Jonah and I met through a couple mutual friends a few weeks ago. We Facetimed just to get to know each other and I could tell within the first 10 minutes that we had a special connection. We both definitely have big dreams for ourselves and our lives, or should I say big callings, and I felt we could really open up and relate to a lot of topics around career, family, and life in general! So there was no question with how excited I was to talk with him more on the Level Up! With Shay podcast (listen to our episode HERE). As I listened through our interview again, I picked out some great foundational lessons that he found along his journey and words I think a lot of us need to hear.
I think it’s so interesting that we instinctively know all of these lessons or any lessons that my guests bring us, but sometimes we need to hear them in a different way or from a different story. Because even though we do know these lessons, we can get bogged down with the minute details of life, the struggles, the cons, and so on, that we forget the basics. So let’s get back to basics for this one.
1. Be Kind To Yourself
Jonah had always doubted himself. From the very beginning being a south asian kid in the middle of small town Illinois, he never thought he could amount to anything. Or at least anything his parents would approve of. His parents, being immigrants and raised with academia at the forefront of their minds, wanted Jonah to be something like a doctor or a lawyer; some profession with some stability and prestige. But Jonah didn’t want that. He was always fascinated with movies and film and the more he struggled with the expectations of his parents and his own wants and desires, the more he doubted himself. As he got older, started taking chances, hanging out with his brother and older friends who were making films and productions, the more he realized he actually could do what he wanted. He knew it would be a challenge, but a dream that was absolutely worth following.
Why is it that we are so much harder on ourselves than anyone else in our life? If we say “no way you can’t do that” to ourselves, it’s doubt, but if we say that to a friend, it’s totally mean and not supportive AT ALL! That friend would be like “I gotta find a new friend!” Whatever you want to do with your life, you can do it! Look how many people are out in the world who are successful actors, singers, entrepreneurs, artists, etc. – what makes you think they have anything over you? Don’t get me wrong, their circumstances may be different – they may be white, have more money, be in a “good” location – but you have YOUR OWN space in this world. They will not take anything from this world that is your – it’s YOURS!! And you have as much power as them. Our higher powers don’t pick and choose who has more power, everyone has the same amount and that amount is INFINITE. It does not run out, it does not go away, it does not leave you – it is with you always. Be kind to your immensely, infinitely powerful self.
2. We Rise Together
Jonah says that we have to want what we want for ourselves, for others. If we want success for ourselves, we have to also want it for others! That’s pretty much a no brainer, right?! Jonah has always had a great support system around him, even if it was just his sister and brother. Through his brother, he met a lot of mentors who gave him advice on how to navigate Los Angeles and the entertainment world. They were always there for him, rooting him on, giving him the information he needed to succeed, and never held back their support. They would never give advice and also expect something in return from Jonah. That is what support looks like and knowing that just because one person has success, doesn’t mean you can’t have it as well. I could tell in our previous conversations, his social medias, and our podcast, Jonah is all about supporting others. He also mentioned that when he stepped into the acting space in LA as an Asian actor, the mindset was “Well if this one Asian gets a role, that means there aren’t other roles out there for another Asian,” and Jonah said that was just not true! As an Asian actor, he believes that he and others are helping set the landscape for the future and opportunities for more diverse roles are coming because of the work of diverse actors now. Again, if someone lands “your” role, it wasn’t YOUR role. Yours is coming. There is more than enough to go around.
We live in a land of abundance. You could spend your entire life traveling the world and still not see all of it. There are parts of the sea that have not been TOUCHED by any human being. There is no tree out there that’s talking with another tree “Hey! You took my spot! I was supposed to grow there!” No way! When one tree flourishes, another tree flourishes as well. They work together. We are a part of nature. I don’t want any of this to sound hokey pokey, but it is all true! We have to see beyond our separation and realize that we flourish when we succeed together, not when we are pitted against each other fighting for space. There is space to go around. If you believe that there is not enough, you are in a scarcity mindset and I encourage you to find books, podcasts, and people who can help you get out of scarcity and into abundance. Let’s win and rise together!
3. Seek Silence
Jonah knows the importance of silence and connecting with yourself. One beautiful thing he realizes is that he can take his phone and put it in another room, and continue to do his art. He doesn’t need anyone or anything around to act. He can grab a pen and paper and write down his thoughts, his lines, a script, ideas, etc. and he does not need any technology to intervene or assist. He says, especially now, so much information can be put in front of your face and you can get overloaded with all of it. It can lead you into different emotions – anger, sadness, loneliness – and those emotions just take you further and further away from yourself, your inner being. In order for you to receive answers or impulses that pull you in the direction of your desires and what you truly way, you have to get quiet. While Jonah doesn’t necessarily meditate in the sense of sitting in silence for 10 minutes, he likes to go out on his porch and drink a cup of coffee to connect. Turn down the noise of the artificial world and tap into the natural and real world in which you belong.
If you have read some of my blogs or followed me for a while, you know I always preach meditation! I feel half the people in my life are on a meditation practice and half of them are not and I can really see the difference. And I say practice which sounds like you should do it every day at the same time and the same thing, but what I really mean is just having the understanding of silence, what that means to you, and when you should tap into it. If you feel you’ve been going through some turmoil lately, life is uncertain, you are seeking answers, then it’s probably time to seek silence. Before trying to take action and “fix” your life, get quiet and if you are open to receiving answers or an impulse, the Universe will bring them to you. But please, try this if it is new to you and you’ve been resistant to it. Ask and listen.
Hope y’all liked the three lessons I pulled from Jonah’s episode on Level Up! With Shay!
LISTEN to the episode HERE!
WATCH to the episode HERE!
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