Always play the TRUTH

Last week I attended my first acting class in Germany. Even when it was just a beginners class and I might have known most of the exercises and their purpose, it was still fascinating to be a part of it. It's not only fun. If you allow it, acting will teach you a lot about life. It makes perfect sense; the job of the actor is to portray it...

To be an actor you have to be generous and give yourself. You have to listen, say YES, use your imagination and feel connected with everyone around you on stage. To be an actor is to be an ego-less human being. You need to be aware of your surroundings and your own skin, be in your body, forget your mind, stand strong and be vulnerable. You can't think too much, that cuts the flow. You need to let go of preconceptions.

To be a good actor you need to be in harmony with the four elements, make them a part of you. Be sensitive enough to know when to use each of the elements. But most importantly, be as connected and sensible as to know, which is the quality the chosen element needs to acquire.

Water
Flow like water.
Be transparent.
Be strong.
Be a calm sea so that others can feel calm around you.
Be like the sea during a storm, when you need to fight for your dreams.
Be like a stream of water, running down the edge of the mountain.
High, pure and always renewing itself.
Be like water.
With patience, water carves even the hardest rock...

Fire
Dance like fire.
Be full of energy.
Burn with desires and be ambitious, as long as you don't burn others with your flame.
Glow.
Be gentle blue fire.
Be passion.
Be hectic, be calm.
Fire will warm the coldest heart...

Earth
Be solid as the soil under your feet.
Allow water to soak you up and change your texture.
Be firm but soft to the touch.
Let your heart be the soil for many seeds to be planted.
Be what nourishes those seeds.
Be grounded.
Help others to find the ground.
Earth can seem harsh, but if you give it time, it will bear many fruits...

Air
Caress.
Be light.
Be gentle.
Be the hurricane, be the soft breeze.
Renew yourself.
Touch someone's face.
Let things pass you by.
Be clear. Be full of oxygen.
Transform.
Let you heart be as soft and pure as clean air...

The job of the actor is to be all of the above. Because the job of the actor is to be able to keep its essence strong, as it changes his skin to play different characters. The strongest your essence, the biggest your heart. As your heart grows, you become selfless. Being selfless means to let go of wanting. When you cease to be wanting, you learn how to give. Giving makes your essence grow strong, your heart becomes fuller. With time, you learn that you can peel off the layers of skin that seem to define you, but also obliges you to see through them. And the perception of reality is nothing but what your past experiences dictates. Reality is deformed by your preconceptions. If you peel off the layers of skin, everything becomes clearer. And you see things for what they really are... You see the truth... You play the truth...

To be a real actor, you need to always play the truth...

To be a better person, ALWAYS be truthful to others, but specially to yourself...

It is what it is. If you let go of wanting and become conscious of what you need, you start wanting what you need. And that... that is the key to happiness...