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Most actors I know who pay attention to award season find it to be a time of great inspiration and deep reflection about their own careers. This one was no different for me. And without opining too much on who won, who didn't win, and who should have received a much deserved nomination, I must say I was moved to happy tears alongside my community of Asian friends and actors as history was made! Here though, I'd simply like to share more on what I believe it takes to keep an elusive dream alive: Courage & Longevity. C O U R A G E I've been thinking a lot about how to transform my ability to see hypothetical outcomes in the negative far more clearly than being able to see them as successes. Maybe it's a defense mechanism to guard against heartbreak and disappointment. Some might even call it being a realist. But if it can all fail (your greatest dream, your highest goal, your most desired outcome) shouldn't the possibility exist that it can all come to fruition and be exactly as you desire it to be, if not better? I'm working on answering YES to this question more and more. But it takes courage, something I've had to redefine recently. Beyond faithless optimism, to me courage is:
L O N G E V I T Y This job ain't for the weak! It's also not for those who are seeking nano speed success. I firmly believe our greatest success isn't even sustainable if we haven't had the time to build a sturdy foundation and develop some character along the way. Michelle Yeoh said in her speech "Don't let anyone say you're past your prime". I literally crossed my legs--all sassy like--and proclaimed to the group of friends who'd gathered to watch the Oscars last Sunday, "Exactly, 'cause I need time." It's been said many times over: This is long ball. A marathon. A process. I will never forget something Glynn Truman said at a panel years ago. I am paraphrasing here, but it was something to the effect of "Keep honing your craft, and eventually your talent will make a way for you." I believe this with my whole life. In fact, the proof of my absolute trust in this truth is that I am still here! "Don't let anyone say you're past your prime." enisha b janeIn my own words. P.S. And now for the opining: ANGELA BASSET DESERVES HER FLOWERS TOO!
Below are the thoughts I shared last month on IG after the nominations were announced for Best Actress and Best Director:
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 I had a terrible idea for a children's book a few years ago. It was about a little girl who didn't believe she had any favorites. No favorite color, no favorite cartoon character or teacher, no favorite anything. In an attempt to convince her otherwise her mother takes her to an ice cream shoppe and she is reminded that she is actually not a pitiful little human child who can't make up her mind. She remembers that she loves strawberry ice cream. It's her favorite.
I know, horrible. Anyway. It was loosely based on a phase I was going through where I couldn't confidently identify anything I liked enough to call it my favorite... of any category. I am a Libra and ALL THE THINGS make sense to me. I can rationalize or find the good, bad, or ugly of anything. (And you thought it was indecisiveness, didn't you?) So I decided to remedy this phase and write all of my favorites out. And I'm sharing them here. And I'm sticking to them! Wait... Maybe Top 5 is better! Top 5 Favorite Ice Cream Flavors Strawberry Coffee Pralines and Cream Pistachio Hazelnut Top 5 Movies Chocolat The Talented Mr. Ripley Boyz n the Hood Love Jones All About Eve Top 5 TV Shows Game of Thrones Insecure Scandal Silicon Valley How to Get Away with Murder Top 5 Actresses Viola Davis Meryl Streep Cate Blanchett Emma Stone Thandie Newton Top 5 Actors Jeffrey Wright Denzel Washington Leonardo DiCaprio Michael B. Jordan Eddie Redmayne And there you have it. |
enisha b janeIn my own words. Archives
March 2023
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