Doing THIS Saved My Life

I want to share a concept that could save your life. I know, that sounds dramatic, but I believe it to be true.

As you may know, I started my professional career post college in the dance world. I danced with a few touring companies, then realized making decent money as a dancer was near impossible, not to mention physically taxing.
 
So I switched to acting. Bad-dum-bum. (Not guaranteed to be whole lot better in the money department.)
 
In actuality, I switched to acting because I felt I had more to express than what I was limited to with dance. I wanted to explore human psychology, tell stories and inhabit the lives of other people.
 
I had a great run and got to work on some pretty cool TV shows, off Broadway shows and films.
 
The time from booking a job, rehearsing for it, shooting or performing it were the best times of my life.
 
However, the ‘in-between’ times aka not working, often was the pits.  
 
And in case you don’t know much about the life of an actor, the ‘in-between’ happens a lot. Probably more than the times you are working.
 
When I first got into teaching fitness and coaching, I worked mostly with performers and found similar feelings.
 
I discovered something that applies to all human beings.
 
The reason that time in between acting gigs was so torturous, is because the person has all of these gifts, all of this creativity, all of this emotion, all of this talent that they are just dying to share.
 
I would go so far to say they are like a volcano waiting to explode with all their brilliance. I mean it. Total utter brilliance.
 
And yet, they can’t. They can’t share any of it. They have to wait until an agent or casting director says, “Yes, you may go ahead and now use your talent!”
 
Sure they can go to acting class or practice their singing or acting alone in their apartment, but that will never be fully satisfying. Never.
 
Why? Because it is not the same as actually GIVING your talent, creativity, or ideas to people who are simply there to receive it, whether it be an audience, a client or readers.

You can’t keep your ideas in a bubble and think you will be content. 

They must come out.

When we don’t have a place to GIVE generously and then be SEEN and RECEIVED, we get blocked. 

We get depressed. We self sabotage. We binge eat. We go into debt. We blame others. We blame ourselves. We get sick. We get angry. We get bitter.
 
We do all of these things, mostly because there wasn’t a proper OUTLET for all our STUFF. And by stuff, I mean feelings, emotions, fears, joys, intellectual ideas, and creativity.
 
And here is what I want you to understand.
 
Lack of expression leads to depression.

For all of us. And it is not always deep dark depression. It could be a low grade, mild form. But you will still feel like something is slightly not insync.

This lack of expression can happen in everything from your romantic relationships to your career.
 
If you do not have the proper outlet, it will catch up to you in some really strange, messed up ways. Some of which I mentioned above.
 
This is why starting my own business literally saved my life.
 

Starting my own business

It became the place I could turn to express all of these thoughts and concepts I had swirling around my head.
 
It allowed me to experiment with everything from how I want to design my website to how I want to shoot the Shrink Session videos.
 
It gave me a place to be seen and heard as often as I was willing to put myself out there. I no longer had to wait for someone to say, “Yes, Erin, you may now use your talent.”

And that was so freeing.
 
I invite you go tell someone how you are truly feeling. No B.S. None of this, “Yeah, I’m ok.” When really you are not. Or maybe you are fantastic and filled with joy today. Go tell someone. Share it. Whatever it is. Don’t keep it to yourself.

As the great reigning Queen of Pop says, “Express Yourself.”
 
Cue music.
 
Love
Erin