AND THE WINNER IS...?

Despite the the title this week I won't be discussing the Academy Awards or Super Bowl... but if you want to draw your own parallels feel free.

I hope you enjoyed my musings about Hawaii... perhaps we will visit some of the other islands as each has a unique quality and vitality... one of the things that I was thinking about this week is asking strangers directions  and in Hawaii they are sometimes less likely to tell you but rather show you and offer you some smashing suggestions in addition... I once had a friend who has fallen into the abyss of former friends and acquaintances for a boatload of reasons but one of them being  that I once found out that when strangers asked him directions in New York City he would give them the wrong information just to give himself a little chuckle for being a clever douche-nozzle and hampering someone else's journey through life.

In rereading the last few entries and some of the correspondence I got via e-mail I started to think about something I wrote for academic purposes several years ago that basically boils down to "It's the energy and your intentions that you bring to the game or stage or bedroom or workplace that separate merely playing and being successful."

In the many stages of my life and pursuits I have usually always had the best and most positive energy and outlook and have sometimes turned many not-so-fabulous  situations and circumstances into something positive and enjoyable. My intentions are to do the very best work and win... sometimes things worked out and sometimes I've had to go back to the drawing board or start retraining for the next race.

One of the hard learned lessons of my life is that a company... whether its a corporation or a theatrical group and the way it conducts it's business is a direct reflection on the owner or director or producer... I have always tried to take the high road but sometimes people make it difficult or impossible but  I believe you still come out ahead by doing so. The father of a friend of mine once said "keep your armor shiny!" ... I think about him often when I am interviewing or auditioning or simply winding my way down the road of life.... Most are not aware of it but as they are interviewing or auditioning me I am doing my due diligence on them as well... There are just too many people that feel if they don't f**K someone over that day then they lost. or put other people down to make themselves feel better about themselves... or give people the wrong directions.... I just don't have time for these people and their passive aggressive games anymore.  Once I was trying to explain to someone that it just did not seem like a good fit and my complicated schedule and other professional commitments and he would not take no for an answer and I just had to come right out and say "I'm sorry I just can't work with assholes anymore"... I tried to be diplomatic but sometimes you just have to tell it like it is... My mother once said... "It's not mean if it's the truth." but sometimes it's nice if you can soften the blow not just for the other person but you have kept your armor shiny. Sometimes people can fool you at first... but when a complete stranger tells you on your first day working... "Your boss is a f***ing a** hole!" then the handwriting is not only on the wall... it's lit up on a marquee.

Cannes

I have proven my point by bringing positive energy and the best and most honorable intentions time and again... but winning takes much much more... you need to have vision and talent and determination and if you are considering going into the entertainment industry then you need to be tough as nails but appear as soft as a baby bunny at times when you least feel like it. If you are thinking of taking a short cut just remember you can't sleep your way to the top... you can only sleep your way to the middle and from the middle to the top you need real talent and determination and you are going to have to owe that person a favor and if you cheat you are most likely going to get caught and you will owe that person a favor too...and if you cheated I have a news flash for you... you did not actually win... I've found it easier  to owe as few favors climbing the ladder.

Tennis Anyone?

In terms of sports... I don't brag about many things but I am an expert at down hill, skiing, as well as tennis... and in my life I've won prizes in gymnastics and diving.... and play other sports quite well... I like being part of a team as much as I enjoy relying on my own skills and actions... however when you compete for judges who grade or score you whether you are on a stage or the high diving board things become much more subjective because the viewpoint of others based on their knowledge or experience can sometime enhance or diminish your game somewhere between the shadow and the act.

I've always known at the end of the play. at the end of the day or at the end of road whether I have played my A-Game or not and why... but I always know that I brought the best energy and intentions to the arena.

Winning has always been more of a focal point for me than fame or a prize because of the considerable attention given to your actions and activities... but both open portals to the world and your spirit... In the end sometimes only you know that you won and why and that is what makes the difference in being a good winner and having the grace and skill to be a good loser.

So until next week when I will be explaining everything you have always wanted to know about fashion but were afraid to ask me!--- Take a deep breath put on your Game Face ... play your best game and blow your own horn.