Choose Your Own Adventure: Staying Productive

I have a confession to make.

I’m not always On the Jazz.

In fact, I would go as far as to say that I’m a frequent sufferer of bluedom. It’s not quite as deep or dark as depression, but it’s a relative.

There are many days where all I want to do is sit on my butt, watch TV, eat a bunch of unhealthy food and play on my phone. But to tell you the truth, the days when I sit around and do nothing are the days I feel the least On The Jazz. In fact, I usually feel pretty lousy.

)

Recently, I’ve been feeling convicted about how many days I’ve allowed to slip by me with very little accomplished. And I’m not just talking about work stuff; I’m talking about things that I expressly have the desire to do.

But 

HOW 

do 

I 

find 

the 

kind
of
energy
and
  self-discipline

it
 takes
 to
 shake
 myself
 free
 of
  apathy? 

Maintaining a zest for life certainly isn’t easy, but in the end, my motivation is to create the most beautiful life I can have. Life is a choose your own adventure story…you can choose to waste a day or you can choose to take action.

The following is a list, some tips and tricks that help keep me focused and jazzy. I hope that on your blue days these ideas will help you.

Pump Yourself Up

Getting some exercise greatly increases your chances of having a good day. This is what I start my days with (most of the time.) Not only do I get the benefits of keeping myself healthy and strong, I get a hit from nature’s happy drug: endorphins! Believe me…endorphins are your friends.

Get Ready

When I was a kid and I would be slothing around the house in my pajamas, my mom would say to me, “Why don’t you get dressed?” Honestly, I always resented it when she’d say that. If I had the opportunity to lounge around in my PJ’s why wouldn’t I do it? Well, my mom is a smart cookie and she knows a few things about blue days, too. As an adult, I’ve found that getting ready like I’m going somewhere greatly ups my chances of productivity. Take a shower. Get dressed. Brush your teeth. Smile. You’re ready to take on the world.

Put On Some Tunes

          Music is magical. The things you listen to greatly affect your mood, whether you realize it or not. While sad or angry music has its place, never underestimate the power of happy music. Put on some music that makes you smile! My personal favorites include You Sexy Thing, Get Up Offa That Thing, and Jungle Boogie. Oh! Also Superstition! Apparently funk is a blue day eraser.

Write it Down

           Sometimes the thing that keeps us from wanting to do anything is not having a clear picture of what we need or want to do. If your mind is a swirling vortex of tasks it can be overwhelming to choose to do even one of them. The simplest solution to Taskmageddon is to make a to-do list. Simply writing down your goals for the day will allow your brain to calm down and more readily focus on something.

Environment Matters

Let There Be Light!

           Make sure you have some natural light. Many people suffer from the Winter Blues or S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) but don’t realize it. I used to live in a basement apartment that only had one window.  For the 2 years I lived there I struggled and couldn’t fathom what was wrong with me...until I moved to an apartment with windows galore! It was as though I was different person…sunlight made all the difference.

Clean It Up! 

You’re gonna hate me for this, but let’s get real here. Make sure your workspace is clean. (I’m guilty of this one.) Trying to accomplish much in a messy space is an uphill battle. I’m not suggesting that you have a perfectly organized and flawless work space...but a little cleaning goes a long way.

Get Out of the House

            Get some fresh air. Take a walk. Soak in a few rays. Even if it’s just 5 minutes, being outside can be incredibly rejuvenating.

            Another option is to take a project to a local library or Starbucks. There’s something focusing about isolating yourself with one task out in public.

[Addendum 3/30/14: I just found this little tid-bit on another blog. Someone agrees with me!]

Take the Day Off

         If you just can’t seem to get your butt in gear, go with it and allow yourself to have a day for you, but make it a day about uplifting self-care. All those things that you “just don’t have time for” might be on the agenda:

1. Read a book
2. Journal
3. Create something
4. Write an old fashioned letter
5. Give yourself a pedicure
6. Use that gift certificate you’ve been saving for a rainy day
7. Watch that movie you borrowed from your friend a couple of years ago…

The possibilities are endless. You might just need a day off.

