3 New Habits for a Brand New Year

It’s hard not to slip back into old habits when you get back home. I’ve been back home in LA for about a week, and everything is just… different.  Eating out is expensive, I’m driving everywhere instead of walking, and there just seems to be much less stimulus to keep my attention and keep me excited. It all seems to familiar, too much of the same.

Last night as I was catching up on all of my old TV shows, I realized that I was slipping into a hypnotic state of boredom. Where was all the excitement?? Where was all the adventure?? I switched my TV off and immediately took in my surroundings. What could I DO that would bring more of that wonderment and joy into my current LA life?

I loved my life on the road, so I decided I wanted to keep as much of that as possible. Here are a few habits I am bringing back into my LA life:

1. Live a lot more on a whole lot less. Less is more, right? I only had 1 suitcase and 1 backpack full of clothes and personal items the entire month. And I got along just fine. It actually made my life simpler because I had less clothes to choose from. Picking my outfit out for the day was so much easier when I only had 3 shirts to choose from! In order to implement this in my LA life, I went to my closet and CLEANED IT OUT.  YES TO THE YING TIP: When cleaning out your closet/apartment, ask yourself this simple question: if I saw this in the store today, would I buy it? If the answer is no, chuck it. You’ll easily get rid of at least 25% of your stuff. I parted with 2 trash bags full of clothes!

2. Simplify your morning routine. On the road, I was so tired from the previous night’s extravaganzas that I ended up waking up in the morning, throwing on clothes, and running out the door. Okay, maybe it was a little more than that (I did wash my face and brush my teeth), but my normal routine in LA took me almost 2 hours to get ready for the day (I was SO that girl lol). What a waste!! So now I wake up, write in my gratitude journal for 5 minutes, brush my teeth, wash my face, put on some makeup (10 min tops– watch my video on how to put on a natural face in 5 minutes), throw on some clothes, and I am out the door! All in 30 minutes or less.  YES TO THE YING TIP: Take a shower and wash your hair at night. It’s a great way to save time in the morning and it also feels great to wash off the grime of the day.

3. Listen to your body. I’m super body-conscious (I live in LA, le duh!), but I love to eat. On this trip to Thailand, I decided to f*ck it and eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. The only rule I gave myself was to listen to what my body wanted. If it wanted chicken, I ate chicken. If it was tired of eggs, I ate muesli instead. If I felt dehydrated, I drank water (or coconut water– mmm!). If I needed to sleep, I SLEPT. Sleep is so important.  I get the whole “You can sleep when you’re dead” motto, but I can’t enjoy my beautiful surroundings if I can’t see straight. Just sayin’.  YES TO THE YING TIP: A great tip from my dad– Stop eating when you are full. I have this thing about being wasteful, so I usually clean my plate regardless of whether I want the food or not. My dad made a good point though: if your goal is to be skinnier or in better shape, then eating less is more of a priority. Don’t worry about being wasteful. Eat enough. Then stop. Confession: I applied that principle while I was traveling, and surprise surprise, even though I ate carbs at every meal, I totally lost weight!! Comparing the pictures from the beginning of my trip to at the end, the difference is apparent and undeniable. Dad was right. I’m definitely continuing this practice in LA!

I’m sure there are more ways of living that I adopted along the way. I’ll write another post with more! Please leave comments below and let me know if these work for you or if you have other habits that have helped you!

xoxo

Alicia

 

 

3 Steps to Finding Where You Belong

I feel like it is difficult to find a place where you belong in LA. Yesterday, a girl friend of mine confessed that she didn’t feel like she belonged in her acting school, like people in her class didn’t care about whether she was there or not. She wanted to find her home, a place where she felt like she was welcomed and accepted. A place where she “fit in”.  I totally got it. I understood exactly where she was coming from. It completely reminded me of how I felt before I left LA. I felt alone even though I was surrounded by “friends.” I felt hollow because I kept on trying to act like the people in my crew. There wasn’t a place where I could truly be myself and be accepted. I wanted to find a place where I belonged. (Cue music: “Go The Distance” from Disney’s “Hercules”)

For those of you who don’t know, I went to Thailand for a month. Part of it was to have a backpacking adventure. The other part was to meet my dad who I hadn’t seen in 20 years. #FREAKOUT! This trip ended up being everything I wanted and more. As cheesy as it sounds, it was truly life-changing. I’ve always known who I was, but I didn’t know where I belonged. And for the first time in forever, I found everything my heart was desiring– I found my HOME♥ Here is how I found out where I belonged:

1. Get out of your normal space. Change of environment is a valid form of therapy. Granted, you don’t have to go to Thailand. Or even make an extensive trip. But if you are needing to find yourself, get out of your house. Go on a hike up to a peaceful look out. Or take yourself to a quiet beach. Somewhere that is beautiful to you. For me, it was Thailand. Naturally, I was able to drop the heavy loads of stress I had been carrying in LA. Completely surrounded by beaches that were truly paradise, water so blue and clear, lagoons and jungles that made me feel like I was in Neverland, I was able to let my worries fly away. With all these new exciting sights and sounds and people and food, it was impossible to not truly live in the present moment and really LIVE. I felt RADIANT, VIBRANT, ENGAGED, and full of LOVE. So this is what true living felt like! Give me more, please!

2. Get to know other people. Seriously– take a few moments and really ask someone else how they are and what they are doing. Find out their story. The moment you start being interested in someone else’s life, you’ll start to discover what really matters to you and what kind of friends you want and value. One of the biggest gifts this trip gave me were the friendships I made along the way. I finally felt CONNECTED. I met the most wonderful people on this journey! I bonded with wonderful Brits, Germans, Swiss, Dutch, Canadians, Spaniards, Texans, Utah, New Yorkers, and even made some delightful Thai friends. My favorites were these amazingly kind-hearted and like-minded Canadian girls who are now my life-long friends. Everyone was so open (it was hard not to be when you’re backpacking), so we were able to click and make a connection instantaneously. The bond became so strong as we explored each city and island with each other. Going on these adventures brought us closer together and magical memories were made. Laughter, adventure, exploration, dinners, parties, dancing, swimming, playing, shopping, getting massages, living! “Unbelievable sights, indescribable feelings…” To get beyond the palace walls of LA was invigorating! (Cue music: “A Whole New World” from Disney’s “Aladdin”). Each person was so special and had such an interesting story to tell. I enjoyed getting to know each one. I discovered what kind of people were “my kind of people” and who I wanted to spend my time with. They all have a special place in my heart.

3. Fall in love. WITH YOURSELF. Easier said than done, I know. But start to ask yourself: what do I like about myself? Sure, it can be your abs or your hair. More importantly, ask yourself: what are the qualities about me that I like? Am I creative? A good listener? Funny? Charming? Start to build a list of all the wonderful things that you are. I’ll bet there’s quite a bit of great stuff there! For me, I started seeing my natural beauty and it was pretty humbling. I had people tell me to stop worrying about whether I had makeup on or if my clothes matched or not. “STOP BEING SO LA!” a Texan told me. “You’re a nice girl. So sweet with a big heart. I like that about you,” a Dutch said. “You’re beautiful because of what shines out from your heart. You are so caring and kind and warm-hearted and generous. That’s what we love about you. That’s what makes you beautiful to me,” confessed a Canadian. I was moved to tears. The concept of inner beauty finally clicked in my head and I was finally able to embrace my own beauty and worth. I didn’t have to try so hard anymore. I could finally breathe. Oddly enough, it was effortless to be that way. Because it was just being who I already was  And I like the girl that I am. She’s pretty cool. Even if she is a bit of a princess sometimes 🙂

You’ll start to meet like-minded people who love you for all that you are and who lift you higher. When they come into your life, welcome them with open arms.  The place where you belong is wherever you are in your heart.  It doesn’t matter whether you are in the shittiest hotel or living in the grandest palace. All that matters is who you are with. Find yourself and you’ll find your family. Find your family and you will find where you belong.

xoxo

A

“Ohana means family. And family means no one gets left behind. Or forgotten.” -Lilo and Stitch

Quote- Follow Your Passion

My friend was wearing this bracelet and I immediately wanted to get one! Do what you love. Then the effort required to do that goal doesn’t seem like work. It’s energizing! What is your passion?

How to Achieve Success AND Happiness in Hollywood

When I moved to LA, I searched high and low for the answer to every artists’ biggest question: How do I break into Hollywood?

Whether you are an actor, writer, producer, director, or cinematographer, it seems incredibly vague as to how to “break in” to the Hollywood scene. There doesn’t seem to be one right way. Some people are born into the Hollywood family. Some have a look or a special talent that got them on the map. For actors, some have done the casting director workshop scene and gotten in the door that way. Some say it’s all about relationships and start using social media to get closer casting directors and producers.  And some have made it on sheer luck (aka being at the right place at the right time for the right role). Well, that didn’t help! It’s not like wanting to be a lawyer where all you have to do is 1) go to law school 2) pass the bar 3) apply to law firms and boom– you get yourself a job at a law firm. Why can’t breaking into Hollywood be that simple?

