Earlier this week I posted one of my favorite Martin Luther King quotes on Instagram. MLK knew a lot about faith and perseverance. About starting a journey without a map. And his words are true for any of us approaching a daunting but worthy effort.

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

I think one of the things that stops a lot of people from taking the risks that are necessary for their heart’s journey is the fear of looking foolish. The fear of not being perfect. It can seem like everyone else knows what they’re doing except us!

One thing that stops a lot of people from taking the risks that are necessary for their heart’s journey is the fear of looking foolish. The fear of not being perfect. It can seem like everyone else knows what they’re doing except us! Share on X

Fear of being seen as less than perfect costs us so much. It can keep us from taking the risks we need to take to have the life we dream of having. That fear can trap us in lives that leave us feeling unhappy and wondering what might have happened “if only”… if only we had gone for it.

It takes courage and perseverance to start on a path where you can’t see the whole set of steps mapped out.

We look to our role models and forget that the reason they are our role models is because they put in the time being messy, making mistakes, learning things the hard way. Share on X

We look to our role models and forget that the reason they are our role models is because they put in the time being messy, making mistakes, learning things the hard way. But we don’t typically see that part of the process. We see the completed work—the award-winning performance, the polished interviews, the results of that hard work.

It’s beautiful and incomplete, just like the rest of my life.

There are a few pages still under construction, and they will be developed over the summer. If you check back regularly you can see it fill in with yummy things designed to help you in your own journey, whether you are a young actor yourself, or the parent of one.

In fact, that’s the reason I’ve changed my website from “Hollywood Parents Guide” to simply my name. While I started this part of my journey believing I was speaking primarily to parents of young actors, over time I discovered that a lot of young actors themselves were finding me and looking for help.

By going with my name instead of a reference to parents, I hope that everyone my work is meant for will feel included.

Sometimes our direction adjusts once we get on that staircase and see the steps more clearly.

Note that my new website is hometowntohollywood.com and NOT .org! That Bonnie J. Wallace is a different person, on a different mission.

The new website is much prettier, but it’s also going to have a lot more for YOU. Videos, new and old blog posts, PDFs, links to great resources—and of course, my bi-monthly podcast, Hometown to Hollywood, which now has listeners in over 100 countries! All of it designed to educate and inspire you, so you can make the best choices for YOU.

Let’s keep building our futures together and owning that it’s a process. Share on X

It’s OK to not have it all figured out before you start—in fact, that’s the only choice you have! Once you start moving toward your dream, whatever it may be, the next steps become apparent and you can keep going.

xo

Bonnie

Are you thinking about how to help your child become an actor? Or are you a young actor yourself?

My book, The Hollywood Parents Guide, available on Amazon contains everything I wish I’d known when Dove and I started this journey, and will save you untold amounts of time, money, and stress. Full of information you MUST know, it also features stories from parents of other kids who’ve made it!

Or book a session consulting with me to come up with an individualized plan that takes your own unique needs into account. For about the cost of an hour with a professional acting coach, you can get your questions answered and a road map to help you move forward toward your dream.

Invest a little in your kid’s future today.

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