Pause

We live in some pretty remarkable times. Your smartphone is more powerful than any computer President Reagan had at his disposal. 

We can launch businesses while nestled in a corner booth at a coffee shop. 

And its easier than ever to start a campaign, community, or movement. 

But with greater opportunity also comes heightened risk and the need to pause before stimulus and response. 

Your Tweets, Posts, and comments are now there for posterity. A reactive moment, which reveals our less than best selves reminds us of our humanity but also of the need to take personal inventory before responding.

Take a moment, however hard, to pause before making a tough decision, reacting to the driver that cut you off in traffic, or posting your thoughts on a particular topic. 

Try coming back to the matter a few minutes, hours, or even a day after and see if you feel differently. 

In time, you develop the capacity to be led by reason rather than emotion. 

SLOW. DOWN.

Travel writer Pico Iyer once wrote, “In an age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is more urgent than sitting still."

We live in a time of remarkable velocity, speeding through the very moments we'll be sure to miss some day. And when we actually take the time out for a little personal inventory, we rarely ask ourselves why we're going so fast.

I certainly got caught up in the hustle and bustle that is New York City, often dashing across an intersection a mere second after a cab flew by, or racing to make a train. But when I think about it, I rarely, if ever, was in a true rush to get to where I needed to be.

As I get older, I'm trying to find ways to allow my drive and ambition to live in harmony with stillness and silence. It's in the moments when there is quiet, true quiet, that the most interesting thoughts pop up. There's a peace of mind that accompanies an environment catered to simply being. 

The trouble is we rarely take the time to cultivate that space.  

Own Your Weird

Live in New York City long enough and your ability to be shocked by anything gradually dissipates. The city is packed with so many colorful and unique people. Street artists vie for your attention as you make your way to a cross town train, creative marketing techniques are used to win your business, and several avenues make you feel as though you have a front row seat to a fall fashion show.

I think one of the many reasons people love New York is it's a community where people aren't afraid to own their weird. Perhaps it's because most feel there's a prevailing sense of ambivalence of what you're doing anyway, but whatever it is, a sense of originality has been beautifully cultivated by many.

What if we dared to speak the ideas out loud we so fear others would ridicule? What would it be like if we took pride in our sensibilities and predilections? How about if we weren't ashamed of being ourselves in the most compelling ways?

My guess is you may come up against some judgment, but that it would be based on the fears of those doing the judging. Perhaps, your impulse to be uniquely you would ruffle some feathers because your living out what others so desperately want to do too.

In the long-run, other's may not "get it," and that's just fine. On the other had you may start a movement. 

The latter makes it worth the risk. 

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…

The Less Trodden Path

The American journalist and political commentator Walter Lippmann once said, "When all men think alike, no one thinks very much." In my own experience, I've noticed a pervasive fear many people have of thinking for themselves. Perhaps there's a stigma involved with pursuing a less trodden path, of standing out, or being different.

But creativity is, in essence, stepping up to make a statement and is sometimes an act of defiance. And when a performance, a painting, or a piece of music is truly compelling, it is rarely because it's defiant for its own sake. Instead, it is the courageous execution of a thought by one or many who felt they could no longer keep it to themselves.

Don't underestimate the power of original thought, expression, or movement. Embrace your singularity and when you're ready, share it with the world.

We'll be waiting.