My friend Dani is a passionate and talented actor. When a prestigious Scottish graduate school offered her a spot in their acting program, she was beyond thrilled. Trouble was, despite scholarships and working extra jobs, Dani didn’t have quite enough money to make the move abroad. Not to be deterred, however, she took a favorite Mickey Rooney movie and made it a reality: she got all of her friends together and asked us to put on a show.
Dani’s energy was contagious. Getting right to work, she suggested three acts of performances. Each of Dani’s acting friends came forward. Some read poetry, some told stories. Others performed monologues or brief comic scenes. Still others sang (I was in that camp). Her best friend Sarah served as stage manager, while another friend organized a silent auction. Yet another sold tickets at the Phoenix Theater door. But the main event? To me, it wasn’t so much the performances as how each performer shared how they met Dani, how much they love her, how they will miss her, and how they are envious of her future classmates in Scotland. The audience laughed and cried.
After it all was over and cleanup nearly complete, a huge feeling of wellbeing and satisfaction welled up in my spirit. In that moment I realized that all the elements that I wrote about in my book, Full Heart Living, had manifested on this one special day.
Connecting with oneself, connecting with others, connecting with our passions, and giving back—all these elements came together, and not just for Dani, but for all who attended. That’s what can happen when friends come together and open our hearts and passions to help someone we love achieve her dreams.
TODAY’S CONVERSATION PROMPTS
Ask someone you care about:
- How are you connecting with yourself?
- How are you connecting with others?
- How are you connecting with your passions?
- And where are you giving back?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tom Glaser is the author of Full Heart Living: Conversations with the Happiest People I Know. A practicing psychologist and life coach, he lives in Minneapolis with his husband and son. When he isn’t singing or out walking the dog, you’ll find him hard at work on his second book, on restoring resilience after trauma.
