Ahhhh, the little things

I want to be as frank as possible with you.   This journey I am on is an emotional rollercoaster.    I have either really high highs or low lows.   I can’t seem to find middle ground.   I make progress in one area but then something happens that knocks me down.   I take one step forward, then two steps back.

I’m a planner, so suffice it to say I spent a good amount of time thinking about this move before  it happened.  I thought through possible challenges, created a plan, dotted my i’s and crossed my t’s.  I’m also a realist.  I had realistic expectations about how challenging it would to break into the acting biz.  Well, friends, it turns out that I underestimated the psychological and emotional impact of making a bi-coastal move, starting from the bottom, and dealing with change and uncertainty would have on me.

Rewind to five months ago.  Summer was good.   I was in a groove — things were happening.  I had a bunch of little successes.  Then fall came, and a whole slew of unexpected issues blew in.   The last couple months have been quite challenging.  I’ll spare you the details.   Let’s just say, it’s definitely DEFINITELY testing my strength.

Any time I meet someone new and tell my story, they usually reply with “Wow, that’s brave!”  Then, they inevitably ask how I’m coping with it all. Quite honestly, it’s a combination of multiple things, including prayer, exercise and support from friends and family.  But there’s one thing I want to elaborate on because it had such a profound impact on me: the little things in life.

Life’s simplest things bring a smile to my face and can easily put me in a better mood.   It wasn’t always like that.  Before the move, I took for granted these things.   But, when you’re going through such an emotional journey, you HAVE to find happiness and comfort wherever possible.

shampoo guy, me and Yuki

My first realization of this happened during a haircut… a few months after the big move.   This was the longest I’ve gone without a cut in my life.   I remember that I was having a shitty day.  I can’t recall the specifics of that day now but I know it wasn’t a good one.    I walked into the salon with a bunch of problems and concerns on my mind.  A couple minutes into the shampoo, something in my brain went off.  I remember thinking …… “Relax, Kristin.  Enjoy the moment.  Who knows when you will be able to afford this again?”  From that point, I made an effort to quiet my mind, put my worries aside, and just relax and enjoy the head massage.   A smile soon came to my face.   And, that was it.  I then had a lovely chat with my now go-to stylist, Yuki Nakatani.  (He’s one of my fav people in LA.)   I told him my story and his reaction and support for what I did re-energized me.   I walked out of Gavert Atelier happy, optimistic, ready to take on the world.   With a boost of confidence from the amazing cut combined with my can-do attitude, I sashayed down Wilshire Boulevard liked I was one of the Beverly Hills Housewives.    This experience gave me a new appreciation for going to the salon.  More importantly, it led to a new way of thinking.

After that experience, I opened my eyes to everything, looking for things that made me smile.  Driving down a palm tree-lined road does it for me.  Working on the beach.   My hikes at Runyon.    There’s nothing like hiking up the canyon before sunrise and jogging down as the sun comes up.   On a clear day, you can see all the way to the ocean.   A smile from a stranger on the road.  Give one and you probably will get one back.   I find myself smiling and saying hello to complete strangers all the time.  Be prepared – you will not always get one back.  Nevertheless it feels good.   It does something to me.

Music can do it too.   When I first moved here, Nick Minaj’s hit song Moment 4 Life just came out and played on the radio all the time.  Every time I heard this song, I was instantaneously happier. This song could (and still does) change my mood, and MORE IMPORTANTLY, reminds me why I moved out here.…… Live life to the fullest!

Friends, here’s what I think.  Life is in the details.  Find and celebrate the little joys in life.  You’ll find life is so much more satisfying this way.  For me, the little things in life make the tough times bearable.  No matter how hard life gets, you can always find something to smile at.  Smiling is a great way of putting out positive energy.  With this comes positive thinking and positive thinking brings good things and results.    That’s what I believe, and I am sticking to it.

Tags: Gavert Atelier, Little things in life, Moment 4 Life, Nick Minaj, positive energy, positive thinking, smiling, Yuki Nakatani