The Enemy Within

They say, variety is the spice of life. So, it's important to change up once in awhile, and I've done so, not major changes, just little stuff that hopefully, accumulates, for instance: I slept in today (got up at 7:00 a.m. instead of 5:30 a.m.), switched my pillows around (the big yellow one goes beneath my head), flipped the mattress (what's good is bad, what's bad is good), brewed up some organic Guatamalan coffee (it's quite invigorating). The result: feeling quite chipper this morning.

I just finished 'The Actor and the Target,' the last 1/3 of the book was kind of a slog (one of my unwritten rules: if I start a book, I finish a book). Much of the book is advice for a blocked actor (this is not my problem). I guess if you are playing 'Juliet,' in the balcony scene for the GAZILLIONTH time, it might be hard to bring fresh vitality to: 'Romeo, oh Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?' YIKES!

The big lesson learned from the book: we must keep our attention on 'the target' (this would be the world). This is where we find life, vitality. Our best weapon is our curiosity, our ability 'to see,' our ability to be suprised. I think we have to work at not becoming 'calcified,' at not becoming numb to the events of the world. Life should not be a process of shutting down (even if much of the world seems to be a 'horrorshow') but a process of opening up (leaving us vunerable and at risk). Fear is our greatest enemy.