I'm trying to VLOG while I'm away. My first stop was in Brooklyn to meet up with my grandmother and some relatives before going to Korea. Hope you enjoy the little video of my Brooklyn.
I'm trying to get some footage from Korea for my next VLOGS!! Stay tuned.
I watched an amazing documentary 'I AM' with my friend and spiritual buddy, Ashley last night. Oh, that Tom Shadyac. :) It left us with such an impression and we discussed how our world is shifitng towards something greater. How grateful we felt. Our world is shifting into a FEELING world...thinking alone is not enough. Growing up in Brooklyn and Korean-American family, FEELING too much showed weakness..."Oh, you're so sensitive" was something I never wanted to hear. You'd get your ass kicked if you said that to me.
Now, as an actress, but an artist above all, just call me sensitive all day, everyday. I welcome the thought process only if it resuscitates my heart and and injects FEELINGS back into me. I fall in love with films that do just that, I fall in love with books that do just that, I fall in love with people who do just that...stimulates me intellectually and then stimulates me emotionally even more.
The documentary was humbling to watch because I saw that I am not alone...in how I think and how I FEEL. Thank you GOD! But, it also empowers you at the same time. The artist in me always wants to change the world...but, how? Well, I think the real question is why. Why do I want to change the world? Is it so I can own a big house? Lots of cars? Fame? Or is it because I truly want to make a difference? I want to see more 'Love thy neighbor'. I want to see more random acts of kindness. I want to see more smiles on people's faces. I want to see more happy drivers or more happy pedestrians. I want to see more people hugging. I want to see more people holding hands. I want to see more people kissing. I want to see more people joking and laughing. I want to see more children being educated about our society and our planet and showing respect towards it. I want to see more people listening and then talking. I want to see more people breathing and meditating.
And I can...I can see more of this by beginning more of this. The change starts with me. I AM the change. You know what I'm sayin?? I mean, you FEEL what I'm sayin??
If you FEEL that you alone aren't enough to make such a change, think and then FEEL again. Not to give too much away about the film but, did you know that you are probably breathing in right now, in this moment, or have, or will, the same Argon particles Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Joan of Arc, Leonardo Da Vinci, Jesus, Buddha, Sri Krishna, JohannWolfgang Von Goethe, Susan B. Anthony, William Shakespeare, Martin Luther King, Mozart, Confucius, Rumi, Cleopatra, all breathed at one point? Food for thought/FEEL. Do you see what's running through you today? And will tomorrow??
I'm leaving for Korea this week. But, now I'm even more excited and grateful for this trip. I don't know what but, I know and FEEL something will be different. I hope to catch up on my vlogging (video blogs) while I'm there so I can share with you the amazing and beautiful country I come from. :)
So, what do you think about our world? Or better yet, FEEL about our world? Begin FEELING great and hope for it, because that's where we're headed. We are. Know it and FEEL it.
Till next week FEELERS! Weeeeeeeee!
This blog is dedicated to my friend Darlene Hsu. Rest in Peace woman. I love you and miss you...forever.
Last Week's Goal: Hanging out.
Update: Done Son!
This Week's Goal: I'm going to Korea! Will blog or vlog from there! Stay tuned folks. :)
Let me explain. I'm not talking about Directors, Producers, Writers, or Casting Directors...I'm talking about who you REALLY know, who you surround yourself with on a daily basis.
You all know how much I love TheDailyLove.com. They used Will Smith as an example once and how he believes that in order to become successful, it is extremely important to take a look at who you surround yourself with. He believes you cannot fail if you have true love and support around you. Also, take advice from those who are living what you want. Mastin Kipp, the founder of TheDailyLove calls it 'walking the talk'.....seriously! For example, you want to make money, ask and take advice from people who are making money. You want to be in a loving and healthy relationship, ask and take advice from people who are in a loving and healthy relationship.
This brought clarity to many things in my life. It's not just about WHO you surround yourself with, it's also about WHAT you surround yourself with, WHERE you choose to be, and HOW you are feeling, WHEN you are. I was making decisions based on fear, anxiety, jealousy, anger, etc. I was surrounding myself with things and people because of fear, anxiety, jealousy, anger, etc. All this kept setting me up to the next unhealthy thing, which would then set me up to the next unhealthy thing, and so forth. Meanwhile, when something good happened, I couldn't celebrate it because I couldn't even recognize it.
You know that saying "Little changes, Big results". Absolutely. I always wanted to make BIG changes and thought that was the only way I can give myself credit. But really, giving myself the necessary time to make little changes was actually harder. I didn't want to give credit to those little things that could potentially all add up to a big change because, it scared me more that if I couldn't follow through with the small things, I'd be a failure. So, I would sabotage myself and give myself more than I can handle so I'd have an excuse to fail. Our minds are brilliant aren't they? It's about survival and it will do anything for you to cope or survive. Now, I can fight with my mind all day or choose to work with it.
I had to wake up from denial and realized what I can do and cannot do. Talk about a humbling moment. Realizing you don't have control over all things. Then you surrender to the powers that be for help. You sort of make a deal...you take care of your part, and let God/Universe take care of the other things. The things that I had control over, were making healthy choices. Now I was able to see I was being given so many opportunities, so many chances, throughout the day to begin loving myself in a whole new way. I no longer felt like the victim to the day or situation.
