CHECK-IN: TRUSTING THE WORK

An experience:

My studies with Sanford Meisner, for the craft of acting, has had a profound effect on my life; more so even, than it had provided me with a solid foundation for earning a living as a professional actor, when I was a young man.

I remember how once, a few years after completing my studies with him, at his home on Sutton Place, in Manhattan, sitting with him; he asked me how my career was going. I told him that I’d been very fortunate in that I seemed to be working all of the time.

Ever the pragmatist, Mr. Meisner began to calculate how many years it had been since I’d finished my studies at The Neighborhood Playhouse. And then, responded something to the effect that, my earnings were at least on par with that of what a college education would have produced.

We smiled.

But, my real point with this story is what came next. I said to him, “Mr. Meisner . . . All I’ve been doing is, ‘trusting the work.’ I’ve just applied myself to doing the work that you taught me. And they seem to hire me.” I said this to him trying to communicate a few things at the same time: my gratitude for his teaching, and, how amazed I was that by simply trusting his teachings which are based on a ‘sense of truth’ that many, many prominent doors seemed to open for me.

I was amazed. He looked at me like, “What did you expect?”

Why do I share this here? Because, as I continue down the "pathless path" of creating this Youand work, to share skill development for and my sensibilities about the great value I see for placing great emphasis on “mutual understanding" between people today, I want to declare, here, that I hope to unfold Youand by means of trusting the work.

And the Youand work begins with listening to people.

And today, I'm listening to my self, and sharing that expreince.

Sincerely,
José Angel Santana, Ph.D.

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"The final frontier may be human relationships, one person to another." -- Buzz Aldrin, Astronaut