Success Strategy

If there was ever a success strategy it’s this: Using what life throws at you. The actress Kate Winslet, who was not classically trained, recently explained that her secret on camera was to ask herself the question, “what can I get for free?” Meaning, if she’s tired, she uses that in the character. If she’s nervous, she puts that into the character. If her arm hurts or her feet are sore, same thing. Instead of thinking, ‘I can’t because…” she takes the same stress, the same factors, the same difficulties and thinks, “What can I do because…” This was Marcus Aurelius’ strategy too. A strong stomach digests what it eats, he says. A fire turns everything into flame and brightness. We use what happens to us in life because it’s all we’ve got.

from “What Can You Get For Free?” (Listen)