WHO do you build relationships with and HOW do you do that?

I listened to a seminar with Gary Weinstein, the producer of “Pretty Woman,” and a beam of sunshine parted the clouds. He said that there were two simple steps to break into Hollywood:

1) Find out who you truly are, what makes you so unique, and what stories you tell better than anybody else.

2) Find people in the industry who tell similar stories to yours, and develop relationships with them.

Oh my god, the seas have parted. This made so much sense to me! Taking a step back and looking at what I previously booked, I realized that I booked roles where the role was totally me and the stories that I liked to tell OR I knew people on the production side who called me in for their projects that told stories similar to the stories I liked to tell. The proof was in the pudding! My stories are of strong, smart, sassy women. It’s not that I can’t tell the story of the fresh-off-the-boat Asian girl who’s a victim and lost in a new world, but that’s just not me. And quite honestly, there are other girls out there who can tell that story much better than me.

So, here’s what you can do to further expand on these two steps:

1) To find out who you truly are and what stories you tell the best, ask yourself:

* How would my friends describe me?

* What kind of stories do I love to tell?

* What do I usually talk about?

* What are my favorite kind of stories/shows/films to watch? 

* What do I like most about those stories/shows/films?

* What stories resonate deep in my heart and get me excited/invigorated/inspired?

2) To find the people who tell similar stories, research:

* What TV shows and/or films tell my kind of story?

* Who are the people who make that show (i.e. show runners, producers, writers, directors, editors, etc)? You can find out this info on imdb.com.

* What is their contact information?

Once you have a list of people, start to contact them and develop a relationship with them.

This really de-mystified the process for me! I appreciate being able to embrace who I am and what stories I like to tell and find others with that similar story. Embrace who you are. Everyone has a unique story to tell. Celebrate your unique story and share it. The world wants to hear it. Why fit in with the crowd when you were born to stand out? Who knows? You could be the next big show! Everyone loves a discovery and is always looking for the next big thing. That thing could be you! What have you got to lose? At the end of the day, as long as you are staying true to you and your true story and purpose, you will be happy. And the success will follow.

xoxo, A

Monday Mantra: Feed Your Soul

It’s Monday Morning, and it’s gloomy outside. Ugh. I needed a little motivation to get out of bed this morning and I found this quote:  “Whatever’s good for your soul… do that.” Reading it made me smile ❤

What’s good for your soul? For me, it’s: eating a protein-packed breakfast, going for a long walk with my dog, putting on clothes that make me feel beautiful, adorning my feet with the brand-new pumps I purchased this weekend, making eye contact with the person I’m talking to, putting a smile on someone else’s face, wearing red lipstick, giving a friend a hug, writing in my journal.  There are countless other things. The more I think about it, the more I realize how many good things await me today.

What things are good for your soul? What makes you smile? Today, try to do at least one of those things. Who knows? You may be smiling a lot more.

How to Feel Fabulous

 

 

I love this quote! Often times, I find that I am doing things that don’t make me happy or buying something that I honestly don’t really love. Why do it then??

Ask yourself these questions to feel more fabulous:

1. Does hanging out with this person make me happy and good about myself? If the answer is yes, then great! If the answer is “eh…” or “not really,” then DON’T DO IT! Life is short, hang out with those people who love you and lift you higher.

2. Does this piece of clothing/accessory make me feel like a million bucks? Do I “the amount on the price tag” love it? If the answer is yes to both questions, then get it! If the answer is no to either one, then DON’T BUY IT. We end up only pulling 20% of our wardrobe out most of the time, so stop filling it with things that you kind of like and start filling it with things that you LOVE. You’ll feel more confident and beautiful when YOU love the things you wear.

3. Is this item useful in my everyday life? Is it a necessity for me to have? Does it bring happiness and joy into my life? If the answers are yes, then keep it. If the answer is no, then get rid of it! I’m a super sentimental person and often hold on to a lot of old cards, clothes, and gifts as mementos. Some of these items do bring me joy, but if that t-shirt or birthday card has been sitting in the back of a drawer for a year and you haven’t touched it, let it go. When we clean out our space, we make room for more good things to come into our life.