the notion that we are not enough is a
lie
it’s important for us to remember the
joy in what we do I was terrified to
pursue acting as a career I I really
didn’t think that this was kind of an
industry that I had what it takes to
compete in she’s an American actress who
rose to prominence for starring in ABC’s
drama scandal for her work in scandal
she was nominated for an Emmy Award at
the 65th and 66th Primetime Emmy Awards
in 2014
Time magazine included her in their time
100 list
she’s Kerry Washington and here is my
take on her top ten rules for success
rule number one is on personal favorite
and make sure to stick around all
through to the end for some special
bonus clips also as Kerry is talking if
you says something that really resonates
with you please leave it in the comments
below and put quotes around it so other
people can be inspired as well enjoy
[Music]
the notion that we are not enough is a
lie and I think more young people need
to know that that like when you have
that thought that you’re not enough that
that’s based on a lie that somebody said
to you or so or a lie that somebody did
to you like somebody said or did
something to you to make you feel like
you’re not enough and that’s not true
that you are everything that you need to
be that you have everything that you
need to have to be the person that
you’re meant to be and to be the best
version of who you’re meant to be it may
mean that you have to work really hard
and it may mean that you have to ask for
help but you are perfectly blessed you
know you are exactly who you’re supposed
to be to be joyful in this life so don’t
be afraid to work hard and don’t be
afraid to ask for help so you can get
there because that’s your truth I had a
yoga teacher who said to me always stay
on your own yoga mat because sometimes
if you’re in headstand and you’re too
busy looking at the person on the other
mat you could literally break your neck
I feel like that’s a really good
metaphor for life to stay on your own
path do what’s right for you you can’t
compare your insides with somebody
else’s outsides because you never know
what’s going on for somebody else really
you don’t have a lot of free time to do
other stuff do you no I don’t have there
been situations where there was
something that you really wanted to do
movie wise or any other any other part
that you just weren’t able to do because
of your schedule yeah it’s come up a
couple times but that’s the commitment
you make particularly when you’re doing
a Network show is you you kind of have
to be willing to let some other stuff go
and it’s helped me to really focus so
that the projects that I do during
hiatus like the movie I’m going to do
this season is something I’m really
really passionate about because I only
have one window to do something else so
it has to be something that really means
a lot to me I got great advice from you
know one of the people that totally
fascinates me as Bob Iger he’s the CEO
of the Walt Disney ABC world and he so
his job is so weird to me because he is
in charge of everything from like a
Disney cruise to George Stephanopoulos
ABC News like he thought he had to like
a theme park to scandal like every all
of that falls into the ABC Disney family
and I asked him and it was very helpful
to me I asked him a few months ago like
how do you decide what you’re going to
work on in a day and they said something
so valuable to me so I want to share
with you guys he said 80% of his time he
tries to think about where can I have
impact where am I going to make a
difference in the day today so it may
not usually be Disney cruises but
sometimes it needs to be because the
cruise business has been doing what the
cruise business is doing or that’s not
quoting him by the way but there you
know it may sometimes it’s a Broadway
show that’s about to open sometimes it’s
they eat the ESPYs because ESPN that’s
where his focus needs to be so it’s
really about like where can I have
impact today and the other where am I
needed the other 20% is what brings me
joy you know so there are certain movie
projects that fall under the ABC Disney
World that bring him joy or certain
shows are certain you know an opening of
a park or there are certain things that
bring him that just fill him up that
fall in his work responsibilities and I
just really try I’ve tried to bring that
with me because you know it’s important
for us to remember the joy in what we do
it’s important to be effective in our
workplace but it’s important to
cultivate the moments that just bring us
joy because that’s how we’ll shine in
our in our lives as professionals I joke
around that I think about quitting the
business at least once a year Wow
because it’s tough you know and I know
there’s been a lot of talk about your
misery
being your message and for me that has
it has really been that I have to be
willing to go into the places that scare
me in order for God to be able to use me
that’s often what my job asks of me and
sometimes I get tired and talk about
quitting but then God puts another