Celebrate

        This is my favorite one. Positivity is infectious. Likewise, apathy begets apathy. So, fill your mind with so much gratitude that apathy and negativity can’t get a foothold. This can be a bit tricky, but all you need to do is look around you and find things you like. For those of you who are scoffing at me, let me tell you a story:

        Once upon a time I woke up in the Worst. Mood. Ever. I was stomping around grumpling about how much I hated everything and kept saying that I “hated my life.” I got in my car to leave for the day and stopped short. “Self,” I said, “If you keep talking about how much you hate everything, this is going to be the worst day ever. How about we focus on things we like?” During my 15 minute drive I began to list the things I was grateful for, starting with the dumbest little thing I could find and continued until I was bubbling over with gratitude and laughter!

        This has become a way of life for me, from “celebrating” seemingly small things, like my socks or a smooth rolling pen, to the big things like a roof over my head or the people in my life.

Never underestimate the
POWER
of self-talk.

        You know that old phrase, “What’s wrong with this picture?” Try flipping it around: “What’s right with this picture?” It may just change your life.

Now, GO! 

Choose your own adventure and stay 

ON THE JAZZ!

Now tell me...What will you celebrate today?

Embrace Your Inner Murdock

I recently had an epiphany about what I do as an actress.  It’s intrinsically a part of my genetic makeup.  My entire life I’ve been trying to get people to see the other side of the story.  In the past I’ve referred to myself as a peacemaker…but really I’m just gifted at standing in someone else’s shoes and realizing what the other side of the story is.  (Of course I’m flawed and when it gets too personal I’m as narrow minded as the next person.)  But that is why I have to act. I want to be the storyteller – the medium between the freaks and geeks.  An ambassador to every kid who thought she wasn’t cool – to tell her that the coolest thing she can be is herself.  To show her that you can grow up to be awesome, achieve your dreams and make a difference.

 

That’s what Murdock taught me. 

Howling Mad Murdock is the certifiably insane pilot from The A-Team.  He was my favorite everything growing up.  As a kid I dressed like him, tried to act like him, and basically wanted to be him when I grew up.  Looking back, I think I was captivated by how funny he was.  He was almost like a live action cartoon with his impersonations and crazy shenanigans.  However, as an adult I realize that he instilled something much deeper in me.  See, Murdock marches to the beat of his own drum and is never afraid to express himself.  To be honest, I’ve lived by that principle my entire life.  Not perfectly, of course, but the times in my life when I’ve felt the happiest and the most alive are when I’m just being myself, no apologies.  Truthful.  I want to share that with people and speak truth into the characters I play.  God willing, I could be someone else’s “Murdock.” That is my dream.

I often talk to myself.  Many times I get in my car and forget to put on music because I’m so busy telling myself something.  I shall call it…verbal journaling.  Sometimes I’m not talking to myself, though.  I speak to specific people that I’d like to meet, or imagine that I have students that I’m teaching, or that I’m giving an interview.  During a recent imaginary conversation I was expressing some of my feelings about my acting career and I referred to my board of directors.

Wait.
What?
I don’t have a board of directors.

Suddenly, clear as day, I realized that my board of directors was very dear to me and very real.  My board includes all four members of The A-Team, with Murdock being the Chairman, Algernon & Jack, several of The Doctors, Lucy Van Pelt, Miss Piggy, The Warner Brothers (and the Warner sister,) Gandalf, Dumbledore, Aslan and a slew of other well-loved characters.  They are all pieces of me and I turn to them when I’m searching for direction.  Not like idols or anything.  Just reminders of who I am.  It’s funny, because I remember people being concerned that I was so wrapped up in fictional characters, but I needed them while I was growing up.  And every now and again, as Sarah says in Labyrinth, I need them.  As I grow and change, there are more characters added, but seldom does a character resign from the Board.  They’ll always be a part of me.  That’s how powerful storytelling is.

And that is why I must be a storyteller.

A typical Board Meeting.

When Pigs Fly

I have a thing for flying pigs.

