Ola! I hope that this letter will go beyond your eyes and thoughts, to find a place somewhere in your heart. Its purpose is to be a reminder of how special, unique, powerful, smart, & beautiful you are. I complied this letter with different paragraph with similar but different subjects, as time goes & you read through it, find your own meaning and understanding to it.
I believe that no one successful has simply made it without experiencing defeat, failure, disappointments and frustrations galore along their way. Learning to overcome these times separates the winners from the losers. My advice to you is; be more determined to separate yourself from the losers, if your experiencing difficult times, then you on the right track.
Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is nothing but a rough draft, not a final draft. Even great architectures have to fail 2/3 drafts before the successful final draft. So whenever you may dare and fail, just view it as a rough draft in the process leading you to the final and best draft. Remember “failure is nothing but an opportunity to start again, but in a much smarter way”. Fear not to make mistakes, just make sure that you turn them into lessons.
People talk a lot, even I do, and honestly talk is cheap! Which is exactly why we can all do it. The champion is the one whom simply shuts his mouth and smartly acts upon his thoughts with no waste of time and lets his work do the talking. Be that champ, stop talking so much, it’s really boring us already and get up, get the work done and let it talk on your behave.
As you grow older, you’ll realise that there are few people whom you can place your trust in, just make sure to never be one of them. Have integrity and be true all the time no matter what. Never give anyone a cause to say you did not tell the truth. “Trust is like a thin thread, once you break it, it is almost impossible to put it together again”
The more we are able to achieve something, the more self-confident we become. Then, the more self-confident we become, the more we are able to achieve. The reverse can happen if we fail to meet our goals. Keep in mind that Confidence doesn’t come out of nowhere. It comes from a result of something; hours, days, weeks, and years of constant work and dedications. So keep working on whatever dream you have, the confidence will grow from your work. Don’t ever let yourself be intimidated by anyone or even anything for whatever reason! Stand strong to what you believe, most especially if it is the right thing to do.
Life is tough out here, and heartless people make it even worse with all the pains and let downs they’ll throw at ya. Find yourself a religion or culture that will centre you and help you not deform the beautiful and fruitful soul that you have. Though everyone wants to be happy, not everyone ends up happy... and unfortunately most people give other people or things the responsibility over their happiness and sadly the results are never what they want it to be. Some people spend their life searching for happiness, while others create it; it’s your choice to do what seem easier to do, I choose to create it.
There will come a time in life when you realise that no one, no teacher, friend, stranger, family and even your parents owes you anything in life. If you want your life to be a success, then you owe it all to yourself. "Life is like a movie, pick your own role, climb your own ladder or dig your own hole. Sitting around crying is like sitting around dying.". All the cards are in your own hands, the decisions that you make and the cards that you play are all yours. Regardless of the circumstances that you may find yourself in, be stubborn, have tenacity and be resilient, never give up and fight until the end, you are destined to be a winner and that’s what winners do, they only settle only for a win, nothing less.
Allow yourself have a Vision & go BIG. If your dream is does not scare you, then it’s probably not big enough! Let your dream be the director of your life, not your friends, family, teacher, celebs or strangers with their opinions & conclusions. You have a higher purpose in life, with many bundles of possibilities waiting to be unwrapped, & it’s all up to you... the choices you make daily will either bring you closer or further from/to achieving your goals. Think about it...
Be humble, respectful, trustful, loving and true, it will all be worth the effort in due time, try and invest in it.
Whenever things seem to be tough and impossible to you, read this letter and let it uplift your spirit, to inspire you to stand up, to be stronger and fight again. You are a bundle of possibilities indeed.
Yours sincerely, Loving you and to your success ....
Thabo Afitlhile
Sunday 17 February 2013
Thursday 14 February 2013
Acing your Acting Audition By Jacques
The following is a reflection of my personal experience as a professional actor/writer/producer/casting director in the entertainment industry spanning across South Africa and New York City over the past 6 years. It is meant to give insight to actors who are entering the business as well as serve as a point of reference for well-seasoned actors…
The first thing to do is to get the audition. You do this by marketing yourself through press releases of notable achievements that you have accomplished or projects that you are working on of notable reputation. Obviously a little “fluff” is needed in the beginning to get the ball rolling. No project is unimportant (unless it’s a school play you’re working on. Rather leave that for the school newsletter.)