wonderful project in front of me and I
think all right I guess I’m back at it
yeah yeah there was a period before
scandal when I went into the wilderness
and for me what that meant was there was
a lot of toxicity in my life people that
I needed to let go of in a personal way
in a business way and also I felt like I
had been living my career kind of on
autopilot and I took a break and did a
Broadway play and I went back to my
roots as an artist and doing Broadway is
not gonna make you rich I think it costs
me money to delay on Broadway but it was
my return to my my artistic essence kind
of the conversation between audience and
artists and and I worked with a director
who who really challenged me and so
going into the wilderness really meant
stripping myself of a lot of unnecessary
weight in my life and and the the ritual
of doing theatre is I thought of it as
going into a monastery because you do
the same thing eight times a week in the
same place you say the same words with
the same props and so it is a ritual
that you commit to and I just wanted to
in a monk-like way commit to that ritual
and let it let it teach me about myself
and let myself unfold and in that period
I let go of a lot of people and a lot of
things I experienced a lot of loss
professionally I had for example
companies that I was working with on an
endorsement level that walked away from
me because then everybody loves not
everybody thinks Broadway’s sexy and my
personal life changed a great deal I
love myself to be open to change in my
personal life I don’t talk about my
personal life very often but that’s true
so I think going into the wilderness
made me ready as an artist as a person
as a business woman to receive scandal
all your mentors in this business and I
mean Shonda obviously yeah you guys have
worked together but backstage we were
talking about you might with Cicely
Tyson yeah you were just like oh my gosh
yeah I mean I have heroes heroes of mine
are you know Cicely Tyson and Diane
Carol Rita Moreno Barbara Streisand
I mean women who have just kind of said
you know oh I don’t fit your
conventional idea of what a superstar
looks like too bad you know and anyway
yeah exactly I’m going to do me and and
those women have been real heroes of
mine mentors Shonda is a big one Jane
Fonda is it is a big mentor of mine and
she’s somebody who really beautifully
combines her politics and activism with
her work I mean I don’t know how many
people know this but the movie 9:00 to
5:00 resulted in the Union for
secretaries there had been no secretary
there had been no Union for
administrative assistants and that movie
sort of brought to light the need
because of abuse and the workplace of
women and that to me is always a shining
example of using art and really great
fun art to better the world so she’s a
real mentor of mine Eve Ensler also
who’s the writer of The Vagina
Monologues yeah yeah if I can really
show up for life with my imperfections
we give each other permission to be
human when we show up when we hide under
the covers and feel like I have to be
perfect I have to look perfect I have to
do perfect then we rob each other of
community it’s in our truth and our
imperfections in our beauties in our
flaws in our strengths that’s where we
find strength together that’s when we’re
honest yes so it listen I’m I mean even
I know when you look at Olivia Pope you
are seeing a team at work i sat in a
hair and makeup chair for hours you know
I didn’t roll
the bed to be Olivia Pope there’s
somebody who gets paid all day to brush
my hair so you know people and I think
it’s important for me to say that
because it’s a disservice for you to
feel like you have to look like your
hair is laid all day long like literally
somebody is in a hair Union following me
around with a brush and some hairspray
all day so that Olivia Pope’s hair is
laid and it is well yeah I mean she’s
good good good so that’s you know it’s
important for us to talk about that
because I don’t look like that when I go
to Whole Foods you know what I mean I
don’t I don’t bring Lynda with me to
Whole Foods I go to lose my little
hairband and it’s up in a bun and let’s
gonna get some apples so you know I
think it’s important that we sort of
frame our expectations and know that I
know for me to show up as the character
I want to have all those pieces in place
to inspire and to have a creative moment
but I am NOT Olivia Pope you know and
I’m just Carrie I was terrified to
pursue acting as a career I I really
didn’t think that this was kind of an
industry that I had what it takes to
compete in because I didn’t and I don’t
necessarily have a drive toward fame
it’s not something that really calls to
me
and so I just thought well I’ll never
make it because I’m not one of those
girls that wants to be on the cover of
every magazine like I just really love
to act and it wasn’t until I found out
about the existence of actors unions and
knowing what unions mean in our country
and in our history I just thought oh
well if there are unions for actors then
