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Darbi, Inc.
by Darbi Worley April 2000
Hello everyone and happy April Fools Day. This is not a joke
this is about your future and standing IN it
today. This month, were going to talk about something that all great achievers do, whether they are consciously aware of it or not. Its the idea of really, deeply, passionately committing to success. A goal, a dream, a business plan (remember, acting is BUSINESS). I would submit that successful actors, who have real careers (rather than a brief period of "hotness"), would be successful in ANYTHING they decided to do. The fact that they have chosen acting is really irrelevantmost would be "stars" in anything they pursued.
I have the good fortune to work for an amazing man who has taught me a lot about the capacity of the human spirit and our power to create that which we believe. I know without a doubt that what I imagine and live with every day will eventually become reality. I know that there are more naturally gifted actors who may be younger or cuter than me or have better bodies or better connections. I also know that I have more determination and drive than most of the population and that I absolutely WILL NOT STOP working until I meet my goals. And then, Ill work harder. The following is an adaptation of a set of guidelines for success that we at my company affectionately call "Woo-Woo Stew." The "woo-woo" part refers to the fact that some of this gets a little abstract and requires you to have some faith in things you cant see or touch. The name was born when I called all of the people back at corporate to tell them to chant "St. Davids St. Davids" all day, because I was working to close a big deal with them and it was going to make or break my quarter. I felt a little silly asking my cohorts to do it, but I believed that if we had a large group of people visualizing me picking up the paperwork it would happen. We could WILL it to happen. Damned if I didnt walk out of a lunch meeting that day with the deal and a record-breaking quarter. And the kicker is there was NO LOGICAL REASON that I should have gotten the deal. The person who had to sign the paper didnt come in to work. The paper was locked in her office. She hadnt given her final approval to her assistant. I took the meeting with the lower level contact who didnt have signatory authority. I firmly believe that the only reason I got the deal was because there was so much human energy willing it to happen...seeing it happen. I found an old order in my briefcase, got the assistant to phone her boss at home and get the okay to sign it and the deal happened. I call that human energy the "woo-woo" factor, recognizing that there are people who would find this kind of "airy-fairy" and beyond their comfort zone. I used to think it was stupid too -- until I tried it and changed my life! Really, a commitment to "see your future" and constantly support that vision with concrete action to move you toward that future will get you there. With that said, enjoy the Recipe for Accomplishment, originally written by my boss, Randy Potts. My comments are under each bullet point, to bring it around to acting-specific action. Oh, and how does this relate to my theme of "building a business"? A firm commitment and vision are the beginning of building your acting career (or anything, for that matter). Recipe for Accomplishment (Woo-Woo Stew)
Have you come to grips with the idea that it might not be easy (probably wont be) and that you are willing to tough it out, not cut and run if you hit a hurdle? Decide NOW to work through the issues as they come up, don't wait to decide until later to do that.
There is a huge difference between pursuing a goal and pursuing it with passion and attaching some emotion to it. It's the difference between "big" and HUGE!! or "good" and AWESOME!! Feel the difference? If you are just working on having a "big" or "good" career...you have no passion in your efforts and your results will show it. Go for HUGE!! and AWESOME!! If you do make that decision, that's where you will end up because that's when, as Goethe states, "A whole stream of events issue from the decision, all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way." These events rise up, seemingly from nowhere, to support you.
I'd suggest printing off some of the above points and going over them until they become second nature (maybe years down the road). In meantime, get clear on what needs to happen to get to the next step in your plan. Decide to be AWESOME!! It will be. Now, go sell something!! And have a great month! Ill talk to you again in May! D. e-mail: darbi@austinactors.net |