Y’all know I work with some of the most spectacular masterminders out there, right?

Welp, one of these lovely people was recently struggling with the term “woo-woo.”

(Insert whatever label you want, here, y’all. I mean it. It WORKS. Whatever word or phrase you hear about yourself or anything or anyone else — should it *ping* you in the negative somehow — just try out my tactic for reframing language you’re not crazy about. I did this when an agent called me “the C word” when his client left the agency after learning he’d never been told about an audition on one of the films I was casting. Yup. Big bad POWERFUL agent yelling things meant to hurt me and I shrugged and thought, “Wow. He’s got a lot of emotion tied up in this issue. I sure don’t!” NBD.)

With all labels, we decide how much power they have. Just like there are vastly different opinions about whether “bitch” is always an insult or about the use of “the N word” in rap songs, you’ve got people who use “woo-woo” as an insult and others (like me) who just know it’s shorthand for understanding what *I* mean for a particular niche of mindset work.

If you decide a word is derogatory, that’s your choice and that means when you hear it, it’ll make you cringe. This is true for any word you’ve given power to. Sure, you can say it has traditionally been used in a negative way or it was at one time meant to cause pain in its hurling at you or about you — absolutely — but lessening the cut it’s capable of making is totally within your control! Your investment in its power is entirely up to you. And this Fired UP Friday, I want you to give less of your power away.

Back to those who “poo poo the woo-woo,” having grown up in a New Age household and having endured taunting of classmates calling my mother a witch because of her career (she was a world-renowned astrologer), I have a pretty good buffer against any of that language affecting me at all, really.

I think “woo-woo” is a pretty convenient catch-all as it covers everything from light spiritualism and yoga-level mindfulness all the way to (let’s admit it) WAY out there stuff that is on the fringe of reality for probably 95% of the population. Think about it like this: It’s like when you meet a whackadoodle actor and roll your eyes, knowing THIS is the kind of person a lot of people think about when they say “actor” with some tone of judgment in their voice.

They don’t have to mean “actor” with that subtext of “whacktor” in their voice ABOUT YOU unless you decide that’s how to take it.

I use woo-woo as a label in our new flagship course Get in Gear for the Next Tier and it’s had zero pushback.

See the image of where it fits in the curriculum here, if you’d like: https://cricketfeet.com/temp/GIGFTNTleapaction.jpg

I figure everyone who’s into all things SMFA knows that — in this context — I’m using “woo-woo” as a catch-all for the non-nuts-and-bolts part of Self-Management for Actors work, which has always been woven into my work. You can go back and read my very first articles for Backstage from the ’90s and see the spirituality. I’ve hid medicine in the ice cream forEVER and as I find less and less resistance to it, I bring more of it into the forefront of my teachings. And it is not only welcomed but treasured! But note well: I never led off with it because people can be scared of things they have never experienced or have been taught to doubt and easing them INTO change is easier than coming AT THEM with something they’re closed off to (or very opinionated about).

Think about that as it relates to your work as an actor — especially if you find yourself somewhat off-center from whatever TYPE is super popular these days (or if you in any way see yourself as on the fringe of what’s massively hot at any point in life). Your work becomes a bit about easing buyers into understanding why your little twinge of “different” is incredibly castable! Easing ’em into it… not ramming it down anyone’s throats behaving as if they just HAVE TO listen to you about how dang passionate you are about it all!

Medicine in the ice cream, m’dears.

So, back to my convo with the beloved masterminder who was snagged on “woo-woo” as a derogatory term. (And actually, I think it was someone in her life who was poo pooing the woo-woo.) I advised that she use the term woo-woo if it doesn’t bother her! I said, “If it bothers you (or them), find another label and start using it. But know you’ll keep hearing others use it and decide how much you’re going to walk around in life letting it bother you that the label is out there.”

I have zero issue with it because, as with all words, I believe they only have the power we give them. I choose not to give so much of my power away. I have too much important stuff to do with my power to let it seep off due to my attachment to someone else’s word choice!

Where might you be having a little power leakage due to how you let yourself get triggered when you hear certain words?

Can you lean into taking some of that power back today?

Let’s jam about this over in the Self-Management for Actors Facebook group! I can’t wait to get your POV on this!

Oh, man, I had such a big to-do list on Thursday and I didn’t get to one of the things I was supposed to do: Take the SMFA Retreat out of early bird pricing. So, my overflowing bunch o’ tasks (and an inbox I seriously cannot seem to tame — thank you for your patience if you’re waiting to hear back from me) is your good news. Hit this TODAY to get in on the time of your life with us at our best price! 🙂

Gotta sign off with two big thank yous!

1. OMG, did y’all love my broadcast on “How to Get an Agent” Tuesday! You can catch the replay at the YouTubes or at the Facebook (where comments remain open for your questions). Thank you so much for your passion about getting not just any-ol’-ho-hum agent but putting in the time to identify and align with the agent who springs out of bed THRILLED to get to pitch you! (Make sure to watch for why an agent you can buy access to during the busiest time of year is not your best bet for a lucrative future as a booker.)

2. I don’t know what it is about March 2017, but Self-Management for Actors cannot stop, won’t stop, OMG go-baby-go in the sales department over at Amazon! Holy cats! Thank you so much for recommending my baby book to your friends! Thank you for downloading the SMFA Hot Sheets to enhance your read. Thank you for downloading the audiobook version so I can give you your very own peptalk for 17+ hours straight! 😉

Okay… back at it. Get in Gear for the Next Tier is going strong, the alumni-only SMFA Escape in Desert Hot Springs is just days away (*****squeeeeeeee*****), and — um — have you seen my new ‘do to celebrate my new bod? (Down 45+ pounds since October… thanks, Whole30!)

Life? She is gooooooood.

Whatchoo celebrating as we go into this weekend?

Holla atchyergirl,

Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!