Direct Life Coaching

I kind of feel like I have been "Debbie Downer" these past few weeks, but I don't want to convey that image. Sure, I have been discouraged about different aspects of my career - mainly, what is my career? But, I am still working hard on the 10-15 projects on my plate - and appreciating the opportunities.

Heck, let's take this weekend as an example. On Saturday morning, I performed at a local outdoor festival. We did a little improv - and I got the chance to hangout and perform with some of the teenagers I teach during the week. Saturday night, we had one of our Gated Community Improv shows - and it was awesome (more on that in a minute).

On Sunday morning I got up and conducted the church service that I am a member of. I had a great lunch with family and friends, then worked a little while on a video project that I was hired to do for a local school. Around dinnertime I headed off to meet a new friend of mine who is shooting an independent film, and was nice enough to ask for some of my ideas with the film. Plus, I will also have a role in the film. I got home, grabbed some dinner, and hung out with my wife while preparing ideas for my other church service on Wednesday night. I then put together my acting teaching agenda for the week - and here I am now - lying in bed working on one of my other projects - this blog!

It is easy for me to get trapped thinking about all the things that I have yet to achieve - while missing all of the good and fulfilling work I already have. When the income doesn't match the amount of work being done - I begin to question myself. I envision doing other things, but the more I mentally entertain them - the more I know they are not me.

There is a quote in Science and Health that really resonates with me. Eddy writes, " Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil."

Know thyself! I feel like that is what I have been working to stay real clear about. So, trusting the decisions that I have made - and trusting Spirit (Love) to be the only Source - I will be protected from evil. For me, evil is anything that questions my true spiritual self and tries to get me to waver from the stand I have taken. The evil could be fear of finances, worrying about the economy, stressing over projects - pretty much anything that takes away the joy, confidence, and gratitude of my work.

Speaking of gratitude, I just want to get back to how much fun I had in our show Saturday night. We rocked the house! There were over 200 people at the show - and about 50% of those people were new to our show. The audience was great and very supportive - and we gave them a great show! Conversely, we did a show a week and a half ago in a different venue and only 44 people came. That's tough. Going out on stage to a small crowd - there was no energy in the theater, and a result - we let it affect our performance. Shame...shame!

The lesson learned going into Saturday night's show was simple. Bring energy & Have fun!! That's what we did. We connected on stage, listened, took risks - but more importantly - we all expressed joy. It was a blast. The entire cast had a great time. In a way - to "know ourselves" was to express on stage the joy and talent we were capable of - which definitely led to a victory over evil (assuming you can call evil a lifeless audience...I do!)

Now, all we have to do is bottle that show - and find a place to perform it 3-4 times a month. Any ideas?

Travis

"Satisfaction...a hey hey hey! That's what I say!"

I want to thank Mick and the rest of the band for helping me get today's blog started. Go ahead and take 5 fellas!

Okay, so I took a run yesterday, and if you haven't noticed in the past, running has a way of helping me clear my head. I have been feeling a little frustrated as of late, and a little anxious about my current career situation. When I feel this way I try to express gratitude for everything that I have in my life, instead of dwelling on what I don't have. While on my run I realized that "thinking" I should express gratitude is a little different than actually stopping and "doing it." So, I dedicated the rest of my run to doing just that.

Better yet, let's go ahead and put it in writing. So, here are three things I am grateful for right now:

1) My wife. Yup, not only is she "smokin hot" (haha...she'll love that) - she is my biggest cheerleader. By nature, I don't tend to get discouraged very often, but whenever I do, she is right there to give me a boost and reassure me that I (and we) are doing the right thing. She encourages me to follow my heart and take risks, and she is always prepared to make the needed sacrifices. She gave me a pep talk the other night - and it was just what I needed.

2) Family and Friends. We have been married for 10 years and have lived in four different states - but everywhere we go we have been surrounded with terrific friends. Plus, I have a supportive family that has always been there for me - and continues to cheer me on. Sure, they don't always know what the heck I am doing (neither do I) - but they don't judge my decisions, and they actually make me feel like I know what I am doing (if they only knew).

3) Opportunities. One thing that has discouraged me recently is that BIGGER opportunities haven't come along. While expressing gratitude though - I thought of all the opportunities that have come along and are currently on my plate. I have been able to teach, take on video projects, perform on stage, create workshops for an inspiring non-profit, contribute heavily in my church, consistently write this blog, collaborate on a local film, and still spend lots of time with my wife and kids.

My frustration hasn't come from the number of opportunities that have come my way - but that they haven't sprouted into bigger (and more profitable) ventures. Yet, that is an area I really can't focus on. My mother-in-law paid me a compliment the other day telling me that "I am so open to different things," and it is that openness that has allowed me to take advantage of these different projects. I complain and worry about income - yet I sit here today with all of my needed still provided for.

Another friend wrote me an e-mail earlier this week paraphrasing a quote from Mary Baker Eddy in Science and Health. My friend wrote, "...we know that there are no retrograde steps, no reversals, no retreating to positions outgrown." The idea of not going backwards, or "spinning my wheels" has been very important to me right now, because that is what it feels like I have been doing.

