How a Friend Reminded Me to Think Flexibly

A few weeks ago I was back in New York City. I was staying with a friend who lived a stone's throw from a coffee shop I loved going to. 

On the way, I thought about a friend of mine who I hadn't seen in a few years. We met taking an acting class several years ago and ended up starting a little scene study group. She crossed my mind because one of the last times I saw her was over a couple of green teas at the very spot I was en route to.

As I opened the door I heard someone call my name. 

It was her.

She got up and greeted me with a warm hug before planting herself back in her chair. She had company. A woman who looked to be a few years younger sat patiently as the two of us caught up. It turned out to be her tutor.

"I'll be right over here when you're finished," I told her.

For the next half hour she buried herself in a book that had nothing to do with character, plot, or voice. In the time that had passed since we last saw one another she'd changed careers.

After her lesson, she pulled up a chair and brought me up to speed.

"I'm back in school," she told me. 

 She was going into medicine. 

"That's great," I told her.

What I appreciated most was her candor about what led her to make the leap from actor to public health.

"I wasn't happy anymore," she told me. "Besides, I accomplished everything I wanted to as an actor. I got paid to do what I loved."

It was her flexibility in thought that had led her to this new opportunity. I thought back on how I'd clung so fiercely to a dream no longer aligned with my highest values out of fear. It took me years to appreciate what we want at 20 might not be what we want at 30.

She reminded me of the importance of being pliant in our approach to life and having the openness to redefine personal meaning. If we're honest with ourselves, can stumble on extraordinary ways to contribute our talents.  

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