Recently, we were chatting with an actor we know about how she’d spent the holidays. Her family has had a rough go of it these last few years—more illness and loss than a person should have to bear—and the holiday season is hard enough as is. We expected one response, but what she actually said was surprising, and revealed an unexpected intelligence and strength.
She said that given the situation, she has had to redefine what the holidays mean for her and her family by getting rid of expectations. All the images of the perfect family eating the perfect turkey while snow gently falls outside a perfect house were no longer realistic, or necessary.
Once she’d accepted this reality, let go of the fantasy, and decided to make the holidays a time that worked for her family in the way they needed, everything changed. So she spent three days with her daughter volunteering at a local women’s shelter, making the holiday season about service as a family. The experience filled her heart and brought her closer to her daughter.
That ability to disrupt expectations is an amazing skill. It’s the difference between a follower and a leader, and it’s a skill that all actors should
Recently, we were chatting with an actor we know about how she’d spent the holidays. Her family has had a rough go of it these last few years—more illness and loss than a person should have to bear—and the holiday season is hard enough as is. We expected one response, but what she actually said was surprising, and revealed an unexpected intelligence and strength.
She said that given the situation, she has had to redefine what the holidays mean for her and her family by getting rid of expectations. All the images of the perfect family eating the perfect turkey while snow gently falls outside a perfect house were no longer realistic, or necessary.
Once she’d accepted this reality, let go of the fantasy, and decided to make the holidays a time that worked for her family in the way they needed, everything changed. So she spent three days with her daughter volunteering at a local women’s shelter, making the holiday season about service as a family. The experience filled her heart and brought her closer to her daughter.
That ability to disrupt expectations is an amazing skill. It’s the difference between a follower and a leader, and it’s a skill that all actors should
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