You heard me: Pigs with wings, soaring through the air, squealing in delight.

I think it’s because when you hear the phrase, “When Pigs Fly” the implication is:

 “that’s never gonna happen.”

Sounds like a dare to me.
And the people in my family love a good dare.

Once upon a time, when my Father and Aunt were kids…back when the world was sepia colored and the idea of a smart phone was only found in comic books…the two of them were having an argument. Now, I don’t know what the argument was about, but it made my Dad so angry that he threatened to push my Aunt into a nearby rosebush. She looked him square in the eye and said, “You wouldn’t DARE!” Shortly thereafter my Dad found himself getting a good spanking while my Aunt was ridding herself of thorns.

I guess tenacity is hereditary. While I’ve never thrown anyone into a rose bush, I have found myself proving others wrong, not to spite them, but because I know they are confined by some imaginary box that has no hold on me.

When I was 10 years old, all I wanted in the world was a horse. It was all I could talk about. I begged my parents to buy me a horse, but they refused. However, I kept hoping and dreaming. During this time period, I met a girl who disapproved of my desire for a horse. (Seriously, what was her problem?) I will never forget what she said to me when I told her that I wanted a horse: “Yeah, right! Like that’s ever going to happen.” It was a like a dagger in my heart. Yet, it was also like a flame lit under me and from that moment on I didn’t just dream about getting a horse; I worked for it. I did as much research as a girl without the internet could muster. I took horseback lessons. I read books. I sent away for information on getting a free horse. A few years later, I had not one, but two horses that I had received for free. Actually, in retrospect, the first horse that was offered to me, I decided not to take. So, there, Debbie Downer! I see your “Never Getting a Horse” and raise you THREE FREE ONES!

How differently that situation could have turned out if I had agreed with Naysayer Girl. What if I had said, “Yeah, you’re probably right” and devoted the rest of my middle school years to pouring over issues of Teen Beat and listening to boy bands? I shudder at the thought.

Twice today I found myself saying that old adage: “Necessity is the mother of invention.” But truly, it’s more than necessity that gives birth to new creation.
It’s desire.
And passion.
And faith.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen. (Heb 11:1)

Faith is creation.

Creation is making and doing and achieving.

It's seeing the possible inside impossible.

It's believing.
And it’s there.

That little piggy.

Waiting for you to fashion it some wings and set it free.

The next time you hear the phrase, “When Pigs Fly,” (or any relative of that phrase,) I hope you consider it a dare. And I hope it inspires you to push a little harder, think outside the box and make your dreams come true.

I dare you.

Check out Goosezilla on DeviantArt.

With Great Princessing Comes Great Responsbility

            Some of you know I’m an actress by trade and I am currently playing a princess at a local theatre for young audiences. This week we had daytime performances for local schools and afterwards we gave the kids the opportunity to ask a few questions. One that took me by surprise was, “Why is the Princess so pretty?” This was not a judgment, but rather a compliment turned into a question. It really caught me off guard, so I responded with some deflecting comment about the wonders that makeup can do for a person. As the cast left the stage, I walked by two children: a sweet looking girl and a boy with a faux-hawk. The girl caught my attention and said emphatically, truly wanting me to grasp it, “You really are pretty.” The boy tagged on, “Yeah, even I think so!” Backstage I found myself making comments about how much I loved those children, and how they made my day and how kids say the darndest things. While I knew the children had good intentions, I was troubled somehow. But, I decided to dismiss it, take the compliment and let myself feel good about it.

            One of the things I love about this particular theatre is that we have a meet and greet after every show where the kids can come and get pictures and autographs. Today, after the first show, one little girl came up to me and asked, “Is it easy for you to play a princess since you’re naturally pretty and your hair is the perfect length?” Instead of answering the question, I thanked her profusely and told her I was glad she thought I made a good princess. Oof. There was that troubling feeling again.

            Again, I went backstage and retold the tale of the cute child and allowed myself to bask in the approval of my young audience. It feels good to be accepted. It feels good to be told you’re attractive. So, why was I feeling haunted by these little interactions based on appearance?

