Acting imitates life - the art of starting over again

Veteran character actor Stephen Tobolowsky in his podcast "The Tobolowsky Files" had a comment that struck me to the core.

He said "acting most imitates life because it is the art of starting over again."

Many times I ask participants in my workshops if they are reacting to the item in the moment - the word being given to them for example - or are they reacting to something that happened a few minutes ago. The question is; how present are you, really? Are we really ready to start over again, and look at each situation as if it is brand new?

I found myself recently looking at a few downfalls, and lamenting the end result. I was angry at how I had gotten to where I was, or what I felt had been done to me (rather than what i did to myself). This method of hindsight where we judge the past isn't really seeing each moment as new. The moment we are in now is not the thing that happened last week, or last year. It is always new.

So remember - start over again. Take it back to the beginning every day. See what new thing arises that you would not have seen before.

And accept the new offer.

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