Friday, June 12, 2009

Balancing Act


(I can't take credit for this photo- I totally stole it from this blog)

It’s difficult to find a balance between career, family, friends, and peace of mind. Especially for someone like myself who has to have a part time “survival” job and then spends an additional 40+ hours a week on acting. I feel like I’m always letting someone down. Last weekend I was supposed to travel upstate to help my parents load up a Uhaul from my Grandma’s old house and help drive it back to MD. Unfortunately at the last minute I had to cancel due to a callback. Imagine my frustration when I went to the callback and heard they were having additional ones for the people who couldn’t make it.

I’m constantly on the run and find myself canceling plans with friends, not returning phone calls and emails, and becoming forgetful. I need to simplify things. Just as I was pondering these things the other day, I came across this article from the New York Times entitled, The Joy of Less. It’s basically the story of someone who gave up his fancy NYC job and home to move to Kyoto, with basically nothing. No cell phone, no computer, no internet, no car, no bike, nothing. And he is so much happier than ever before. Then I came across a blog that proposed that the answer to happiness is to be in the moment, as opposed to being only goal oriented. I totally related to that because I’m extremely goal oriented. I’m never satisfied with what I’m doing. I always want more. No film is good enough, no show is fulfilling enough. It makes me wonder, if I will every truly feel a sense of accomplishment, or if I will always be looking for the next best thing?

So for the next week, I am going to work on being in the moment. I’m not going to focus on the negatives. I’m going to hum, I’m going to walk lightly through the streets, and smell the fresh scent of rain. I’m going to concentrate on the play I’m in instead of wondering what will come next. I’m going to stop waiting for my life to start. I’m here now. It’s time to live.

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