As an artist it is important for you to create your own work. Whether you write your own plays and perform them, or take an existing play and put it up in a theatre. About 90% of all actors in the industry have a day job just to support themselves. You will then have ample material to write press releases about and garner some buzz about your projects. This leads to bigger and better opportunities as well as ultimately making a living for yourself solely from the entertainment industry.
The next step is to make sure you have an amazing headshot, but it must look exactly like YOU. I cant stress enough how frustrating it is for a casting director to call an actor in based on their headshot for a part that calls for a teenager and you show up looking like you could play the mother or father in the project. IT’S A WASTE OF EVERYONE’S TIME! If this happens (and it has happened to me before), be sure that the casting agent will remember your deception and never call you in for another project again. You need to take the time to learn who you are and where you fit into the market in the entertainment industry. Ask people who you trust to tell you what they think your “type” is.
We should all be able to play a ‘90 year old person’, but in the real world you will be called in and cast as your type. This is only temporary until you have established yourself in the community as a reliable talent.
Once you have done this, more opportunities will present themselves that will challenge you artistically. A great example that one of my film acting teachers, Larry Collis, once told me: “I know that everyone wants to be a Ferrari. They want to be the best and the most good looking leading man/woman in a play or movie, but we’re not all built like Ferraris. You might be a Mercedes or even an SUV Truck. You need to learn what you are built for and be the best damn Ford you can be.” Don’t over sell yourself. You need to keep casting directors interested and intrigued. If you give them everything up front, then they’ll get bored and forget about you. This means that you shouldn’t be over-bearing in your approach. Only submit yourself for roles that you are suited for. Therefore the lesson here is to always be current with your headshots and make an effort to know what’s happening in the industry.
The first thing to do is to get the audition. You do this by marketing yourself through press releases of notable achievements that you have accomplished or projects that you are working on of notable reputation. Obviously a little “fluff” is needed in the beginning to get the ball rolling. No project is unimportant (unless it’s a school play you’re working on. Rather leave that for the school newsletter.)
As an artist it is important for you to create your own work. Whether you write your own plays and perform them, or take an existing play and put it up in a theatre. About 90% of all actors in the industry have a day job just to support themselves. You will then have ample material to write press releases about and garner some buzz about your projects. This leads to bigger and better opportunities as well as ultimately making a living for yourself solely from the entertainment industry.
The next step is to make sure you have an amazing headshot, but it must look exactly like YOU. I cant stress enough how frustrating it is for a casting director to call an actor in based on their headshot for a part that calls for a teenager and you show up looking like you could play the mother or father in the project. IT’S A WASTE OF EVERYONE’S TIME! If this happens (and it has happened to me before), be sure that the casting agent will remember your deception and never call you in for another project again. You need to take the time to learn who you are and where you fit into the market in the entertainment industry. Ask people who you trust to tell you what they think your “type” is.
We should all be able to play a ‘90 year old person’, but in the real world you will be called in and cast as your type. This is only temporary until you have established yourself in the community as a reliable talent.
Once you have done this, more opportunities will present themselves that will challenge you artistically. A great example that one of my film acting teachers, Larry Collis, once told me: “I know that everyone wants to be a Ferrari. They want to be the best and the most good looking leading man/woman in a play or movie, but we’re not all built like Ferraris. You might be a Mercedes or even an SUV Truck. You need to learn what you are built for and be the best damn Ford you can be.” Don’t over sell yourself. You need to keep casting directors interested and intrigued. If you give them everything up front, then they’ll get bored and forget about you. This means that you shouldn’t be over-bearing in your approach. Only submit yourself for roles that you are suited for. Therefore the lesson here is to always be current with your headshots and make an effort to know what’s happening in the industry.
Its all up to God!, just play your part
"The fastest runner doesnt always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesnt win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy, and those who are educated dont always lead successful lives. Its all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time"_Ecclesiastes c9 v11
Things to look for when you meet or date a woman By Yangki Christine Akiteng
I came across this articles via one of my social networks and i felt like just sharing it with the gents outh there:
"Here are just a few things to look for when you meet or date a woman:
1. She has an open and welcoming smile that goes beyond the surface deep inside her eyes -- the window to her soul. Her eyes and her whole demeanor kind of "lights up" when you walk into the room or towards her.
2. She let's you be you. She does not want to change you - clean you up, re-make you or rename you etc - so she can love you but accepts you just the way you are.
3. She genuinely enjoys your company - isn't afraid to ask for it or tell you that she enjoys being around you. Being around her feels like being around your best friend because you can truly be just yourself -- no feeling like you're always walking on egg-shells or trying too hard to please (and always coming short). The experience of being around her is "satisfying" in its own.