that must mean there are thousands of
people who are making a living doing
what they love to do even if they’re
never famous so maybe I’ll give it a try
we’re gonna play dance charades and I’m
gonna give you 45 seconds to show me how
because I think you’ll be a very good
dancer and I like to tie a game so we’ll
all be here and let’s see what we have
going over here okay
[Applause]
when you said dance for you I wasn’t
sure what you’re ready yeah no no I
don’t have any dollar bills in my pen
tie around she was gonna make it rain no
no okay somebody give me some dollar
bills all right so so you have 45
seconds on the clock okay I hold up the
card I’m gonna have to guess what you’re
uh I’m glad you’re gonna write yeah 45
seconds on the clock go oh okay
ready gang um oh yeah knob uh wall ting
a plumbing go dancing uh uh that is a
kind of dance yeah yeah it’s a ballroom
dancing yes and I pass and it rained oh
I’m sorry
okay uh I should know the name of that
running man haha
um uh tap it’s like hugging your scars
in your mouth
uh yeah something like that yeah what’s
it okay okay
single lady
[Applause]
here with the one and only Kerry
Washington right now we are
a box of lies here’s how it works
upstage are a bunch of boxes containing
objects neither of us have seen before
taking turns Kari and I are going to
select the box and open it on our side
of the table out of the view of the
other person once the object is out of
the box you look at your opponent and
tell them what’s in the box you might be
lying you might be telling the truth
your opponent has to guess which one and
say either lie or truth you guess
correctly you get a point you gets wrong
the other person gets a point
first two points wins Kari you’re our
guest once you pick your first box
thanks Jim you’re welcome
[Applause]
oh girl Hef – it hit number one
[Music]
in my box is a pumpkin with spaghetti in
it what why are you laughing
pumpkin with pisghetti spaghetti yeah I
want to see if you were acting
[Music]
you’re good you’re good here let me pick
one one method
hmm good what’s in the box check your
box Jimmy oh well well well
in my box is an iPhone six-plus or
regular plus the figurine getting a
tattoo from another figurine that I
believed to be justin bieber’s that is
what is in my box that’s a lie you got
[Applause]
washes in the chair
thank you guys so much for watching I
made this video because Delta horse
races asked me to so if there’s a famous
entrepreneur that you want me to profile
next leave it down the comments below
and I’ll see what I can do I’d also love
to know what did she say that had the
biggest impact on you what lesson was
most important to you and why please
leave in the comments and I’m gonna join
in the discussion I also want to give a
quick shout out to Jason Fonseca and
Yuki thank you guys so much for going to
the bookstore and picking up a copy of
my book your one word it really really
really means a lot to me so thank you
guys again for watching I believe in you
I hope we continue to believe in
yourself
and whatever your one word is much love
I’ll see you soon
your life is your story and the
adventure ahead of you is the journey to
fulfill your own purpose and potential
so I want to share a little something
with you about stories and about heroes
and about how this all works it was here
at GW that I first read the work of
Joseph Campbell and what attracted me to
his writing was the concept of the
hero’s journey he wrote the hero’s
journey always begins with the call one
way or another a guide must come and say
look you’re in Sleepy land awake come on
a trip there is an aspect of your
consciousness your being that’s not
being touched and so it starts this call
to adventure is what we call in film the
inciting incident it’s an invitation out
of your comfort zone and into your
strength because by definition being a
hero requires pushing beyond the bounds
of what’s comfortable in 1996 in my
junior year here I had to push beyond
the bounds of my comfort zone the
musical that year which as you know I
was required to audition for was
entitled croak the last frog it was a
beautiful musical about frogs by GW zone
professor Leslie Jacobson now I have to
be honest with you it was not my
lifetime dream role to play a frog in
fact the thought of it terrified me
scared that the role would be too
difficult and afraid of the
embarrassment that would result from my
failed attempts I wondered if there was
some way that I could get out of this
audition this is what Campbell describes
as phase 2 of the hero’s journey the
refusal of the call you’ve experienced
it an exciting opportunity presents
itself but our fear makes us believe
that we’re not capable of meeting the
challenge there are 17 stages of the
hero’s journey as Campbell describes it
but don’t worry
I’m not going to go through all of them
what I will tell you is that I crossed
the threshold into unknown territory
meaning I showed up for my audition
because I believed in the message of the
production a message of love and family
