One of the earliest lessons I learned as an actor was “We are all Ice Skaters.” In fact, I was just an aspiring actor back then. I didn’t even have my first acting lesson yet, but I was about to. That’s when I read this book, as a preparation, Truth in Action by Mark Westbrook.

In Westbrook’s second introduction of the book, he talks about how people who think that they are talented expect an easy road without any struggles. “Perhaps for the initial period of any learnable skill, that might be true,” he said. But then things inevitably get hard. “Around that time, what separates the successful from the rest, is that they refuse to give up.” he continues.

You may be wondering, so… where does the ice skater analogy come from? Here is what Westbrook says “… the ice skater feels the pain more than most. She has to fall again and again to become exceptional.” To me, it is a great analogy in the realm of performers. In fact, now, I feel like it is less of an analogy and more of an equivalent.

To land a new move in ice skating, you have to practice it over and over. To land a role as a performer, you also have to practice. And in both, falling and failing along the way. The only difference would be that the ice skater has to deal with primarily physical pain, but as a performer, it’s mostly emotional pain that we have to endure.

The thing is, if you are not feeling the pain, it is most likely that you are staying inside your comfort zone. You are not pushing yourself. I don’t want to use the cliche phrase but here we go… “No pain, No gain” eh!!

Now don’t confuse pain with lack of happiness. They both can strive alongside each other and THAT is the most pleasurable feeling. However, it is not an easy feat to achieve. Negativity comes easier to us than we think. Without happiness, it is hard to hang on to something you are trying to achieve. At some point, giving up seems like a logical option. And maybe it is… BUT before you give up, ask yourself… If you give up, will you ever regret it? And if the answer is “yes”… Well then… You know what to do. Find happiness and push through the pain.

Ps. We are also here for you! This community!

What’s one thing that keeps you pushing towards your dream?