THINK.

Last week I brought in the new year at a party in the valley, and as I stood there with a glass of champagne in one hand and a (third) red velvet cupcake in the other, I was presented with my latest golden opportunity to share one of my all-time favorite quotes, from none other than Mr. Woody Allen: “90 percent of life is just showing up.” One of the most effective, applicable pieces of knowledge I’ve found anywhere.
 

It was a small, modest home in Sherman Oaks, and the only reason I mention that is because the person who owned it is a Hollywood Heavyweight, and I always have respect for people who aren’t ostentatious just because they can be. He was somewhat of a prodigy. His first writing job was at age 23 on The Love Boat. He’s written for a slew of top shows since, and created/head-writes for two current network sitcoms, one that’s been on the air for three seasons, the other going on it’s eighth. Yep. He’s kind of a big deal.
 

My friend Andrea had invited me, and she failed to mention his credentials until seconds before I met him, so I struggled to hold back my industry crush as I went in for the kill.  I’m drawn to successful people in general, and, that night, by drawn, I mean I would have kissed him at midnight if it weren’t for his wife standing next to us all evening. Lucky for him I held back, because when I kiss, like with most everything I do, I take no prisoners.

But I digress.

In observing him all night – in a most clandestine way, I assure you – I was impressed with his behavior, even more than the red velvet cupcakes, and you’d have to be pretty impressive for me to push those aside. This got me thinking about how most successful people seem to share one thing in common: They don’t overthink. They show up with a quiet and unwavering confidence, they give what they have to give, and they get the job done, as if there was never another option. They don’t second guess themselves or think
too far in the past or the future. They’ve done their homework, they know who they are and what they have to offer, and no one else on earth can change that. If they ever have an impulse to overthink, they do it on their own time.

Everything this guy said all night was funny, charming or relevant, and unlike many writers I know, he was outgoing, and wanted to include everyone in on the conversation.  He certainly had license to be hubristic or brash, but he was a regular guy who genuinely cared about other people’s lives, and took the time to listen to everyone. And then there was his talent for writing jokes. He had the total package. It’s no wonder he was successful.
 

As an actor, overthinking is ALWAYS death. In class my teacher would have the best things to say about my performances when I wasn’t overthinking, when I trusted my first instinct and ran with it. It was the same in high school and college golf. If I was standing in the fairway on my approach to the hole, and my instinct was to hit wedge, but instead I pulled out a 9 iron because I was convinced I couldn’t clear the bunker in front of the green, 80 percent of the time I would hit it fat or thin, and the ball would end up in the sand. The more we overthink, the more we end up in the sand.
 

Artists are constantly threatened with wanting to overthink their careers. Between disapproving family members, jealous colleagues, not to mention ourselves and are own talent, it can seem impossible not to overthink. Do I have what it takes? Did that casting director think I was bad? What if that producer hated my script? Admittedly, I’m a notorious overthinker. My instinct – save being on stage, thank goodness – is always to (over) analyze a situation fully before I can proceed with confidence. It can
be easy to get caught wondering if other people have endorsed what we’re doing. But as much as certain people – like the Love Boat guy – seem to have it all under control, let’s remind ourselves that it is something that will always challenge us. Humphrey Bogart notoriously thought he’d never work again after every film he did, even at the height of his career. All we can do is minimize it.
 

We all have talent. We are all worthy of everything we want to accomplish in life. Just think how much we’d achieve if we absorbed this and never thought twice about it, if we just went with it as if it was as true as the sun rising in the morning? Success is seizing the right opportunity at the right time, and then running with it. As Woody implied, when you have the guts to show up, you are 90 percent there. The other 10 percent is staying away from red velvet cupcakes.

I’d like to thank Karen and David of Film Courage for giving me the opportunity to share with you what was on my mind all week. Here’s to a JUST DO IT type of 2011!