Yesterday was a gloomy, cold, rainy day here in New York City. As I walked around the Upper West Side trying to get from my morning tap class to a public school across town to teach a musical theater class I huddled inside my jacket against the undesirable weather. Coat zipped up, hood on, looking at the ground while I walked so that my glasses wouldn’t get covered in rain drops. It is often in these solitary moments that I do some of my best thinking. I started to think about how even though this rainy day is annoying and inconvenient it is the only reason that the flowers will bloom in the spring. The wetter a winter the more abundant a spring. Without the rain and without the snow the trees don’t re-grow their leaves and the beautiful foliage can’t thrive. If you know me you know how much I love plants. Spring would be a lot less beautiful without all this moisture in the winter.
It’s exactly the same when it comes to the seasons of our lives. Often times we spend so much time waiting for the next big thing, that we forget to appreciate and value the in-between. The in-between is actually the most important season because it’s where most of our growing happens. The in-between is actually what makes up our lives. It’s where our most important relationships flourish. It’s where we get to know ourselves more intimately. It’s where we get to be alone with our thoughts and develop our unique point of view of this world.
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” -Annie Dillard
This in-between looks different for every person. It might be the time in between one show and the next. It might be the time between getting engaged and the wedding. Or the time between getting hired by your dream company and your first promotion. But it truly isn’t the destination that’s the most important, it’s the journey we take to get there that matters most.
I am currently living in the in-between and I am loving it because of how I am taking advantage of it. I am taking classes every week that are challenging me to be a better performer. I am reading books and listening to podcasts that are making me question my way of thinking. I am providing an arts education to children and teens, encouraging them to explore the kind of artist they want to be. I am inspiring adults to move their bodies through their love of ballet. I am sharing my voice and healthy actor’s mindset practices through this blog and short form videos. I am seeing a great deal of theater, being inspired by performances that move me and stories that need to be told. I am re-learning Spanish on duolingo. I am growing and expanding into a version of myself that didn’t exist before.
So if you feel like you’re currently living in the in-between, I want to congratulate you. This time is foundational to your continued development as a human being. I also want to challenge you to see how much you can enjoy your time here. It sounds so corny but the practice of living in the present moment can be a powerful game changer. If you feel stuck and are having trouble figuring out what taking advantage of the in-between looks like for you, shoot me a message. I am always here to support you on your journey.