So, today is a new day. Yesterday's frustration is today's hope and trust. I am concentrating on the good - staying unwavered on my purpose to "reflect only Love - expect only perfection - accept only Truth - and to project only Light!" I am surrounded by goodness, abundance, and infinite opportunities.

I feel it - even if I don't yet see it. That is all the satisfaction I need!

Much love!

Travis

Remember when you were a kid, and your little brother would copy and mimic everything you did? So you tell your parents, "Travis is copying me!" And your parents would say, "Travis, quit copying your brother." But as soon as they turned their back your tool of a brother would go right back to copying everything you did? Finally, you just put on your walkman headphones and sigh, "Such a dork!"

Yes...I was that dork!

It is only more recently in life that I have learned the value of mirroring, as well as its downfalls. In improvisation, mirroring is taught as a way to enter a scene with another actor, picking up and mirroring their activity, and thus helping you get on the same page - which equals telling a more cohesive story. Now that I have almost finished the wonderful book, The Definitive Book of Body Language, I discover that mirroring is actually a survival skill learned from nature. And, we all do it!

Yes you do! All of us...we do it everyday!

What happens when you get in an elevator with a stranger? You either look at the floor numbers like everyone else, or you stare at the floor. That is what everyone does - so you do it too. Most of the time, we aren't conscious that we are mirroring when we're mirroring - but we all do it.

When you walk into a meeting (staff meeting, creative meeting, etc.) you unconsciously pick up on the tone of the room. You can feel whether there is tension in the room - or if this is a happy-go-lucky group. No one needs to say a word, but you feel it. In these situations, whether we know it or not, we will begin to mirror the tone of everyone else. Our body language will reflect their body language - and our overall demeanor begins to look and feel like everyone else's.

Now, this can be a good thing - assuming it's a positive environment, but what happens when the environment is hostile and negative? If you're not careful, you can begin to mirror and reflect the same attitudes.

Believe it or not, everyone we come into contact on a daily basis has an influence on us - and we have an influence on them. Do you remember that last time someone smiled at you when you passed them on the street? That kind of interaction has the potential of making you feel good for the rest of the day (and you might not even know why). Conversely, can you think of a time when one minor negative altercation sent the rest of your day in a negative tailspin? It happens to all of us.

So, how are you influencing others?

Are you making people feel good about themselves - or are you giving them a negative vibe?

This is really a powerful influence we all have - and I really think we all want to do good, but we get all caught up in what is going on in our lives that we become less aware of how our thoughts, attitudes, and body language can influence those around us. In Science and Health, Eddy writes, "Your influence for good depends upon the weight you throw into the right scale." Whenever I read this quote I think of the Scales of Justice - with the scales being tipped in favor of justice and truth.

Well - we have the same potential and opportunity. As you walk around your community, interact at work, as well as how you treat family, friends, and strangers - how much good are you influencing? What side of the scale are you tipping?

We talk about co-workers needing to be more supportive - but do we support them? We want people to be nicer on the road - but are we impatient with them? You wish your boss would just put his ego aside for one minute to see your side of the story - but are you willing to put your ego aside to hear his side?

If we don't like what we are seeing - don't mirror it. Instead, try to represent the example you expect to see in others - and you may be surprised at the results. FYI - this is another great exercise to try the next time you are flying - and watch how calmer and peaceful the other passengers become.

Mirrors are great when we like what see - but when we don't - maybe we need to change the image we see in the mirror. When it comes right down to it - all we are ever seeing is the reflection of our own thoughts and ideas - so if we don't like what we're seeing - force yourself to see something different.

And remember what your dad used to say, "Listen, stop copying your brother or I am turning this car around and heading home! I mean it!"

No one wants that!

Have a great week :)

Travis


P.S. - I was always trying to get the attention of my big brother who over time had learned to tune out the very frequency of my voice. So, this is what people in my family heard when I was trying to say something to my brother Tiger, "Tiger...Tiger...Tiger...Tig...Hey Tiger....Tiger...Tiger...Tig..." and then someone would have to finally say to my brother, "Tiger, will you please just answer him?" Then, he would finally say, "What, I didn't hear him."

A neighbor of mine lent me a video he owned (not one of those videos) that I have been thinking a lot about this week. And, the ideas have come in quite handy because I seem to be having a tough week accepting what my current employment situation seems to be.

You see, I tend to sell myself short. I have always done this to a certain degree. I like myself, I really do, but for some reason I tend to limit what I feel I can ultimately achieve. I have BIG dreams, but I seldom give myself permission to accept them as a possibility. Why not?

I don't know - do you?

Well, this video I watched, called "The Secret" articulated the secret to success for all of the great thinkers through history - and how this kind of thinking is available to all of us. In a nutshell, it is the Power of Attraction - The belief that there is a universal law that responds to our thoughts. So, if our thoughts are filled with positive, pure, peaceful, and loving thoughts - well than that is exactly what we will attract and receive more of.

Conversely, if our thoughts are monopolized with negativity, fear, failure, discouragement, frustration, etc. - well than we will continue to attract more of that.

Quite simply: Thought = reality.

If you think - you be it!

