Ok - I'm not limitless. Who is? The real subject of this particular entry is limitations. We all have them. The trick is to recognize what those personal limitations are.
The subject of limitations has come up frequently lately. I'm pretty good at recognizing some of my own. I'm not the smartest person in the world, nor the prettiest. I'm certainly not the skinniest or the fastest or the most fit. And I'm no spring chicken anymore either. But I'm really not talking about those kinds of limitations.
I am a decent singer. I'm certainly not great. I can only sing certain things and I usually have to work my ass off to get those songs. I was taking voice lessons for awhile, and I really would like to take lessons again. It's one of those things I would like to improve on. However, when I work at it, I can kick butt. Someone said to me recently I have a broadway voice. I think it was meant as a compliment, and I will take it as such. However, my broadway voice would like to have a recording voice, but it's just not happening. I know my voice is unusual, and it is my lot in life to deal with it. Because its something I wish I was better at, I work at stretching my limits. To be the best that I can be, which is not the best.
I love doing theater. It is the most fun, even at its most exhausting. I'm not a natural actress and I can only do so much, but I recognize that. I'm well beyond playing a teenager, and I'm fine with that too. I know sometimes you have to take a supporting role. Only once in my theater career have I had a lead. And it rocked. I'm going to submit that play to LPAG because it is hilarious. The chances of me being cast as the lead again are slim, but who knows? It was hard being the only straight character in a comedy. The last few years I haven't been offered any major roles, mainly because the chosen plays weren't me. In fact, someone on a play reading committee said to me she would be looking for a script for me because I was so good, and none of the plays chosen recently had fit me. I really couldn't believe someone thought that highly of me.
The point of all of this is not everyone is meant to do everything. As much as we wish we could. Recognizing your own limitations makes those unrealistic expectations we all have hurt less when we don't reach those goals. I am not the best at everything, so when I say I'm good at something, watch out. Lately people have been going on about my supreme baking skills. I admit, I am a pretty good baker. I don't do it very often though. And lately, I've been getting lots of requests for my baked goods. It is a great feeling.
What isn't a good feeling is wanting something, and thinking you should get something without eyeing the big picture. We all can't be the stars. We all can't be the best. There is nothing that bothers me more than a diva thinking they are entitled to something, and when they didn't get it pouting about it and then refusing to be in the background. I'm telling you now, the best "star" in the world is nothing without a great chorus to back them up. Sometimes those back-up parts are the most important ones.
By knowing your limits, you can be limitless, as you won't need to be crushed when your unrealistic expectations aren't achieved. Delusions of grandeur can cause the mighty to fall. Be the best you can be, at whatever it is you want. You might be surprised by what you find out about yourself.
