Hope you are having a safe and fun-filled holiday weekend! The last couple of weeks have been busy with family, covid, and seemingly endless zooms and webinars, so I won’t bore you will all of that. Instead, before we dive into Today’s Tip, let me introduce A SUMMER Of SUCCESS!
Last issue, I featured Martika Daniels, briefly describing her journey to achieve her childhood dream of becoming a flame-wielding, sword-swallowing circus and sideshow performer.
So many folks felt inspired by her story that I’ve decided to feature different “success stories” all summer!
The goal is to highlight journeys from people who are working hard to live the lives they want.
Why?
Because they serve as examples reminding us that we all have the capacity to live life on our terms, surrounded by those who uplift us.
This summer series is intended to IGNITE YOUR MOTIVATION and FOSTER YOUR POSITIVITY so you too can MAXIMIZE YOUR POTENTIAL and take that first step to becoming the you that you were always meant to be!
To me, being truly successful means being happy, feeling deeply satisfied with what I’m doing and who I’m doing it with.
— Fabulous, p.66
📚Click HERE to get your copy of It’s Okay Not to Be Fabulous Every Day!
Like I said last issue: If they can do it, so can YOU! That’s right – YOU CAN overcome obstacles and inertia to maximize your potential and achieve success by living your dream.
To kick the series off (okay, yes, technically this is the second after Martika), I’m leaning into nepotism and featuring: Kyle Dalsimer.
As you read about Kyle’s journey, think about what motivates and inspires you? What goal or dream would you like to pursue? Whatever it is, I hope this story inspires you.
Kyle is an actor who is about halfway through the 10 years it takes to become “an overnight success.” His love of theatre began early when his mom (yes, that’s me) took him to children’s theatre in and around DC. He always loved performing but it wasn’t until his junior year of high school that Kyle began thinking about performing professionally – his previous plan was to work in the front office of an NFL team.
📚Click HERE to get your copy of It’s Okay Not to Be Fabulous Every Day
In theatre, starting at 17 means you’re about a decade behind everyone else so he had to work hard to catch up. Kyle took voice lessons, school acting classes, and even a few dance classes to prepare for college auditions.
After two years of college training and school and community theatre productions, Kyle made his professional debut in the title role of The SpongeBob Musical in its D.C. area premiere. The role led to his becoming the youngest non-child actor to win a Helen Hayes Award (DC’s equivalent to the Tony Awards). He then moved to New York City, accepting a small role in his first Off-Broadway musical.
Since then, Kyle says his days “are mostly filled with long hours of training and lots and lots of auditions. It can be tough sometimes to stay positive. I spend a lot of time learning songs and dialogues, going to auditions, then hearing nothing or sometimes a nice rejection. The ‘yesses’ for Broadway and major regional houses are few and far between though I’ve been lucky to keep really busy with club performances, readings, and small film roles.”
📚Click HERE to get your copy of It’s Okay Not to Be Fabulous Every Day
Currently, Kyle is playing the role of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho at Monumental Theatre.
“Patrick is a dark and complex character. I find that really interesting,” he says. “This is the kind of role that gives more than just paying work and a credit. It allows me to stretch myself as an actor, plus I get to work with the incredible creative team at Monumental and share the stage and make friends with some really talented actors.”
Kyle is challenging himself, forging connections, and keeping a positive mindset in the face of the repeated rejections that are part and parcel of his chosen profession. He has a goal in mind and is motivated to succeed.
He’s doing it! It’s a lot of hard work and he hasn’t yet achieved all his goals, but Kyle is living the life he wants on his own terms…
✨And so can you!✨
Each one of us has a gift and, even though each of our gifts differ, everyone has the potential to excel in some way and love doing it.
— Fabulous, p.68
📚Click HERE to get your copy of It’s Okay Not to Be Fabulous Every Day
NEXT TIME I’ll share the story of a boy from Mississippi who’s living his dream as a media personality, author and top 100 Amazon Influencer.
Today’s Tip: DEVELOP A POSITIVE MINDSET💪
If you believe you can do it, you WILL achieve your dream! The key is sticking to it, never giving up, and distancing yourself from people and situations that impede your progress or bring you down. Let’s build on the winning combination I outlined in last issue’s Action Corner — MAKE A PLAN AND STICK TO IT!
Action Corner: HABITS FOR SUCCESS💥
Every motivational speaker, every Olympic athlete, every person who has ever worked hard to achieve a goal will tell you - A WINNING ATTITUDE MATTERS!
So, with that in mind, here’s what you can do to develop habits for success:
Prioritize What’s Important
FIRST - Learn how to prioritize tasks when everything’s important.
SECOND - Identify a way to prioritize that actually works FOR YOU.
THIRD - Commit to living your priorities every day.
Develop a Routine
Routines help the brain focus.
Routines help make new environments and situations feel familiar.
Routines discourage overthinking by making an activity automatic.
Routines enhance feelings of control and confidence.
Build Relationships
Professional networking is important for identifying new opportunities and for helping others achieve their success — a win-win symbiotic relationship.
Personal relationships - creating a network to serve as a base of support when things get tough or to help celebrate victories, small and large — also symbiotic.
Don’t compare yourself to others - it’s not a zero sum game — goals may appear similar, but we are all unique.
Three steps to bring you closer to living your dream life… Go ahead and take the first step today!
Ally’s Fabulous Book Nook
This week’s Fabulous recommendation comes from Kyle D: The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act by Isaac Butler
The critically acclaimed cultural history of Method acting-an ebullient account of creative discovery and the birth of classic Hollywood. On stage and screen, we know a great performance when we see it. But how do actors draw from their bodies and minds to turn their selves into art? What is the craft of being an authentic fake?
Critic and theater director Isaac Butler chronicles the history of the Method in a narrative that transports readers from Moscow to New York to Los Angeles, from The Seagull to A Streetcar Named Desire to Raging Bull. He traces how a cohort of American mavericks--including Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg, and the storied Group Theatre--refashioned Stanislavski's ideas for a Depression-plagued nation that had yet to find its place as an artistic powerhouse. The Group's feuds and rivalries would, in turn, shape generations of actors who enabled Hollywood to become the global dream-factory it is today. Long after its midcentury heyday, the Method lives on as one of the most influential--and misunderstood--ideas in American culture.
You’ve got this!
Ally
PS: Don’t forget to check out the next in my SUMMER OF SUCCESS series!