Part of the secret is to see the kind of life or things you want to achieve - express gratitude for what you already have - and then to live your life with the joy and feeling as if you already possess what you strive for. The more you connect with the feeling of goodness of having what you want - the more goodness you will attract into your experience.

In my own life, I view this law of attraction as the universal law that surrounds each and everyone one of us. I see it as Spirit - Love - and I take it a step further to see it as the only true reality. So, connecting our thoughts to the goodness of everything around us means we are seeing the spiritual reality - the only reality.

But, this week...right now...I have been struggling to hold my thoughts on that goodness. I have felt discouraged and frustrated - feeling like I don't have the answers, and that my path isn't unfolding like I had expected.

So what do I do?

Do I pack it up? Ditch this spiritual perspective? Tell "The Secret" where to stick it?

Not yet. I am hanging in there, trying to let go of my personal opinions, and concentrating on all of the good surrounding me right now. There is plenty in my life to be grateful for - right here and right now! I can get this through the frustrating days – because I still expect goodness and success to be the result.

I am also breaking through personal limitations. Every setback seems to try to validate that my dreams are not realistic or legitimate. But, I know this cannot be the case in Spirit. I have every talent and skill needed to be the person I want to be - and I am not going to give up on my goals - no matter how humbling the disappointments can be.

In Science and Health, Mary Baker Eddy Writes, "Your influence for good depends upon the weight you throw into the right scale. The good you do and embody gives you the only power obtainable." I see the right scale as being the choice I make on a moment-to-moment basis. Am I choosing right now to see negative (or the unreality), or am I choosing to express joy and gratitude, thus allowing myself to receive more goodness?

This can be a struggle - but I know the result is worth the fight!

Why, just today, I was co-speaking at a spirituality expo and had the opportunity to talk with numerous people about how these ideas can be applied quite practically. During that time, the frustration I had been feeling was replaced with gratitude. Although I was upset about how one circumstance had gone, it didn't send me on a negative spiral in the wrong direction.

The Secret is simple - if you want more good in your life - you need to live it like you already have it. So if you act like you already have it - than why do you ever need what you are pretending to already have?

Exactly!

Let me know what you think about that ;)

Much love,

Travis

David Blaine levitating on a street corner is magic! Travis applying spirituality to finding more work is not.

Yet, when many people think of spirituality and how it applies to their life - they often think of it as mystical, mysterious, or unpredictable. Applying prayer to everyday life situations can feel like a crapshoot, where we are left to wonder, "I prayed about this, but nothing happened!"

Recently, as I have begun to consciously apply spiritual ideas to my life, I have found that the result is less magical - but more active! Let me explain...

Let's take for example how I have been praying about employment. Each day I take time to prayerfully reaffirm that my life lives in Spirit. I see my life in Spirit. I see my employment in Spirit. I see and feel every aspect of my being in Spirit. I then articulate my idea of Spirit by seeing it as perfect (always perfect), complete, whole, and full of abundance. Seeing this I know that if Spirit is complete, and I live in Spirit, then my employment is surrounded by opportunity and abundance. If I am surrounded by all of this goodness - there is no room for lack, missed opportunities, or regret.

Plus, if Spirit is complete and whole - I know that I must also have the ability and access to all of the talent, intelligence, and creativity needed to fill my employment. This last affirmation is key because it forces me to reverse or eliminate any negative idea that I may be feeling about myself...or have labeled myself as being (i.e. not creative or smart enough, etc.) Take a few moments to listen to your thoughts and you will hear plenty of false ideas about yourself that you need to reverse. Once I see my employment as fully under Spirit's control...I am done? Right?

Wrong!

Prayer is the beginning - but it is not the end. Prayer prepares our thoughts and consciousness for the ability to see the next step or opportunity. Some people think of prayer as asking God for help - than waiting for the solution to magically appear.

POOF!

I don't see prayer as passive. The real result of my spirituality is when I have aligned my thought with Spirit - and then keep moving forward working and actively seeking out new solutions and guidance. For me, what I do as a result of my prayers is where the transformation takes place. The prayer leads my thought to a new place - a higher place - usually to new inspiration I hadn't seen before.

So, if I am looking for more work - my prayer might open my thought up to a niche I hadn't considered before. It might inspire me to contact a friend or contact I hadn't thought of before - and my prayer could even inspire me to go in an entirely new direction. But, it is the ACTION that I take as a result of the prayer that leads to demonstration.

Hey...I would love it if Spirit would plop things right into my lap, and there have been times when that seems to be the case. But, I would prefer to know that I have an active role in the process - instead of waiting for perfection to be perfection. Mary Baker Eddy in Science and Health writes, "God is Love. Can we ask Him to be more? God is intelligence. Can we inform the infinite Mind of anything He does not already comprehend? Do we expect to change perfection?"

If God (Spirit) is already perfect, than there is nothing for God to do - it must be up to me! I like that! It makes me responsible, accountable, and able to play a role in the process.

So, when it comes to applying spirituality to your work and career, it's not magic - but it sure is helpful to know a few of these tricks ;)

Let me know how this is working out for you!

Much love!

Travis