and Environmental Conservation I wanted
to support Leslie Jacobson my brilliant
professor and my mentor and I had to
fulfill my scholarship requirements
because as many of you probably relate
to I wanted to complete my degree and
graduate so I answered the call I pushed
past my comfort zone and when I did I
won the role so now I was in the belly
of the whale
now I had to be willing to be the lead
frog again I was terrified this was a
serious musical with important dramatic
themes how could I commit to the role
and bring life to the character in a way
that made people think and feel rather
than giggle and mock us so I approached
the role as a social scientist the way
GW taught me to I thought I’m going to
study frogs I went to the zoo up in
Woodley Park and I spent hours watching
frogs I read about frogs
I held frogs I watched frog
documentaries I figured out ways to face
physical eyes my performance as a frog
without seeming to be a cartoon I faced
my fears and I stepped out onto that
Marvin Center stage and it became a role
that transformed my thinking about how I
use my body to do what I do every single
day and more importantly to this day it
is my father’s most favorite thing I’ve
ever done
I’m serious you can ask him but the
lesson here isn’t how you too can be a
frog the lesson is that you are sitting
here today because you too learned how
to answer the call your degree is proof
that you have what it takes to take take
the leap into the adventure of your
unique experience you don’t earn a
degree by doing and being and existing
in the comfort zone of what you already
know so whether it’s taken two years or
seven to get today’s degree I want you
to look back on the journey that brought
you here
what moments challenged you most when
were you asked to step outside of your
familiar territory in order to rise to
the occasion of your potential how have
you pushed past your fear I want you to
remember those moments because they will
embolden you and affirm you and remind
you that you did this you completed this
journey you answered the call and now
you can continue to do so but the choice
is yours
when you leave here today and commence
the next stage of your life you can
follow someone else’s script try to make
choices that will make other people
happy avoid a discomfort do what is
expected and copy the status quo or you
can look at all that you have
accomplished today and use it as fuel to
venture forth and write your own story
if you do amazing things will take shape
lie
it’s important for us to remember the
joy in what we do I was terrified to
pursue acting as a career I I really
didn’t think that this was kind of an
industry that I had what it takes to
compete in she’s an American actress who
rose to prominence for starring in ABC’s
drama scandal for her work in scandal
she was nominated for an Emmy Award at
the 65th and 66th Primetime Emmy Awards
in 2014
Time magazine included her in their time
100 list
she’s Kerry Washington and here is my
take on her top ten rules for success
rule number one is on personal favorite
and make sure to stick around all
through to the end for some special
bonus clips also as Kerry is talking if
you says something that really resonates
with you please leave it in the comments
below and put quotes around it so other
people can be inspired as well enjoy
[Music]
the notion that we are not enough is a
lie and I think more young people need
to know that that like when you have
that thought that you’re not enough that
that’s based on a lie that somebody said
to you or so or a lie that somebody did
to you like somebody said or did
something to you to make you feel like
you’re not enough and that’s not true
that you are everything that you need to
be that you have everything that you
need to have to be the person that
you’re meant to be and to be the best
version of who you’re meant to be it may
mean that you have to work really hard
and it may mean that you have to ask for
help but you are perfectly blessed you
know you are exactly who you’re supposed
to be to be joyful in this life so don’t
be afraid to work hard and don’t be
afraid to ask for help so you can get
there because that’s your truth I had a
yoga teacher who said to me always stay
on your own yoga mat because sometimes
if you’re in headstand and you’re too
busy looking at the person on the other
mat you could literally break your neck
I feel like that’s a really good
metaphor for life to stay on your own
path do what’s right for you you can’t
compare your insides with somebody
else’s outsides because you never know
what’s going on for somebody else really
you don’t have a lot of free time to do
other stuff do you no I don’t have there
been situations where there was
something that you really wanted to do
movie wise or any other any other part
that you just weren’t able to do because
of your schedule yeah it’s come up a
couple times but that’s the commitment
you make particularly when you’re doing
a Network show is you you kind of have
to be willing to let some other stuff go
