Priorities

"The main thing

is to keep the main thing

the main thing."

Yeah, you might just want to read that again. It's one of my favorite quotes I got from a Steven Covey book. It is to say that PRIORITIZING the important things in your life is a key to living a fulfilling life. Of course, to do this, you must first decide what is important to you.

I often find myself stressing out over an issue that, when I get some distance from it, find is not really all that important to me. And even worse, I find the things I feel most passionate about sometimes wind up on the back burner! We will all have different priorities, but the important thing is that we all prioritize them!

So what means the most to me?

Am I actively pursuing that?

What is one thing I can do TODAY to make progress in that area?

All Things Possible!
Chris

Music

I have heard it said music is the language of the heart. I find that music really does speak to me on an energetic level. Many of you have mentioned that music helps you be creative or confident or healed. When I prepare for a role, I try to find the music that the character is playing in his head. We all have a theme song that plays in our head that informs us of how to be. It is amazing the power of knowing that you can change your own theme song just by choosing to listen to a different station! As mentioned in the new tutorial up on the Fan Contribution page, music is a powerful tool for creating a state of mind. When you approach a task, ask yourself what state would most help in this situation. Confidence? Understanding? Explosive Power? Calm? And what is your theme song for creating that particular state?

As I mentioned in a previous blog about music, I find that movie soundtracks speak to me. I love the winning music of Rocky, or the mysterious music of Meet Joe Black. I am a big fan of Mahler and Prokofiev from early last century as well. Sometimes I'm inspired by the music of nature or the din of the city and other times I just like some good old rock and roll.




(Here I am with a rock band Red 7 I use to sing with in the early 90's. L-R that's me, Kevin, Jamie, and Mark)

So what theme songs do you choose for the states you create in life?

All Things Possible!
Chris

Amazing!

I am blown away by all your responses to the last topic. I am honored and humbled that some of the finest examples of humanity visit this site. Thank You!!

Last week I was in New York auditioning for Broadway. It seems like a far cry from the jungle, but I was indeed up for a role in Disney's Tarzan musical. Phil Collins of Phil Collins/Genesis fame wrote the music for the show as well as the animated Disney feature. I can now say I have performed personally for Phil Collins, who was at my audition. Don't buy tickets to the show just yet. It looks like it will be a great show but it won't be happening until next year and regardless I don't think you'll be seeing me in it. However I have a new appreciation for the way New Yorkers approach entertainment compared to how we do it here in LA. What an awesomely fast paced city!! And despite what you may have heard, New Yorkers are some of the kindest folks around.

Which leads us to the topic for this week. What have you been working on lately? What fresh ideas have you fashioned or inspired perspectives through which to see the world? This is very open ended so feel free to express yourself here this week.

All Things Possible!
Chris

Bridging the gap

The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation newsletter is titled "Bridging The Gap". I love that title because it suggests bridging the literal gap between synapses in the neuro-pathway that defines spinal chord injury but it also suggest bridging the gap between different groups of people and overcoming our differences. Bridging the gap can mean moving to New Orleans and cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina, or it can be a kind word to someone that's not in your circle of just-like-me's.

There are so many ways to make a difference in the world - not all of them make headline news. How can you make it better today?

All Things Possible!
Chris

Inspiration

I got into the movie business because I believe it is the business of inspiring others. It is a form of story telling that communicates to several senses and sensibilities at once. There is a growing concern in Hollywood that corporate thinking (as all the studios are now owned corporately) is leaching the inspiration from the stories that come out of movieland and replacing it with technical razzle dazzle and superficial titillation.

Of course, there are a group of independent titles that come out every year in a limited number of venues that reach a few of us, but for the most part, the studios with the big money hedge their bets behind star power and tried (TIRED) and true stories, remakes, knock-offs, and sequels. To be fair, I would probably do the same thing if I were a studio exec. and my job was dependent on the approval of a board of directors that look only at the box office numbers of the movies I greenlit.

BUT...

We, the audience, hold the key to what gets made and shared with the rest of the world. WE hold the power simply by casting our vote with our entertainment dollar. Every time you see a movie, you tell the studios "We want to see more movies like this!". Your voice is so important you actually dictate what gets made. Wow, that's a lot of responsibility all of the sudden, eh?

So what movies do you want to see Hollywood make?

What movies have INSPIRED you in the past?

What is your favorite moment in your favorite movie?

...And how did it make you FEEL?

How did it INSPIRE you???

All Things Possible!
Chris

PS: My answer:

I love going to the movies. Some of my favorite moments are in ROCKY, FIELD OF DREAMS, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, THE SIXTH SENSE, THE IRON GIANT, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and THE NOTEBOOK. I love being surprised and inspired with NEW ways of looking at life that I haven't seen or thought of before.