And the Winner Is ...

I marvel at actors and actresses who master their art to the degree that, as I watch them, I forget they are performing and my mind believes them to be the characters they portray.  Perhaps you have had the same experience.  Recently, the Academy Awards recognized the film industry’s very best and among the Oscar recipients were those who possess this jaw-dropping skill.

You see, acting is absolutely necessary if you act, but it can severely limit you in real life.

For instance, if your career has you serving people in any capacity, then you do not just want to act like you intend to serve.  People can see right through that.  Somewhere, deep down inside, you will do your best if you truly have a heart for those you are serving.  It is at the intersection of activity and purpose that we move from merely looking the part to living the part.  If you sell for a living, then you will want to dig beneath your well-polished pitch to find the place that has you truly believing in the benefits you are providing through sales.  I think you get the picture.

You have to fight the tendency to view life as a performance in which you are merely playing a part.  When you live by delivering a script, you are left with the empty feeling at the end of the day that you are not really who you were claiming to be.  Much better than any Academy Award is the knowledge that you walked with an integrity and purpose—an authenticity—that transcends any performance (as reality always does).  You did not just act like a [insert your role, position, or title here], but you lived it with flesh and blood reality.

And the winner is, … everyone!