"Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard." ~Anne Sexton
(thanks Laura Lewis) I do a full Life Aspects Summary (see chart on #2) on every one of my characters. It drives the facts of their lives deeper into my consciousness. We spend a lot of time searching for the souls of our characters, making distinctions between what they are aware of and what they are not aware of. I know if it can work for imaginary characters, it can certainly work for real people, too. In a play, a film or any story if the majority of a character's time is spent doing something they are not suited for, it creates pressures in their bodies, pressures in their lives in general and then they'll act out those pressures in appropriate and often in appropriate ways. Each discovery is a great adventure and sometimes it's messy. And so it is in real life, too. Yesterday was HEALTH. Today we go back to #1. Self Actualization and Career This is a touchy subject in the middle of the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression. I realize that. Self Actualization comes way after survival on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The only thing I can share is that for many people I know, even though this recession isn't pretty, this is giving them the chance to look deeper inside themselves to re-create their careers. It's slow and it's challenging, and the results will be worth it. If you are in basic survival mode right now, please know it is only temporary. Here is a question for this area of your life: Are you getting to use all of your talents and skills in your work? If "yes" good for you! If not, now is the time to consider how you might be able to create that. Here are a few more questions to get you started. Do you feel you are doing what you were born to do? If not, what do you feel you were born to do? Do you notice when you are happiest? Are you in a transition stage for your career? If so, what would you like the next stage of your career to be? What are your technical gifts and skills? What are your emotional gifts and skills? Who are you most inspired by? I've met countless people who have added their additional, joyful skills to their work and are happier because of it. I've also met numerous people who have transitioned their careers at age 40 and up. It's not easy, but they do report feeling deeply rewarded. If they can do it, you can do it. Being an actress and producer at this point and time in history is perfect for me. The technological tools available now to actors and producers are better than ever. The opportunities to learn from countless numbers of experts from all over the world with just a few keystrokes is like a dream come true for me. The fact that Social Media gives me an opportunity to flex my sales and marketing skills and apply them to my film, television and new media projects is a ton-o-fun for me. So both halves of my brain are finally happy. Transitions are easier when you have someone to assist you. These are some of my favorite Career / Self Actualization links: Fired Up Careers: http://www.firedupcareers.com/index.html Career Counseling: http://www.marinoandassociates.com/wordpress C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles: http://www.junginla.org/ (there is a Jungian Instititute in almost every major city in the world.) Transition Coaches: http://thetransitioncoach.com/transition.html and http://thetransitionscoach.com/
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Melinda Augustina is an actress and producer. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and his wine collection. If you'd like more musings from her universe, you can follow her on Twitter as @PowerHungryFilm or become a fan on her Facebook Fan Page Categories
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