San Fransisco: What these rolling hills have taught me in just 3 days

Take A Higher Ground

I had been really looking forward to playing San Fransisco. Louise in Gypsy is a top dream role of mine, so I love having the chance to be on another stage on the "Orpheum circuit." We get to spend 4 weeks here, but I've uncovered the magic of San Fran. It's all of the rolling hills. Lombard is infamous, of course, and just right around the corner from where I'm staying, but there is a great view from the top of nearly every hill.

Upon refection, I related these hills to the many ebbs and flows of my life. It's February now, and the Winter Blues start to creep in. Abraham Lincoln is quoted as having said, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." The operative word there is make. You have to bring it about. You have to produce it. You have to craft it yourself bit by bit. You have to keep taking steps onward and upward.

When you have those moments of euphoria/shalom, check your perspective.  Look down at how far you've come. I was first introduced to the concept of the Imposter Syndrome while watching a sermon by Rev. Lakeesha Walrond of First Corinthian Baptist Church. Yes, there is a Baptist church where modern psychology can be studied harmoniously in conjunction with spirituality. Impostor syndrome is a concept describing individuals who are marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a "fraud." This concept resonates with me. From time to time, depression, anxiety, doubt, and fear make me wonder how I got this far. They make me wonder if I deserve to be where I am or live the way I do. The solution is to remind yourself of every step you've taken, every milestone you crossed, every time you got back up, every time you took the high road. I'm not saying to dwell in the past, but take stock, and let it give you strength to carry on.