Going Beyond the Bare Minimum

There's a security guard at the supermarket I go to. I'd guess he's in his mid-50s or so. He wears the standard uniform and always makes the rounds through this busy shopping center with a smile. At first glance, there doesn't appear to be anything unique about how he goes about his job. Except there is...

Whenever he has the chance he bags groceries, (something he's not paid to do), he offers people help with their items, and he walks around the store with an enthusiasm you can't fabricate. He takes genuine pride in his job and goes beyond what is expected of him. 

As a result, he's earned the respect of his colleagues and appreciation of customers. He understands that just because we can do the bare minimum of what are duties officially demands of us it doesn't mean we have to.  

Stella Adler on America's Master Playwrights

Over the holidays my uncle gave me a book called, Stella Adler on America's Master Playwrights. I put the book on a shelf and promised myself I'd read it once I got through the others on my list. I decided to pick it up this morning and was instantly glad I had.  

Admittedly, it's been quite some time since I read an "acting book." But I think the distance from such works provided a clarity I didn't have as a young actor deep in the trenches of school and auditions.  

One passage in particular grabbed my attention in which Ms. Adler drives home the point about truly embodying a character through first understanding the playwright:

So when the playwright's job is done, you come along and say, "I'll take it from here and just say his words."

But you can't just take his words, because the words, by themselves, won't help you. You have to take his soul. You have to take his life, his experience of life, his ethic, what he has said to the world. 

In other words, we have to humble ourselves greatly before stepping into a role. It requires in depth understanding, but more importantly, an appreciation for the point of view the author has toward the world before diving in to interpret his or her work. 

A heightened sensitivity toward the author is where it begins.

Hone the Craft of Gratitude

There is perhaps no more important craft worth honing than that of gratitude for it informs so many other aspects of one's life.

When one has a foundation of appreciation it seems to grease the wheels of introspection, contribution, and kindness to others.

With this blueprint what you can achieve will be hard to contain.

Happy Holidays.