4. She goes out of her way to do things she thinks will make you happy. She's the woman who'll call you just to say "hi" or "I was thinking of you" however busy/tired she is.
5. She is independent and secure within herself. She does not need constant attention and does not put pressure on you to feed her self-esteem, anxiety or worries about the future.
6. She's there for you when it's up and when it's down. She's happy out in an expensive restaurant just as she's happy sitting next to you on the couch, doing nothing.
7. She does what she says she will do. She does not play mind games but lets you know where you stand because she cares enough to treat others the way she'd like to be treated.
8. She believes that a relationship should be a 50/50 give-and- take partnership. With her it's not always "Me, me, me" but "we" and "us". Not only does she believe in a 50/50 give-and- take partnership, she takes her 50% part of the partnership seriously.
9. She shows respect for you not only in private but more so in public because she cares about how others see you and treat you.
10. She's not just nice to people she has something to gain from but is kind and treats the doorman, the customer service rep, the waitress, the beggar on the street, a child, the elderly etc. with compassion and respect. This is a telling sign of how she'll treat you once she feels she has you and isn't trying to impress you anymore.
11. She genuinely wants to be in a relationship with you and not just looking for "any man" to solve all her problems. She talks positively of the opposite sex but also not blind to their shortcomings.
12. She likes the things you like and makes an effort to do even the things you like and she doesn't.
13. She's not embarrassed or too proud to show you how much she loves you. She gives you her love and she also gives you her trust.
14. She's positive, happy with her life and always upbeat. She does not try to put other girls/women down to look better than she really is.
15. She makes you feel like you really matter even with all your faults and shortcomings-- and she's happy that you were born!"
"Here are just a few things to look for when you meet or date a woman:
1. She has an open and welcoming smile that goes beyond the surface deep inside her eyes -- the window to her soul. Her eyes and her whole demeanor kind of "lights up" when you walk into the room or towards her.
2. She let's you be you. She does not want to change you - clean you up, re-make you or rename you etc - so she can love you but accepts you just the way you are.
3. She genuinely enjoys your company - isn't afraid to ask for it or tell you that she enjoys being around you. Being around her feels like being around your best friend because you can truly be just yourself -- no feeling like you're always walking on egg-shells or trying too hard to please (and always coming short). The experience of being around her is "satisfying" in its own.
4. She goes out of her way to do things she thinks will make you happy. She's the woman who'll call you just to say "hi" or "I was thinking of you" however busy/tired she is.
5. She is independent and secure within herself. She does not need constant attention and does not put pressure on you to feed her self-esteem, anxiety or worries about the future.
6. She's there for you when it's up and when it's down. She's happy out in an expensive restaurant just as she's happy sitting next to you on the couch, doing nothing.
7. She does what she says she will do. She does not play mind games but lets you know where you stand because she cares enough to treat others the way she'd like to be treated.
8. She believes that a relationship should be a 50/50 give-and- take partnership. With her it's not always "Me, me, me" but "we" and "us". Not only does she believe in a 50/50 give-and- take partnership, she takes her 50% part of the partnership seriously.
9. She shows respect for you not only in private but more so in public because she cares about how others see you and treat you.
10. She's not just nice to people she has something to gain from but is kind and treats the doorman, the customer service rep, the waitress, the beggar on the street, a child, the elderly etc. with compassion and respect. This is a telling sign of how she'll treat you once she feels she has you and isn't trying to impress you anymore.
11. She genuinely wants to be in a relationship with you and not just looking for "any man" to solve all her problems. She talks positively of the opposite sex but also not blind to their shortcomings.
12. She likes the things you like and makes an effort to do even the things you like and she doesn't.
13. She's not embarrassed or too proud to show you how much she loves you. She gives you her love and she also gives you her trust.
14. She's positive, happy with her life and always upbeat. She does not try to put other girls/women down to look better than she really is.
15. She makes you feel like you really matter even with all your faults and shortcomings-- and she's happy that you were born!"
Ideas need action...
Ideas are ultimately worthless unless you activate them with focused and consistent action. The best leaders never leave the site of a good idea without doing something- no matter how small- to breathe some life into it. Lots of ppl have good ideas. But the masters become masters because they had courage and conviction to act on ideas... daily ripples of excellence, over time, becomes a tsunami of success..... Stay blessed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)