Welcome to my blog... welcome to my life. Here I will post my ups and my downs as I journey forward as an actor and independent filmmaker. Try to remember to check back often. My intent is to be writing on a regular basis as I go along. Also, be sure to write me if you have any comments!

TruthfulActing.com

With the new year, I've decided to take a step in a new direction and teach a scene study class.

I've always enjoyed teaching... it's my way of giving back to the community. Or, I also look at it as paying forward for everything that others have done for me along the way. This time, however, I am teaching something I am very passionate about... acting!

You can read all about it on my new website, TruthfulActing.com.

Wish me luck... and Enjoy!

Plenty To Be Thankful For

It's been a very interesting year... we've seen gas prices soar, the economy collapse, and have witnessed many people struggle to make the ends meet. We all know someone who has either lost their job, their home, their car... or even a combination of all three.

Yet, there is still plenty to be thankful for.

It's in the down times that we are reminded of what is truly important in our lives. It's amazing how wrapped up we get in materialistic ideals when the times are good. However, it's good for us to be reminded that what is important, above all else, is family and friendship.

I know it's easy to feel that we are "losing" things in these low-economic times. But if we really look close enough, I truly believe that we are gaining so much more than we are losing. Yes, we are losing things... stuff... material items. But if we look again, with the right perspective, we can see that we are gaining back our purpose in life, our direction, and our happiness.

Happiness does not have a dollar sign attached to it. The happiest people I know are the ones that realize that life is a journey and it's important to enjoy the trip. They are the ones that find a way to pursue their passions and enjoy their relationships. The ones that see the glass "half full" no matter what the situation is.

Happiness is a state of mind... a perspective on life. There is nothing external that can bring happiness to you... no amount of money... no relationship... nothing. There is nothing that you can obtain that can make you happy. Happiness comes from within.

There is absolutely nothing that I can buy my daughters that would replace an afternoon that I could spend with them. And when they are older, those will be the precious memories that they will have... not the stuff they had... but the time they spent with their family.

So let us be thankful for the good things we have in our lives. And let the people around you know that you are thankful for them. Gratitude and love are the only wealth we need... and it's time to spread it around!

Please Vote... And Make Up Your Own Mind!

I normally stay away from talking about about politics, and even now, I won't push my own political view. However, I do want to urge everyone to get out there and vote. This is a very critical time in our country, and we need as many people as possible to cast their ballot.

What I will ask is this... please understand the issues at hand, and vote for who YOU believe is the best candidate, and not just for the candidate that someone else is endorsing. Too often lately, people will tell me that they are voting in a certain direction based on what a radio station is saying, or what a friend told them.... or even worse... because they heard it on The View!

Please, please, please... do your own research and come to your own conclusion. If that research aligns your decision with mine, then great. If not, then that's great too because you made up your own mind, and you'll have a good argument for your case.

I'll step down off of my soapbox now. Happy voting!

Peace!

Touching Lives: What Will Matter

I recently attended a funeral for a family friend. It's amazing how profound of an experience that can be. It reminds us how fragile life is, and how important it is to live every day to the fullest.

During the service, a poem was read called What Will Matter. This was a poem that was very important to the person who passed on, and so her family thought it important to share with all of us there.

I now want to share it with you. I hope it has the same affect on you that it did on me. I hope you hear the message that it brings. And I hope you chose to live a life that matters.


WHAT WILL MATTER
by Michael Josephson

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought but what you built,
not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched,
empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew,
but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories but the memories of those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.

First On Scene

I was a witness and first on scene to a car accident today, and it's absolutely amazing how your instincts take over.

From the moment it happened, nothing else that was going on in my life mattered. It didn't matter where I was going, or that I was going to be late. Things that I was worrying about just moments before suddenly vanished. And, the fact that all of this was happening in the middle of a terrible thunderstorm did not change anything. All that mattered was the safety of the people involved in the accident.

So I allowed my instincts to guide me and helped out as much as I could. Interesting enough, when the first paramedic team arrived, they asked me to continue to assist them, since there were 5 people injured and only three of them. I assisted as much as possible until the rest of the paramedic team arrived, and then gave emotional support to the family members which were now arriving as well.

All in all, it was both a crazy and incredible experience. It strengthened my belief that we should always help each other when the moment arises. And we should find a way to put everything else aside more often to help others, and not just when tragedy strikes.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families involved today.

Touching Lives: Praying For Time

I normally try to stay off my soap box, but I feel this is an important message that needs to be spread.

As an artist, I share my ideas and messages through art and expression. So, I wanted to share with you the very powerful song, "Praying For Time", performed by Carrie Underwood on this year's Idol Gives Back. Originally written and performed by George Michael, this song talks about the difference between the "givers" and the "takers" in the world.

In these scary and trying times that we live in, it's important that we remember what really matters in life. We need to remind ourselves (and each other) to take inventory often of the good things that we already have in our lives, and not be so fearful of what we don't have, or of what we might lose. At the end of the day, the people in our lives are important - the material things are not.

This song really hit home for me when I recently heard it on Idol, and I hope you take a moment to truly listen to the song and read the lyrics.

I've included both Carrie Underwood's performance, and an unplugged performance by George Michael. I've also included the lyrics for the song below the videos. Together, let's make a difference in the world, one person at a time.





Praying For Time
by George Michael

These are the days of the open hand
They will not be the last
Look around now
These are the days of the beggars and the choosers

This is the year of the hungry man
Whose place is in the past
Hand in hand with ignorance
And legitimate excuses

The rich declare themselves poor
And most of us are not sure
If we have too much
But we'll take our chances
'Cause God's stopped keeping score
I guess somewhere along the way
He must have let us all out to play
Turned his back and all God's children
Crept out the back door

And it's hard to love
There's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope
When there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above
Say it's much too late
Well maybe we should all be praying for time

These are the days of the empty hand
Oh you hold on to what you can
And charity is a coat you wear twice a year

This is the year of the guilty man
Your television takes a stand
And you find that what was over there is over here

So you scream from behind your door
Say "what's mine is mine and not yours"
I may have too much but I'll take my chances
'Cause God's stopped keeping score
And you cling to the things they sold you
Did you cover your eyes when they told you

That he can't come back
'Cause he has no children to come back for

It's hard to love
There's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope
When there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above
Say it's much too late
So maybe we should all be praying for time

DiGeorge is "Out On Parole"

I just recently wrapped shooting the upcoming feature comedy, Out On Parole.

I play a Real Estate mogul and "tough guy" in the film. It was a lot of fun, and it allowed me to stretch my acting wings a bit, playing the antagonist character.

The film, which was Produced by KD Entertainment and Directed by Derek Rowe of Doctrine Productions, will be beginning its run through the post production process shortly.

Stay tuned :)