and it’s helped me to really focus so
that the projects that I do during
hiatus like the movie I’m going to do
this season is something I’m really
really passionate about because I only
have one window to do something else so
it has to be something that really means
a lot to me I got great advice from you
know one of the people that totally
fascinates me as Bob Iger he’s the CEO
of the Walt Disney ABC world and he so
his job is so weird to me because he is
in charge of everything from like a
Disney cruise to George Stephanopoulos
ABC News like he thought he had to like
a theme park to scandal like every all
of that falls into the ABC Disney family
and I asked him and it was very helpful
to me I asked him a few months ago like
how do you decide what you’re going to
work on in a day and they said something
so valuable to me so I want to share
with you guys he said 80% of his time he
tries to think about where can I have
impact where am I going to make a
difference in the day today so it may
not usually be Disney cruises but
sometimes it needs to be because the
cruise business has been doing what the
cruise business is doing or that’s not
quoting him by the way but there you
know it may sometimes it’s a Broadway
show that’s about to open sometimes it’s
they eat the ESPYs because ESPN that’s
where his focus needs to be so it’s
really about like where can I have
impact today and the other where am I
needed the other 20% is what brings me
joy you know so there are certain movie
projects that fall under the ABC Disney
World that bring him joy or certain
shows are certain you know an opening of
a park or there are certain things that
bring him that just fill him up that
fall in his work responsibilities and I
just really try I’ve tried to bring that
with me because you know it’s important
for us to remember the joy in what we do
it’s important to be effective in our
workplace but it’s important to
cultivate the moments that just bring us
joy because that’s how we’ll shine in
our in our lives as professionals I joke
around that I think about quitting the
business at least once a year Wow
because it’s tough you know and I know
there’s been a lot of talk about your
misery
being your message and for me that has
it has really been that I have to be
willing to go into the places that scare
me in order for God to be able to use me
that’s often what my job asks of me and
sometimes I get tired and talk about
quitting but then God puts another
wonderful project in front of me and I
think all right I guess I’m back at it
yeah yeah there was a period before
scandal when I went into the wilderness
and for me what that meant was there was
a lot of toxicity in my life people that
I needed to let go of in a personal way
in a business way and also I felt like I
had been living my career kind of on
autopilot and I took a break and did a
Broadway play and I went back to my
roots as an artist and doing Broadway is
not gonna make you rich I think it costs
me money to delay on Broadway but it was
my return to my my artistic essence kind
of the conversation between audience and
artists and and I worked with a director
who who really challenged me and so
going into the wilderness really meant
stripping myself of a lot of unnecessary
weight in my life and and the the ritual
of doing theatre is I thought of it as
going into a monastery because you do
the same thing eight times a week in the
same place you say the same words with
the same props and so it is a ritual
that you commit to and I just wanted to
in a monk-like way commit to that ritual
and let it let it teach me about myself
and let myself unfold and in that period
I let go of a lot of people and a lot of
things I experienced a lot of loss
professionally I had for example
companies that I was working with on an
endorsement level that walked away from
me because then everybody loves not
everybody thinks Broadway’s sexy and my
personal life changed a great deal I
love myself to be open to change in my
personal life I don’t talk about my
personal life very often but that’s true
so I think going into the wilderness
made me ready as an artist as a person
as a business woman to receive scandal
all your mentors in this business and I
mean Shonda obviously yeah you guys have
worked together but backstage we were
talking about you might with Cicely
Tyson yeah you were just like oh my gosh
yeah I mean I have heroes heroes of mine
are you know Cicely Tyson and Diane
Carol Rita Moreno Barbara Streisand
I mean women who have just kind of said
you know oh I don’t fit your
conventional idea of what a superstar
looks like too bad you know and anyway
yeah exactly I’m going to do me and and
those women have been real heroes of
mine mentors Shonda is a big one Jane
Fonda is it is a big mentor of mine and
she’s somebody who really beautifully
combines her politics and activism with
her work I mean I don’t know how many
people know this but the movie 9:00 to
5:00 resulted in the Union for
secretaries there had been no secretary
