There’s a voice in my head screaming at me to do something … anything! So the first thing I do is I stop. I stop rocking the boat because guess what? I’m making it worse and more water is getting in because I’m frantic and panicked. Then I begin to plug each hole. Everytime a new one appears, I plug it … until I’m plugging holes faster than they are appearing. I get my breathing under control and I start to listen and think.
How bad is the storm? How long has the storm been going on for?
I realize that I’m also listening out for other boats, hoping that someone bigger will come along and save me. Maybe deep down I feel a deep sense of injustice. I’m doing everything I can to build a career and yet all I experience are barriers and storms - and all I really want is ONE break! But I also know that waiting for someone to save me is not the way I want my career to go. Yes, we all need help - but we also need to own our careers. So I buckle down and reinforce the structure of my boat even more. There is more I can do to save myself.
I also wish that I wasn’t alone in this journey. But when I stop to think about it - I am not alone. Maybe no one is in the boat with me and no one can walk this journey with me, but I have the lessons that I have learnt from everyone who has been in my life. So plugging the holes in the boat, stopping to listen, thinking clearly … all these are lessons I have learnt from people who have been generous enough to impart their knowledge to me. So I asked myself - what else have I learnt that I can use? I could make sure that the clothes I had brought were still sealed and water tight in my bag. I could make sure that my food was also still dry. I could make sure that my tools were still serviceable. There are many things I could do to keep myself safe.
It doesn’t guarantee that I will survive the storm. But at least I navigate it on my own terms. By the time a bigger boat DOES come along, I am doing just fine. I am still in the middle of the storm but I am doing just fine.
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My name is Eu Jin. I recently embarked on a career as a professional actor after 20 years in the corporate world. A big supporter of personal growth, I also dedicate time and energy in performing arts education, specifically in the arena of practical approaches to inner health because I believe that lays the groundwork for a sustainable career as an artiste. If you would like to find out more or share your thoughts, please leave me a message on the "Contact" page of my website. Thank you very much!