How many times have we thought to ourselves: “why can’t life be simpler? Why can’t things be more straight forward?? Why do things have to be so complicated??? Why do things have to be so hard????”
What’s not often verbalized in those questions are two words we frequently leave out: “for me”
“Why can’t life be simpler for me?”
We see other people getting what they want, seemingly with ease, one thing after another, just like that … and we get so damned angry and indignant. Such is the way of the world today - it pits everyone against each other; it creates a hierarchy of achievement based on empirical and measurable results all stemming from an inherent need to control the quality of our lives and seek to improve it. And that in itself is not an inherently bad thing. But we are brought up to believe that if we work hard, follow the rules, do what we’re told - we’ll achieve what we’ve been taught to want. We’ll be happy. We’ll be successful. We’ll be in control.
We can measure our lives, but we can’t control it. Not all of it.
As an actor, there are so many things in my career that are out of my control - much more so than when I was working in an office environment. In this world, there is almost never any correllation between effort and result. I can study for years, take classes until I am blue and audition brilliantly for a thousand shows, but that does not mean I’ll land the job. I’m working towards some arbitrary sense of fulfillment that I can’t see, can’t predict and don’t even know if it will ever arrive.
So what do I do? Ironically, my answers have been found by going back into this world that seeks to measure and control everything. We have to live in this world. So rather than fight against it, I seek to understand it. Instead of focusing on measuring and controlling, how about reframing it to “improving” it? Because ultimately, isn’t that the purpose behind all this measurement? So we can take steps forward? So that we can be happy - whatever that means to you?
Rather than railing against the establishment, find a way in and change things from the inside for the better.
Because everyone’s in the same boat - whether they admit it or not. And if you teach yourself to look at the world - not just with your intellect - not just with your emotions - not just with your spirit - but with ALL of those faculties, then you’ll see the straight line that you’ve been looking for.
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My name is Eu Jin. I embarked on a career as a professional actor after 20 years in the corporate world. I am a big advocate of personal growth in the performing arts. I dedicate time and energy in performing arts education, specifically in the arena of practical approaches to inner health because I believe that this lays the groundwork for a sustainable career as an artiste.
If you would like to engage in a conversation about a healthy inner life practice, please leave me a message on the "Contact" page of my website and a way to contact you. Thank you.