make your own luck
Happy Wednesday! If you haven't gotten a chance to read Monday's post - "kiss... or keep it simple, stupid" - or to watch my most recent sketch comedy video - "Olympic Curler (at home)" - please take a second to do so now! They are relevant to today's post: make your own luck.
Have you ever encountered a situation that feels like the end of the road in some way? There are countless songs about it, though to be fair, most of them are love songs: "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men is an obvious one (and since I am from Philly, too, I will plug B2M any chance I get), as well as "Closing Time" by Semisonic. These two songs have been on my mind recently as the Los Angeles Improv community lost one of its main schools/theaters officially this past weekend. iO West closed its doors after a great 20 year run, leaving a large, passionate community to find a new home.
I didn't get to take a class at iO West. I had just started interning on Saturday nights there at the end of December, so although I'd been earning hours, I didn't have enough to enroll yet, and then the theater closed. It was truly a bummer. I did one of my first Indie shows in the Loft three years ago that was hosted by a friend I met at UCB; I went on a really great date two-and-a-half years ago date to see Cook County Social Club with a nice guy I dated for a bit; I had a really fun Cage Match run with Andrew as “Carl” doing musical two-prov accompanied by our friend Jonathan, one of the most talented musicians I know; I saw and fell in love with Opening Night; and I got to perform one last set in the Loft on Saturday night. That theater is full of so many amazing memories that I will always cherish.
Semisonic wrote “closing time: every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” It’s the truth, isn’t it? Things that seem like the end of the world are usually just some sort of blessing in disguise, making room for something better and stronger to come along. So many theaters in the area reached out to iO Interns and Students with amazing deals and offers to help all of those involved at iO to find a new home.
When you focus on opportunity, that’s what you’ll find. Have you ever stepped back from a situation for a moment to try and look at it from a different angle? I was disappointed I didn’t get to take a class at iO West since that’s what I was working toward doing with my intern hours; however, upon finding out it was closing, I reached out to the head of iO in Chicago regarding a week-long Musical Improv intensive happening over the summer, as well as to some of my network in Chicago. I may not have had the chance to enjoy classes at iO West, but I will be seeing my intern hours put to good use this summer in Chicago, studying Musical Improv in a new city, while also staying with one of my closest friends.
It can be easy to get caught up in bitterness and hatred, especially when you lose something you really care about; what’s more rewarding, however, is finding a way to turn a crappy situation into an outcome you love. And how do you do that? Make your own luck.
Next time you face a situation where it feels like there are no options, step back for a minute, take a deep breath, and see what you can figure out by approaching the problem from a different angle. If you can pause for a minute and get creative in looking for opportunities, you'll find the luck you're looking for.
Thank you so much for reading, and, as always, if you have any pressing questions or if you want to discuss something further with me, please subscribe below, follow me on Instagram or Twitter, or reach out to me on the “contact” page. I’m so grateful you're here and that I’ve been getting a lot of really challenging questions and even better feedback from a community all over the world. I couldn’t do this without you! So THANK YOU! I’m here for you, and I love hearing from you, too! You’re the best, and you have everything you need inside of you! Please believe it! Starve your ego, feed your soul - and follow your heart!!
And in case the Semisonic reference went over your head---