there had been no Union for
administrative assistants and that movie
sort of brought to light the need
because of abuse and the workplace of
women and that to me is always a shining
example of using art and really great
fun art to better the world so she’s a
real mentor of mine Eve Ensler also
who’s the writer of The Vagina
Monologues yeah yeah if I can really
show up for life with my imperfections
we give each other permission to be
human when we show up when we hide under
the covers and feel like I have to be
perfect I have to look perfect I have to
do perfect then we rob each other of
community it’s in our truth and our
imperfections in our beauties in our
flaws in our strengths that’s where we
find strength together that’s when we’re
honest yes so it listen I’m I mean even
I know when you look at Olivia Pope you
are seeing a team at work i sat in a
hair and makeup chair for hours you know
I didn’t roll
the bed to be Olivia Pope there’s
somebody who gets paid all day to brush
my hair so you know people and I think
it’s important for me to say that
because it’s a disservice for you to
feel like you have to look like your
hair is laid all day long like literally
somebody is in a hair Union following me
around with a brush and some hairspray
all day so that Olivia Pope’s hair is
laid and it is well yeah I mean she’s
good good good so that’s you know it’s
important for us to talk about that
because I don’t look like that when I go
to Whole Foods you know what I mean I
don’t I don’t bring Lynda with me to
Whole Foods I go to lose my little
hairband and it’s up in a bun and let’s
gonna get some apples so you know I
think it’s important that we sort of
frame our expectations and know that I
know for me to show up as the character
I want to have all those pieces in place
to inspire and to have a creative moment
but I am NOT Olivia Pope you know and
I’m just Carrie I was terrified to
pursue acting as a career I I really
didn’t think that this was kind of an
industry that I had what it takes to
compete in because I didn’t and I don’t
necessarily have a drive toward fame
it’s not something that really calls to
me
and so I just thought well I’ll never
make it because I’m not one of those
girls that wants to be on the cover of
every magazine like I just really love
to act and it wasn’t until I found out
about the existence of actors unions and
knowing what unions mean in our country
and in our history I just thought oh
well if there are unions for actors then
that must mean there are thousands of
people who are making a living doing
what they love to do even if they’re
never famous so maybe I’ll give it a try
we’re gonna play dance charades and I’m
gonna give you 45 seconds to show me how
because I think you’ll be a very good
dancer and I like to tie a game so we’ll
all be here and let’s see what we have
going over here okay
[Applause]
when you said dance for you I wasn’t
sure what you’re ready yeah no no I
don’t have any dollar bills in my pen
tie around she was gonna make it rain no
no okay somebody give me some dollar
bills all right so so you have 45
seconds on the clock okay I hold up the
card I’m gonna have to guess what you’re
uh I’m glad you’re gonna write yeah 45
seconds on the clock go oh okay
ready gang um oh yeah knob uh wall ting
a plumbing go dancing uh uh that is a
kind of dance yeah yeah it’s a ballroom
dancing yes and I pass and it rained oh
I’m sorry
okay uh I should know the name of that
running man haha
um uh tap it’s like hugging your scars
in your mouth
uh yeah something like that yeah what’s
it okay okay
single lady
[Applause]
here with the one and only Kerry
Washington right now we are
a box of lies here’s how it works
upstage are a bunch of boxes containing
objects neither of us have seen before
taking turns Kari and I are going to
select the box and open it on our side
of the table out of the view of the
other person once the object is out of
the box you look at your opponent and
tell them what’s in the box you might be
lying you might be telling the truth
your opponent has to guess which one and
say either lie or truth you guess
correctly you get a point you gets wrong
the other person gets a point
first two points wins Kari you’re our
guest once you pick your first box
thanks Jim you’re welcome
[Applause]
oh girl Hef – it hit number one
[Music]
in my box is a pumpkin with spaghetti in
it what why are you laughing
pumpkin with pisghetti spaghetti yeah I
want to see if you were acting
[Music]
you’re good you’re good here let me pick
one one method
hmm good what’s in the box check your
box Jimmy oh well well well
in my box is an iPhone six-plus or
regular plus the figurine getting a
tattoo from another figurine that I
believed to be justin bieber’s that is
what is in my box that’s a lie you got
[Applause]
washes in the chair
thank you guys so much for watching I
made this video because Delta horse
races asked me to so if there’s a famous
entrepreneur that you want me to profile
next leave it down the comments below
and I’ll see what I can do I’d also love