            The answer came to me while I was “waiting in the wings” at the beginning of the second show. I have about 10 minutes of downtime at the beginning of this production. I use it to fix my hair, make sure all the parts of my costume are in the right places, etc. As I gazed in the mirror I realized what I wish I had said to that little girl who assumed that it was easy for me to princess because I was pretty: Being a princess isn’t about what you look like; It’s about how you treat other people. That troubling little pang of guilt I was feeling was not about accepting compliments or believing I was pretty enough, but that I was somehow perpetuating society's definition of what a princess should look like. (I take some solace in the fact that I am much curvier than your average princess, a fact that was seemingly unnoticed by my audience members.) I did not want them to think you had to be pretty to be a princess. I wanted to be a princess that all children could look up to and want to be like, not necessarily look like.

            When I think of princesses, both real and fictional, I think of how good and kind they are. From the humanitarian efforts of Princess Diana to Princess Jasmine’s (almost tragic) generosity to a hungry child…I was learning from their actions. I was learning what it meant to be good. And that goodness is what made the princesses of my childhood so beautiful. Thinking back to the question of that dear little patron: “Is it easy to play a princess since you’re naturally pretty?” No. No, it’s not, little girl. Because what makes me beautiful isn’t the length of my hair, the color of my skin, or any other physical attribute! It’s how I choose to treat others. And treating others well is a difficult dance, that I fail at, often, but strive to do well.

Obligatory Doctor Who quote that fits so perfectly here, it's stupid!

            We have four more performances before I hang up my princess crown. Next weekend, I will have the privilege to look into the faces of hundreds of children and hear what they think about this show and about my Princess. While I will be humbled, flattered and genuinely pleased to hear that I am beautiful, if they choose to share that with me, I hope it will not only be a surface kind of beauty they see, but something much deeper and lasting.

What Does "On The Jazz" Mean?

     About a month ago I decided that I wanted to write my own blog. I had been dealing with a deterioration of what I would consider my “true” self and one day I sat up in bed with the sun shining over my bed and I said, “Life is what you make of it.” And that is, in short, what this blog is all about. 

    Next came the hard part: What should I call my blog? I wanted something that could describe having a joie de vivre, being whimsical, being in touch with your inner child, thinking outside the box, marching to the beat of your own drum even if everyone else thinks you’re crazy. The concepts were good but everything I came up with was a tired idiom and nothing seemed right. Then, at long last I had it: On The Jazz! But wait…what does that even mean? To tell you that we’ll have to take a little trip into my past:

    When I was a young girl I discovered a television show called The A-Team, and for many, many years it was my favorite thing in the world (…especially Murdock!) I know it may sound odd, but that show helped me to stay true to myself even if it meant that others thought I was weird. For a kid, having the confidence to stick to your guns is an incredible tool, especially when so many of your formative years are shrouded in peer pressure and just wanting to fit in. So, though the A-Team may seem like a dusty old piece of pop-culture it will always hold a special place in my heart.

    The phrase “On The Jazz” is lifted from various episodes of the A-Team. It was something that the members of the A-Team use to describe their leader, Hannibal, when he was forming a plan. Hannibal’s plans usually worked, but they were always a little crazy, and so they would normally say something to the effect of, “Oh, no, he’s on The Jazz!” One time a character on the show asked what “The Jazz” was and this was the reply:

    And I like it, too. But knowing where the phrase comes from doesn't really explain what it means. So, I began to think about that. What does being On The Jazz mean to me?

    The Jazz is being yourself, no apologies. It’s making the most of every moment. It’s finding something to celebrate in every day. The Jazz is following your dreams and thinking outside of the box. It’s seeing the world from a different perspective. The Jazz is sparkling eyes and a big smile. It’s doing something that scares you and loving it. It’s appreciating the small things and finding a way to tackle the big things. The Jazz is singing in the shower and catching fireflies or dancing in the rain. It’s laughing until you cry. It’s appreciating the people around you and telling them so. And most importantly, The Jazz is the best part of me. It's what I want to share with you and hopefully, in the process, you'll be On The Jazz, too.