The Hare and the Tortoise

“It ain’t where you start in life, it’s what you do with life that determines where you end up in life.” Colin Powell

FOR IAN:

This term is the first time my good friend and colleague Ian Watt will no longer teach a regular class at Acting Coach Scotland. 

After 5 years of teaching at ACS, it’s time for him to focus on the thing he loves – performing. Ian’s contribution to the development of Acting Coach Scotland will always be remembered, I couldn’t have built the studio without him – or the others for that matter.

Of course I know that my other colleagues will eventually leave the studio to invest their lives in performance and for now, it’s Ian’s turn. Ian’s not leaving the studio however – he’s taking some private classes as a student and doing a private performance project with myself and an ambitious student.

This blog is for Ian.

When you’re young you feel indestructible but due to a lack of experience and perhaps knowledge, you are held back, either by internal forces or external ones. You feel like you should be able to do anything, but perhaps you can’t. 

When you’re older, you are held back by beliefs that perhaps it’s too late, perhaps if you were going to do it, you would have done it by now. You’re too long in the tooth etc. You know you can, but something inside tells you that you perhaps you can’t. 

1) There is no right time. 

Neither of these perspectives are ‘the truth’, they are stories that we tell ourselves or others tell us. And they stop us fulfilling our potential.

Yes, it’s important to have patience sometimes but it’s also important to dream and take action on those dreams.

Too many people talk a good game, talk of ambitions, talk of being or doing. But the only thing that matters is taking action. Yes, a plan will help, but without the action to carry out that plan, you are just talking about it.

2) Take action. 

But you don’t need to rush, the tortoise will get to the finish line too. The only thing that matters is that you keep moving.

3) Keep moving. 

Good Luck Ian, it will be great to have you in class again, and I can’t wait to see you achieving your acting career goals, and making the most of the freedom!