When the message of love gets lost it can lead to some crazy things – desperation, trying to hard, pushing people in the wrong direction, or just taking taking taking. There are so many messages out there in life:
• give forward
• love earnestly
• think positively
• understand grace
• consider karma
• align your cosmic chakras
• be yourself
The list goes on….
All these factors are important. All of them are pivotal in our personal and spiritual development, and all of them mean different things to different people. But one thing I’ve learned is when we are reckless with our consideration for others it will ALL come crashing down. It may not be immediate, and we may not even realise it, but it always has a flow on effect. Ever read The Power? I highly recommend it for some spiritual enlightenment. If we don’t operate from 51% love we really can let ourselves down. Grace is lost. And remember, we don’t just get given ‘grace’. We are grace by just being our wonderful selves.
See I meet actors every single day. Sometimes I meet so many I think I may already live in LA, rather than London. And actors are constantly working it, constantly hustling, constantly schmoozing, just going what they have got to do to get to the next place. I get it. I mean I even write about it sometimes. That’s what we do.
But it can all go horribly wrong if we forget to connect in the most genuine way, from a place of love. I have read a bunch of blogs by Mastin Kipp, founder of The Daily Love, (and other writers but his blogs describe it very clearly) that talk about grace and love in so much detail. The way I see it is this – we don’t get to earn browny points in the “karma bank” or “grace bank” or “love bank” so much so that we can just do what we like any other time when we aren’t in the mood to be considerate. It just doesn’t work like that.
If you forgot the true meaning of people and spend all your time working on the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) principle you are actually destroying your chances of moving forward. I have done it in the past. I won’t try and pretend I haven’t. I have made the mistake of being so intensely set on my end goal I forgot whose toes I was stepping on to get there. I got distracted because my eyes were on the bigger prize. And that will never ever get me anywhere. And I’ve seen other actors do this to. They won’t introduce someone because they’re scared they might get a role instead of themselves. They won’t help another actor with their lines or performance cause they are just too busy (having lattes and cappuccinos). They won’t share insights because everyone else will know their secrets to potential success.
This pic has nothing to do with grace, I just love her! |
Here is another way to look at it. The biggest compliment I have had in a long time was a lovely acting friend of mine calling me a connector. She told me I was amazing at connecting people and getting people together. I beamed with pride when I heard this (just last week). I love it when one of my fabulous friends meets another fabulous friend or acquaintance. I am filled with elation when I know that new people might work together and do lots of exciting things together… The UK Actors tweetups were actually born from my desire to help people meet and connect. And just because other pals start to work together, collaborate, share or do business, doesn’t mean I’m forgotten. People worry so much that this might lead to them encouraging others to get ahead but they won’t. Sometimes as connectors we are actually meant to allow others to connect and that’s the end of our role. And this is another reason why we should always be about trying to act from a place of love, where we are giving wholly and fully. Acting and living from a place where we are genuinely for another, rather than for ourselves.
But I digress….sort of. Be you, but be the most honest you that you can be. Don’t push, don’t shove, don’t not introduce someone for fear that they may get ahead. They won’t. But you will fall behind. The moment you fall out of love with being loving, grace is gone. And B.A.B.E.’s you don’t want to lose that. YOU are better than that.
Remind me…what is grace again? |
Completely agree – Read the Power (and a tonne of those kind of books) and I think these principles are so important to uphold, they keep you sane… especially in this business! Love the blog.