your head, you allow your energy to revitalize + renew, just in time to invite abundance + joy into your life the New Year.

Give yourself the gift this month of asking your heart what you are most proud of, letting go of any emotions that might be stuck within you + feeling a sense of completion in your soul for who you have become + who you have effected in 2014.

Here’s to shining a light on yourself + celebrating what has touched your heart this year. Thank you for touching mine.

Love + Gratitude,

Thanks for sharing the love.