Rejoice in Hard Work for It's Own Sake

George Bernard Shaw once said, "I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live." His words make a great deal more sense to me than they once did.

As a young actor, I was convinced that with hard work and determination I could get anything I wanted. But as time went on, I began to appreciate there were many variables beyond my control. 

At first, this realization left me discouraged as I bemoaned the "injustice" of the industry.
But as I got older I realized that the work was the gift. When I stopped looking at the long hours I put in to becoming great at something I loved doing as simply a means to end, I began to understand I was already living the dream. 

Words of Wisdom from the Great Pablo Neruda

In keeping with the theme of the To the Prospective Artist movement - empowering actors and artists to live bold lives "off-stage" to enrich the quality of their work on it, I refer to one of my favorite poems. The poet Pablo Neruda clearly understood how a compelling life influences meaningful art:

YOU START DYING SLOWLY

You start dying slowly
if you do not travel,
if you do not read,
If you do not listen to the sounds of life,
If you do not appreciate yourself.
You start dying slowly
When you kill your self-esteem;
When you do not let others help you.
You start dying slowly
If you become a slave of your habits,
Walking everyday on the same paths…
If you do not change your routine,
If you do not wear different colours
Or you do not speak to those you don’t know.
You start dying slowly
If you avoid to feel passion
And their turbulent emotions;
Those which make your eyes glisten
And your heart beat fast.
You start dying slowly
If you do not change your life when you are not satisfied with your job, or with your love,
If you do not risk what is safe for the uncertain,
If you do not go after a dream,
If you do not allow yourself,
At least once in your lifetime,
To run away from sensible advice…

Information is Not Wisdom

There's a big difference between information and wisdom. We live in a time where the amount of content available at our fingertips is seemingly infinite. 

The key is what we do with that information. And just as information does not equate to wisdom, knowledge does not necessarily imply growth. 

It all comes down to focus and implementation of the lessons we learn and then measuring its effectiveness.