RockNwine

If you’re just joining Spotlight, then this is my personal journal of my personal journey as a performer. It’s a kind of way for me to look back on all of my experiences, and lessons I’ve learned, while simultaneously sharing what I’ve learned with you. Disclaimer: The word PERSONAL was utilized twice in the first sentence. Therefore, this is not the gospel or the truth, it’s just me sharing MY experiences in an effort to assist, if possible, in other people’s discovery (end disclaimer). Today, I’m going to skip over the last part (Part 5) of my observation of the Industry’s Corporate Structure (AGAIN), to briefly touch (AGAIN) on the ‘BEING’ in “Brian’s B’s” (Being, Behavior, and Business), of my A+B=C method. If you are reading this blog for the first time, here’s a brief over view of my A+B=C method. A stands for the Abstract; It’s your dream and what you desire. C is the Completion or end result to the equation. It’s that Concrete product you have Concocted. However, B is the thing that doesn’t get much attention, and it is the most vital portion of the equation; It is your Being, your Behavior, and your Business. All the things that YOU actually DO to mix with the A and make the C happen! That is the basic overview of my system. Today, I’m going to focus a second week on Being and let you see how who you are at the core determines what you produce.

I personally believe that the Law Of Attraction is much more powerful than people may know. I believe it to be a universal law like the law of gravity, and the more you learn how to use it and the more you practice using it, the better you’ll get. The Secret speaks notes it’s simple mantra of how the Law Of Attraction works and it is: “Thoughts become things”,  Today, I would take that one step further and say that actions also become outcomes. In Christianity, Jesus eluded to the Law Of Attraction in Matthew 26:52 when he said to Peter, “Put your sword back into it’s place, for all who live by the sword will perish by the sword”. This is most likely where the saying “Live by the sword, die by the sword” originated. It’s a saying (combined with the Law Of Attraction) that makes me continually question what my intentions are as I enter any situation.

In the acting and/or performance world, I think it is important to always be vigilant about this as well. Who we are will determine what we produce in any situation. I’ve been on set with leaders who are angry, yelling, and disgruntled; What ended up happening was that many others on the set were angry, may have yelled, and also became disgruntled. On the other hand, when I’ve been on set with leaders who are inviting, open, and gracious, I’ve noticed that most everyone on the set is inviting, open and gracious. Feelings and behaviors are contagious. They spread like a virus. So, we must always be careful to monitor what kind of things we are spreading. Here are three Law Of Attraction ideas to keep in mind as you embark upon your acting/performing career.

THOUGHTS BECOME THINGS

The Secret totes that ‘thoughts become things’. How you feel determines what you do. William Moulton Marston must have been very clear on the law of attraction, because in one of the very first adventures of Wonder Woman, she reveals the secret to her strength, by saying to a crowd of people in a theatre: “I’m often asked the secret of Amazon strength. It’s this - the human brain contains enough energy to blow up mountains. Amazon girls are trained to direct their brain power into their muscles”. Dr. Marston understood that mastering the mind would be how we produce strength and power. So what was true power to him? Love and Wisdom. Wonder Woman worshiped and put love and wisdom first. Funny enough, the law of attraction centers around love. The Secret mentions that things like gratitude, forgiveness, and being giving, will ensure prosperity and blessings. So if you want to prosper, if you want to achieve, or if you want to be blessed in your field, I highly suggest you follow the secret’s advice and monitor your thoughts and feelings. Find ways to cultivate positive thoughts and emotions. Find sources of inspiration to keep you in a positive state of mind because your thoughts and feelings are what will create the mindset of the person you want to be. Who you are and what you feel like will also determine the actions you take in your journey.  

ACTIONS BECOME OUTCOMES

One of the very first actions we often take as performers, is picking a mentor, guide, or person up to whom we look, or find aspirational and inspiring. The person that you idolize will behave a certain kind of way. Like children, we often mimic behaviors unintentionally and subconsciously. Therefore, If you idolize a mean person they more than likely behave meanly, and you will mimic that behavior. But if you idolize a nice person, then you will more than likely mimic their behavior and behave nicely. With this in mind, I think it is very important to choose the people up to whom we look, very carefully. This is why it is so important to be careful who you idolize. More than likely you’ll mimic their values and their actions. I personally found great inspiration for my life in the pages of Wonder Woman. Her example of balance, grace, strength, and leading with love is an example from which I believe we can all learn. She is spiritual, humble, and is led by love and wisdom. Yet, when the going gets tough, I’d rather have her on my side over Superman or Batman. I have found that the actors with whom I associate, and up to whom I look, also seem to possess and exhibit similar qualities with their actions. Action is the primary focus of Brian’s Bs. This system centers around the importance of taking proper action and following through. However, action is nothing without intention. As actors, we know that if we are given direction to walk and we walk without intention, it doesn’t communicate anything to our audience. Thereby making us ineffective in our jobs. We may be doing what we are told, but we aren’t telling the story. This rule is the same in life. The intention of our life will inform our actions and subsequently inform those around us. Our actions truly become the outcomes.

DISCIPLINE YOURSELF

Everyone wants to be successful. But it is those people with the discipline to be successful that make it truly happen. That is why it is so important to cultivate a system for monitoring and energizing your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Discipline is the key in most areas of success, but ESPECIALLY this one. I always recommend setting aside time on your calendar specifically for just this. Give an hour each day to meditate, watch videos, and talk to trusted advisors about how your feeling and how to stay on track. Some people who talk about their daily routines often are: Oprah Winfrey,  Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, Michael Phelps, Anna Wintor, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Many of them use the imagery of being an athlete to give people an idea of what their daily routines mean. Actors, artists and performers must be the same. We are athletes in our own right, and we must train, work hard, and be vigilant in order to achieve. Since our industry is one that is completely unstable, we must be adamant about cultivating a system to consistently monitor and assist ourselves in creating thoughts, feelings, and emotions that are positive. So find what manages your thoughts and feelings and put it on your daily calendar TODAY! After implementing even a few weeks of discipline, you’ll begin to notice results.

CONCLUSION

Who you are inside, how you feel, and what you think will manifest itself in reality. Last week I told a story of a woman who asked me for career advice. When I attempted to look online for work done by her (both on stage and on screen), I was unable to find any. Then when I did find some, it was severely lacking. After making these observations, I went in to offer her career advice and she brushed me off. She was completely un-coachable. Her thoughts were becoming things and her actions were becoming outcomes. It was clear that there was a lack of positivity in her thoughts and feelings, which led to her outcomes; Nothing powerful to show. If she would have cultivated more positive feelings she would have been coachable. And being coachable would have led her to taking more positive actions. The Law Of Attraction requires specificity, because you get EXACTLY what you request. So, In future posts explaining Brian’s Bs, I am going to show you very specific ways to produce results. But first, we must concentrate on the mastery of maintaining consistent thoughts and feelings.

You’ll be tested constantly on your ability to stabilize your thoughts and feelings, as we work in a business that is cycling daily. Today we can be employed and tomorrow we are back on the audition trail. I was tested over the last two years in this arena. I had a difficult time securing work and it was all because my attitude and outlook had changed. However, the minute I began to monitor and change my thoughts and feelings, was the time that everything changed. So, as you can see by my two personal examples, it’s important to cultivate your own meticulous system for managing your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Most importantly, you must be disciplined about it. Just remember that any system which is based in love and wisdom, and also promotes gratitude, forgiveness, generosity, will almost always end in prosperity and true power. If you have any doubt, just ask Tom Hanks what he thinks! lol :)

With Gratitude,