Behind the Scenes of a Positive Attitude

I am a huge fan of positivity. In a business that can seem random, huge and complicated, it's essential to stay positive and plug away. Often when I first notice an actress in a show or film, I'll look her up on IMDB and see that she's been working in this town for 9-11 YEARS. And that's just credits that are listed on IMDB. She was probably working away for a couple years before that to get her SAG card. So the only way someone is going to stick with something that long is if there's some joy in it.

But how do you get and keep a positive attitude? I've learned a few things.

1. meditate. I meditate in the morning and before I go to bed. When I have time, I'll add an afternoon session. (Lately, that only happens when I'm on vacation!) It's essential to stop everything and just be. This not only helps with positivity but also with creativity!

2. take care of your body. Eat properly. In order to eat properly, leave enough time to shop for groceries and to prepare healthy food. Get enough sleep. Drink water. The reality is, I can't do as many things in a week as my mind would like. I have to accept that and make my whole self a priority as opposed to robbing my body to pay my ego.

3. spend time with friends. Life is not about working and sleeping. Oxytocin is a chemical that is released when we're enjoying a meal with friends, getting a massage, having sex and other enjoyable, connected activities, and it's essential.

4. reframe the situation. On Friday during rush hour, I was on my way to a store. People kept cutting me off on the freeway and I was getting really frustrated. In my mind, I could hear the question coming up - "why is everyone being such a jerk?" I knew that was my cue to reframe the situation. I immediately said out loud, "Why is it so easy to get this important errand done?" Then whenever a little obstacle came up, I just said that to myself. Lo and behold, everyone was so helpful when I got to the store, I was out of there in 20 minutes and zipped home to do some reading before dinner with friends. The whole rest of the evening was so lovely. I really recommend these "LIVING MANTRAS" as taught to me by Dallas Travers. You just ask yourself a positive question, and your subconscious mind does the rest, answering in ways that move you forward happily. Some of my favorites: "Where did all these amazing credits come from?" "When did I start swimming in money?"

5. speak up. If something is bothering you, identify it. If I've started telling a certain story more than once ("so and so did this to me, isn't that messed up?" kind of thing) I know it's time to deal with it head-on. Discuss with the person. It's such a waste of energy to stew in the blame game, and usually just dealing with it directly will instantly make it dissipate.

6. surround yourself with other positive people. In life, on Facebook, on Twitter, even the movies and shows we watch and books we read. They all affect us, so choose those that uplift!