Drastic times call for drastic measures. In the current economic climate, you can’t let opportunities slide. The challenge is finding and optimizing the opportunities. My experience searching for opportunities in the past includes six cross country moves. Each move produced some level of success. Therefore, once again, I find myself taking the same desperate measure again. I plan to reside in New Orleans to continue my film career in a new environment. 

This move will be a little different, though. I won’t be alone. This move will be with husband and dog in tow. We will not give up our current residence, maintaining two bases of operation: L.A. and NOLA.  Finally, in Louisiana, we will be near family – a plus. (Thankfully, I have a supportive, self-employed husband who can live anywhere and has lived everywhere.  The dog —  he’s just happy to be wherever I am.  We will need to find a sufficient yard in NOLA for running in large circles at break-neck speed, however.)

Once you make a decision like this, the stress level rises. How much will it cost? Will it work? How long will it take? There are so many unanswerable questions. To reduce the anxiety, research helps reassure the decision. But, I have also noticed that subliminal messages crop up everywhere like warm embraces whispering, “Everything will be OK.”  Some messages are painful epiphanies. Some are refreshing revelations.  Some are gut feelings screaming loudly. Nonetheless, they emerge and regardless how hard they can be to hear, you need to be open and listen to them, hug and entertain them.

As anxious as I feel, I know that each day will calm my nerves.  With the freedom to discover, each day toward advancement creates optimism. For example: Twice this past week I heard a new Chinese proverb that says, “If we don’t change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed.”

So what do you do? You change direction.