The first few months of the year are a great time to remind yourself why you’re in this business. Why day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, you continue to wake up and commit yourself to acting, to this craft that you love. It’s also the perfect time to recommit to your power, to your purpose in this crazy world of acting.
In fact, I devote an entire class to helping actors find their true power, for I believe that if you do find it, you will be unstoppable. Every audition, every performance...you’ll radiate. Whether you become rich and famous, or you just get to do what you love every day, establishing your true purpose will keep you fulfilled.
So how do you figure out what that true purpose is? Ask yourself these questions:
“Why do I act?”
First, look at what made you fall in love with acting in the first place. I started because my sister was too shy to get up in front of her class to give a book report, so my mom sent us to an acting school thinking it might help. I fell in love immediately. I loved connecting to other actors and the audience, to finding the courage to do things I’d never done before.
What’s your story? What was the moment you lost your heart to this strange, wonderful world? Take a few minutes to remind yourself where it all started.
“What is my purpose?”
Now go a step deeper. Ask yourself what you believe your life’s purpose is. What makes you feel truly happy and fulfilled? Maybe it’s helping other. Perhaps it’s to be kind, or that you want to open minds and hearts. My purpose? To connect deeply with others. Look deep, and then put it down on paper.
READ: 4 Easy Tips for Building Confidence
“What is my true power?”
Take that piece of paper and draw a line down the center. On one side, write down what you think your true power is. If you haven’t figured it out yet, try making a list of what’s positive and good about you. This is not a list of skills or talents! It’s what makes you feel right in and with the world, what makes you feel clear, balanced, and powerful.
Once you know your power, try to consciously step into it whenever possible. My main power is courage; it’s why I coach. The lessons I teach always have a message of courage and taking that leap, which means people tend to step more easily into their own courage around me.
On the other side of the page, write down your greatest weakness, the thing that sabotages your power. Identify what it feels like when you’re about to fall into the black hole that is your weakness.
Now promise yourself that as soon as you feel yourself putting a toe into that black hole, stop. Pivot, and make a conscious effort to step into your power instead. Use your power to ward off the weakness. In your power, you will see much more clearly what is really happening and be able to get back into balance. It may take some time, but practice makes perfect and eventually, it’ll become second nature.
And when it does, you’ll know how to harness that power to be at the top of your game whenever you wish, whether you’re walking down the street, on a date, nailing an audition, or giving the best performance of your life.
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The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them,
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.