I began taking advantage of these opportunities...little by little. They're adding up now. I fill my days up with inspirations...people, places, and things. I hang out with those who make me laugh and help me feel my best. I go see plays/shows and visit nature alot. I'm working out more often than not. I dedicate my time online researching and reading things that add value to my life and for others...health stuff, other actor blogs, and marketing blogs. And then I find time to give something to someone AT LEAST once a day..whether it's a smile, a hello, or a 'LIKE' on someone's Facebook post. Cute, huh? Last week, I used an Oprah Winfrey quote, "You CAN have it all, just not all at once." I have days where I see what I'm lacking, and I catch myself feeling down, so I say this to myself to remind me that I'm doing my part, and everything's on its way...in time. Then, I'm able to focus on what I do have and be grateful for it. Who knows, maybe if I got everything all at once, I wouldn't be able to enjoy it or be grateful for it, because there'd be no time! So, God/Universe is allotting it accordingly for me. Everything in my life, happening in my life, deserves my attention and thankfulness.
So, WHO are you surrounding yourself with? WHERE are you spending most of your time? HOW do you feel WHEN you are there? Success starts with me, you, here, and now. And little by little.
Last Week's Goal: Hanging out!
Update: Done
This Week's Goal: Other than upoming auditions and meetings.....Still hanging! :)
Have a wonderful week and hope you surround yourself with greatness.
What a great way to wake up this morning and feel aligned and taken care of. I read TheDailyLove.com every morning to help me get my day started and today's featured blog was by Mariel Hemingway...and I thought, "Oh wow, this is exactly what I was thinking about this week!" Collective consciousness. But, it's an 'inspiring' blog, give it a read.
Mariel's blog is titled "Inspiration from Within". I've been out of acting class for almost a year now. It was a difficult decision after 6 years but, it no longer served its purpose for me...no longer was I experiencing growth but, I found myself just...hiding away and passing time. Not because of the school..because of me. I was using it as a crutch to stay in my comfort zone. I was an active student at the school but, I wasn't an active working actor in Los Angeles. And, I wanted to work. I kept telling myself, "I can't stop training, I can't stop training", "I won't book jobs if I stop training", "I need coaching", "I can't do this on my own", yada yada yada. Talk about fear and excuses. I constantly felt this tug of war...I knew I needed to make some changes but, the other part of me was scared to leave. Plus, it was such a community...I met most of my friends there...how can I leave my home away from home?
Deep down, I knew. And as scared as I was to leave 'home', I had to. I needed to finally trust my heart and give up something to make room for something else. Here's the irony or, what I'd like to call MAGIC...I began booking. Why? Because I freed up that time of fighting myself and instead figured out ways to make me happy. I asked myself what I really wanted, and how I was going to get it. I wanted to book jobs...ok, what do I have to do? Take new headshots, do daily submissions, and take some workshops. Of course this didn't take overnight, but, it happened...I look back now and it happened. Here's an Oprah Winfrey quote..."You CAN have it all, you just can't have it all at once".
Once I get back from Korea, I'll be getting back to my grind as an actor..I want to train again. I have audited some schools and I feel there are two coaches that are right for me, right now. Larry Moss for Scene Study, and Billy O'Leary for On-Camera. I got excited when I audited their classes, that was my sign. So, I can't wait to take the best vacation, and come back recharged. I know time away from acting will help me reassess what my next steps will be. Sometimes you just gotta walk away to gain a more clear and direct perspective. Even this blog, I've been sitting in front of the computer for some time now but, I walked away to eat...and not eat in front of my computer while writing but, eat sitting at my dining table and just eating. Now, I'm back to write again.
I thought I chose this career for the fame and fortune but, I think I really chose it because I wanted to live a purposeful life. It goes deeper than money and fame...if it was, there's no way I'd still be doing it. The ART of acting has taught me to live more consciously...and you know what's cool..when you're conscious, you become the observer rather than the person in a situation...you begin to see why you say and do things, how you say and do things, and this can be the greatest acting lesson of your life. Then you compile all these true things about yourself and put it into your craft. And this way, you are best at what you do, because it's simply you.
Try this with me this week, whatever you're doing, try to become the observer for a bit. For example, when you're talking to your friends, observe yourself..your body language, the words you choose to use, your feelings. But, don't judge. Just observe. You'll see how dynamic and interesting you are. Whenever I can do this, I learn about human behavior and relationship...and that's what acting's all about, right?
Above all else, trust that you have that inner compass, inner guide, inner teacher. Yes, it's important to have a great teacher in your life but, the greatest teacher is yourself. As the actor, it's important to study the craft but, as the artist, it's important to live the life you are meant to live.
Last Week's Goal: Daily submissions, hanging out and working out.
Update: Done!
This Week's Goal: Same thing. I'm relaxing until I go on my trip. :)
Have a conscious week!
with LOVE,
Alex
I've been obsessed with this song for some time now. "Marchin On" by OneRepublic.
