Overly trained actors and new age addicts are always trying to get centered. It’s time we put up our middle finger to being “centered” in the old sense of the word and give ourselves an updated definition.
The old version of being centered…
- This is THE state to strive for.
- This is a specific state that exists and your job is to get yourself there.
- It’s challenging to maintain.
- If we are not centered we are off center and that’s bad.
- Is relaxed and focused and still and intense.
- Can only be found at the top of Machu Picchu and it requires climbing many stairs to get there.
- Hard work, concentration and opening the third eye chakra will achieve it… some day…Maybe.
- Oh, God, let me be centered – I have an audition tomorrow. I don’t want to be nervous.
- Is serious.
The new version of being centered…
- This is a state that exists right now.
- We are always centered – it is our natural state – it is only our mind that tell us that what is going on is off-center.
- Can be found at the top of Machu Picchu, while climbing machu Picchu, and it can even be found while purchasing a kosher hot dog at the foot of Machu Picchu. Word is, it can even be found in Peoria, Illinois.
- There is no place to get to.
- Does not require hard work. It requires breathing and telling the truth.
- Your truth in this moment is exactly what you need to book your next job.
- Is fun.
Being centered is surrendering to the constantly evolving sensations. Being centered happens when you tell the truth about what’s going on – not when you manipulate yourself away from what isn’t going on. Being centered is following your body truth, not your mental abuse.
Remember Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz? After going on a huge dream, she just clicked her heels together and discovered she’d home been all along. Same with you. Welcome home.
I now pronounce you CENTERED.
I hadn’t auditioned for over 10 months. Due to a variety of other complications in my life I had put acting on hold, in fact, I was so jaded, I was contemplating shelving my “career” altogether. Then I received an invite to audition for an indie project and I felt I owed it to myself to try again. I did some of the typical preparation I usually do, however, I tried very hard to apply my CI. With nerves ballooning in the waiting room I didn’t think anything would come out of my mouth, let alone the lines. I did my audition in full on nerves, I was as interesting as cardboard. I asked to start again (NEVER DONE THIS!) three times. I was small, understated and nothing I had planned happened.
I left defeated, tears rolling down my face and was ready to quit. I was done – not even working through my nerves, rather than suppressing them worked! I was seriously DONE. Then the call came, “We were moved and very impressed with your audition, we’d like you to come in for a chemistry test with the lead….” I WAS ASTOUNDED. What had I done? I suppose what I thought was terrible was real, authentic and nerves played a part in igniting whatever it was that they saw.
I will never trust my rules of preparation should matter any longer – because throwing them away and entering that room a bag of nerves obviously gave them something they were looking for…..
It’s so wild how we just don’t know how well we do on auditions. Great story. Thanks for letting us in on that experience!
I always feel sorry for the actor who go to class after class looking for something that is right infront of his/her face. As actors who study the Chekhov method are taught:There’s never nothing!Thank you for a great article.
Thanks for checking it out out Adam. Yea – it’s always right here.
Have a great day.
thanks for this Josh! it always helps to hear that we are here, in this moment, and that this is the best place to be right now. i feel centered! have a great day!
Well said.
Wishing you a great day too, Perri.
josh! thanks for this! just what i needed to hear 🙂
ah, what a joy! * magic to you! stephanie.
Totally dug this 🙂
Thx Laura.
Brilliant. What a relief to be pronounced centered. I think I’m going to do that for myself every morning 😉 Thanks as always for the insight!
I was about to send you an email, Josh, with a question about staying in the moment, when I thought that I’d better ask it here, in your blog. What happened? I read your article and I got my answer (laughing/crying… you know me 🙂 )
The mind’s ‘story’ is that these days, when my parents are living with me, I hear their mind chatter and I find myself pulled in my head like there’s not tomorrow. And I am looking for… (drum roll) the ‘center’. The one and only one who helped me get back in the moment is my dog, who, for health/age reasons and because I cannot bring her to NYC in my planned move, I have to take back to the breeder, to find a family that is not nomad. So, my question was: how do I ‘come back’ in the moment without my beloved dog?
The answer came from this post alone, and the comments that follow.
Thanks much-ly, guys!
really enjoyed this post.
thank you!