to know what did she say that had the
biggest impact on you what lesson was
most important to you and why please
leave in the comments and I’m gonna join
in the discussion I also want to give a
quick shout out to Jason Fonseca and
Yuki thank you guys so much for going to
the bookstore and picking up a copy of
my book your one word it really really
really means a lot to me so thank you
guys again for watching I believe in you
I hope we continue to believe in
yourself
and whatever your one word is much love
I’ll see you soon
your life is your story and the
adventure ahead of you is the journey to
fulfill your own purpose and potential
so I want to share a little something
with you about stories and about heroes
and about how this all works it was here
at GW that I first read the work of
Joseph Campbell and what attracted me to
his writing was the concept of the
hero’s journey he wrote the hero’s
journey always begins with the call one
way or another a guide must come and say
look you’re in Sleepy land awake come on
a trip there is an aspect of your
consciousness your being that’s not
being touched and so it starts this call
to adventure is what we call in film the
inciting incident it’s an invitation out
of your comfort zone and into your
strength because by definition being a
hero requires pushing beyond the bounds
of what’s comfortable in 1996 in my
junior year here I had to push beyond
the bounds of my comfort zone the
musical that year which as you know I
was required to audition for was
entitled croak the last frog it was a
beautiful musical about frogs by GW zone
professor Leslie Jacobson now I have to
be honest with you it was not my
lifetime dream role to play a frog in
fact the thought of it terrified me
scared that the role would be too
difficult and afraid of the
embarrassment that would result from my
failed attempts I wondered if there was
some way that I could get out of this
audition this is what Campbell describes
as phase 2 of the hero’s journey the
refusal of the call you’ve experienced
it an exciting opportunity presents
itself but our fear makes us believe
that we’re not capable of meeting the
challenge there are 17 stages of the
hero’s journey as Campbell describes it
but don’t worry
I’m not going to go through all of them
what I will tell you is that I crossed
the threshold into unknown territory
meaning I showed up for my audition
because I believed in the message of the
production a message of love and family
and Environmental Conservation I wanted
to support Leslie Jacobson my brilliant
professor and my mentor and I had to
fulfill my scholarship requirements
because as many of you probably relate
to I wanted to complete my degree and
graduate so I answered the call I pushed
past my comfort zone and when I did I
won the role so now I was in the belly
of the whale
now I had to be willing to be the lead
frog again I was terrified this was a
serious musical with important dramatic
themes how could I commit to the role
and bring life to the character in a way
that made people think and feel rather
than giggle and mock us so I approached
the role as a social scientist the way
GW taught me to I thought I’m going to
study frogs I went to the zoo up in
Woodley Park and I spent hours watching
frogs I read about frogs
I held frogs I watched frog
documentaries I figured out ways to face
physical eyes my performance as a frog
without seeming to be a cartoon I faced
my fears and I stepped out onto that
Marvin Center stage and it became a role
that transformed my thinking about how I
use my body to do what I do every single
day and more importantly to this day it
is my father’s most favorite thing I’ve
ever done
I’m serious you can ask him but the
lesson here isn’t how you too can be a
frog the lesson is that you are sitting
here today because you too learned how
to answer the call your degree is proof
that you have what it takes to take take
the leap into the adventure of your
unique experience you don’t earn a
degree by doing and being and existing
in the comfort zone of what you already
know so whether it’s taken two years or
seven to get today’s degree I want you
to look back on the journey that brought
you here
what moments challenged you most when
were you asked to step outside of your
familiar territory in order to rise to
the occasion of your potential how have
you pushed past your fear I want you to
remember those moments because they will
embolden you and affirm you and remind
you that you did this you completed this
journey you answered the call and now
you can continue to do so but the choice
is yours
when you leave here today and commence
the next stage of your life you can
follow someone else’s script try to make
choices that will make other people
happy avoid a discomfort do what is
expected and copy the status quo or you
can look at all that you have
accomplished today and use it as fuel to
venture forth and write your own story
if you do amazing things will take shape
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