You hear the word “no” a lot in this business, and it isn’t always easy.  Yet, despite every “no” that I hear, I never lose heart that my “yes” is coming.

Well, recently I got to hear that beautiful word twice.

I auditioned for a sketch comedy series where we had to improv the scenarios given and just have fun with it. And I did. I love improv (with all those years of lawyering, I got pretty good at thinking on my feet) and I guess it showed.

When I got the call that I booked that Co-Star role on the new Comedy Central series Alternatino, I was in shock. I hung up the phone and looked around my room, like “is this happening?” Then I just sat there quietly for a while.

 

 

It’s not always easy to know just how to show my appreciation when good things happen. When it comes to sharing the news, I can get stunted by fear, worried about some sort of mal de ojo (or a jinx), as though I’d get a call saying, “whoops, our mistake!”  To keep those feelings at bay, all I can do is go to church and quietly give thanks while praying that it all goes smoothly.

The day before the shoot, my sister swayed me to share the news, reminding me that I shouldn’t let an irrational fear tarnish something that ought to be celebrated. Well, I didn’t want to tarnish this experience, that’s for sure.

Although the reality of it didn’t really sink in until I was on set, I allowed myself to appreciate it. I openly shared the news, the result of my hard work and my faith in God’s hand in all of this. In doing so, I somehow began to feel at ease. And I got to enjoy it my “yes.”

 

 

With this new step, I was more than positive that I reached the point in my acting career where getting representation would be a necessity.  It was time to open the door to more of that “YES.”  That realization got me moving―I was going to embark on a new plan to make this happen.

Throwing caution to the wind, I mustered up the courage to let my supportive actor-friends know that I was looking and I promptly got referrals from some wonderful people. Then I went on several meetings until I got my  “yes.” I finally found the right agent (with whom I am freelancing). Another step in the right direction.  Another moment that deserves to be appreciated and savored, because all of this progress feels good, y’all. It feels really good.

Allowing myself to be present in every moment, by taking neither the “yes” nor the “no” for granted, allows me to fully appreciate every experience. When I put things on my vision board, pray about it,  believe in it, and see it come to pass, how could I not share that?  It feels good to show just how much I appreciate the blessings bestowed upon me.   It feels good to be able to celebrate the progress out loud because twice I got a “yes” and they resulted in two wonderful steps forward on this journey.

 

“HAPPINESS IS A CERTAIN WAY OF SEEING THINGS.”

―Hector and the Search for Happiness

— Posted on August 26, 2015 at 8:31 am