The Seymour “Do Something” Principle

“I came to NY because I write broadway plays,” the Taxi driver told me. “I wrote a play about kids in the ghetto, trying to survive.”

We were going just a few blocks. I was lazy and didn’t feel like walking. Which isn't like me but it was super hot and clammy. I responded with enthusiasm "what broadway plays have you written?" He said with a smile that was bigger then Donald Trumps ego "I have 10 on my shelf that some day they are going to be on broadway." I thought this was pretty cool because I was in NY in hopes of getting Acting representation. I said to the driver

"I have a meeting at Innovative, do you know who they are?” he looked in the mirror at me. And said "Yes! Yes I do. Could you get me a meeting?" I laughed and felt like a mini super star even though I knew I was no where near a big shot. I said "I’ll tell you what. You keep writing and even when writing isn't paying the bills. You keep on writing. Even when you're happy, sad, broke, and you have no income coming in from writing. Please promise me you'll keep on writing." 

I don't know what came out of me but when I was saying those words I felt like the stars aligned and I was giving that man some value. 

GIVE VALUE AND DON’T LOOK BACK

He looked at me and said "I love writing and I hate writing. But it's like my wife. I'm married to it. It will take a lot of energy and too much time spending with lawyers to break us up." This made me laugh pretty hard. I asked him one thing while I was getting out "what's one message you want your plays to say? He said "Just do something.”

It doesn't matter if it makes you mad at times. Everything makes you mad at times. All that matter is you do something that you believe in." I found this to be a very sound answer. 

It's been five years and I have always looked for "Seymour Greys" plays. I haven't seen them but I have a hunch that he's still writing. 

I've spent a lot of time alone and therefore I've been working with self growth advice for a large percentage of my life. I’ve rummaged through a lot of concepts and ideas as well as invented quite a few of my own. But the following is one of the most important ideas I’ve stumbled across in my life. With the help of Seymour Grey. 

"Action isn’t just the effect of motivation, but also the cause of it."- some super smart man with curly white hair said that. 

Crowds of people will only pursue an action if they feel a certain level of motivation. And they only feel motivation when they feel an emotional inspiration.

What sparks emotional inspiration???

Well, I’m glad you asked. I’d say that people feel motivated to study for the exam only when they’re afraid of the consequences. Or people only pick up a language when they feel inspired by a potential traveling opportunity.

And we’ve all been there. 

Unmotivated. slacked off for better or worse. For lack of motivation. Especially in times where we shouldn’t. We feel tired and overwhelmed towards a certain goal that we’ve set for ourselves because we lack the inspiration and the motivation because we don’t feel any overarching emotional desire to accomplish something. 

See there's a problem with operating under this system: often the changes and actions we most need in our lives are inspired by negative emotions (fear, pain, anger) which ironically enough hinder us from taking action. 

Let’s say someone wants to fix their relationship with their sister (for example: me), the emotions of the situation (hurt, resentment, avoidance) completely go against the necessary action to fix it (confrontation, honesty, communication). Let's say- someone wants to lose weight (yeah.... we all want too), so we experience huge amounts of shame about our body, than the act of going to the gym unmotivated because we see people that are already in shape. We think to ourselves "well, I'm just gonna go home now because I feel even bigger." (Comparison trap)

Negative expectations, and feelings of guilt, shame, past traumas and fear often motivate us away from the actions necessary to overcome those very traumas, negative expectations, and negative emotions.

What do we do?

Watch a bunch of Motivational Joe Rogan videos. 

Not so much....

Raw truth on how motivation operates.

To get motivated to start doing something, from my own experience, this doesn’t mean I’m right. But the trick for me is to just do it (sounds crazy, but it works). And now I know you are probably not amazed at all. But it’s true. As soon as you think something needs to be done, jump into it, doing it immediately (of course, provided the conditions are practical. I love you all so don’t go skydiving without a parachute). You must not think about anything else, set a five minute timer on a task you want to try and make it stupid easy. Yes, it sounds weird, but it does work! Otherwise, you will debate whether you should do it now or there were too many issues with doing it, or there are other more pleasurable and exciting things to do over this boring task.

Your actions create further emotional reactions and inspirations and move on to motivate your future actions.

What it comes down to is that if you lack the motivation to make an important change in your life, then do something, anything really, like I said. Make it stupid simple.

Like Seymour said “Do Something". And I stumbled upon it on accident. 

I put the idea to the test when I signed up for Northern Illinois Acting program. I was on the fence about going because I honestly was not entirely sure if I was "meant" to be an actor. But I learned a hell a lot about myself. For one- actions are the little tasks to "how" we get what we want. If you don't take action and just "do something." As humans we always WANT something. You're reading this because you WANT to fill some void in your life that you believe you have. As well as an actor playing a character we want love, value, money and for that character to get after that shizznit he/ she has to take action. 

Alright, you're overwhelmed, feeling unmotivated. Maybe you've heard it all before. Let's do this! Except for this part...

HOW TO GET MOTIVATED FOR JUST ABOUT ANYTHING

Sometimes weeks will go by without accomplishing much for no other reason than I get anxiety and stressed about what I have to do, and it's easy to put it off. I quickly learned that forcing myself to do something, even the smallest of tasks, quickly made the larger tasks seem much easier. If I had to edit 15 blogs (which I have to do) or re-design an entire website, then I’d force myself to just try it for five minutes and say, “OK, I’ll just design the header right now.” But after the header was done, I’d find myself moving on to other parts of it. And before I knew it, I’d be energized and engaged in the project. 

So Master you're momentum mojo 

I also use this on the reg in my own life. If I’m about to tackle a large project that I’m anxious about, or if I’m in a new country and I need to give myself a little push to get out and meet people, I apply the Do Something Principle. I just decide, “OK, I’ll start on the outline,” or “OK, I’ll just go out and talk to "one stranger" and see what’s going on.” The mere action of doing this almost always surprises me.

Inevitably, the appropriate action occurs at some point or another. Even if I do it wrong at first. Happiness works this way too. If you do know what makes you happy. Invest your focus on anything. The motivation is natural. The inspiration is genuine. It’s overall far more pleasant way of accomplishing goals and becoming happier then before. It simply beats feeling like you're a nobody and you're lazy. At least you're trying. 

I think Acting is a great way to study yourself and how you actually get things. My Aunt told me "If you don’t know how to do a problem, start writing something down, your brain will begin to figure it out as you go.” And sure enough, to this day, this seems to be true. The mere action itself inspires new thoughts and ideas which lead us to solving the problems in our lives. But that new insight never comes if we simply sit around contemplating it. My Aunt knows a ton. 

The more time goes on, the more I realize that success in anything is less about knowledge or talent, and tied more to action supplemented by knowledge and talent. You can become successful at something without knowing what you’re doing. You can become successful at something without having much particular talent at it. But you can never become successful at anything without taking action. Ever. If you think about doing something all day.

“Do something." You're always more ready then you think.