Good things are happening to good people, and it’s all because they’ve WORKED VERY HARD. To start with, several of my fellow storytellers from The Moth got a terrific and well-deserved write-up in Wednesday’s NY Times. The article featured the multi-talented Ophira Eisenberg — host of next week’s Moth Mainstage in Boston where I’ll be performing — and Adam Wade, a native of New Hampshire, my current home. In addition to hosting his own show in NYC, he’s won at least 18 Moth StorySLAMS. He won another StorySLAM earlier this week, so the count’s probably an unbelievable 19.
Practicing Their Craft
Ophira and Adam were selected for the NY Times article because they’re amazing storytellers. They’re amazing storytellers because they take their craft seriously and they WORK VERY HARD. They’ve worked hard for years. To see storytelling genius at work, watch Ophira tell this poignant story about surviving a horrific car accident as a child and the depth of her parents love for her (while somehow using incredible comic timing) and watch Adam make you laugh so hard you want to wet your pants as he tells about his time as an NBC page after several years of applying for the position.
Overcoming Obstacles
Bria Frehner, is a high school senior and daughter of a close friend. For the past three years, Bria has WORKED VERY HARD battling Lyme Disease, including three weeks of experimental treatment in Switzerland. Today she’s feeling good, and she’s learned a lot about effort. She’s put that knowledge to use, and out of thousands of NH high school students, Bria recently won the state championship for The Poetry Out Loud Competition. In May, she’s headed to Washington DC to compete nationally. Her VERY HARD WORKING teacher, Jason Lambert — who’s also a gifted actor and director I’ve had the great good fortune to work with — shares in her success.
Staying With It
Lastly, my dear friend Tim Donovan opens his first solo show this week at Gallery Kayafas in Boston. A huge accomplishment, but even bigger when you know that Tim became an artist at around age 40, after being raised in the family health care business. He spent more than 10 years going to art school part-time while still working in health care, graduated with honors, and in addition to producing his own remarkable work, curates two small but important galleries in Peterborough and NYC. Sure, he gets overwhelmed — when either one of us texts “the ship is sinking” we know we’re in trouble — but he’s stuck with it, WORKED VERY HARD, and now he’s gonna rock the art world.
A Key to Success
These good people are enjoying all these good things because they’ve WORKED VERY HARD and earned them. Plus, they know how to defeat Resistance (see last week’s blog). In his book, The Natural Way to Draw, Nicolaides also explains what makes Ophira, Adam, Bria, Jason and Tim successful — and what will make all of us successful, too.
Whatever the circumstances in which you work, your ultimate success depends on only one element, and that is yourself. It is a fallacy to suppose that you can get the greatest results with a minimum of effort. There is no such thing as getting more than you put into anything. You expect a man who is guiding you through the mountains to save your energy and tell you the best way, but you can’t get any farther in that mountain than you can and will walk.
See you on the mountain top.
*******
As promised, you can now sign up to receive my blogs in your email inbox! Please go to the box at the top right of this page. And while you’re there, please “like” my Tricia Rose Burt artist Facebook page!