Amazing Charity, How Sweet the Sound

 

The beautiful thing about attending shows is the stage. It is always different and that designs the experience.

Over the weekend I went to see the musical Sweet Charity, playing at USF. The theatre was small but greater than I expected. The lighting was magnificent and the stage was scenic. As I took my seat in the balcony, I began observing the play in the actors’ point of view. They began making their appearances and performing their roles and I was immediately impressed. I watched them act, sing and dance and enjoyed their daring ability to entertain.  The costumes perfectly match the settings, the live band was on beat, the crew was very professional, and the actors were casted naturally, especially Shante Ashmeade, the girl who played Sweet Charity. She totally pulled it off and I fell in love with the sweet and clumsy character.

There were times however when the sound was clustered and some words were missed but then again I’ve never had to act, sing and dance to a live audience, and after that show, I don’t know if I ever will. I might be a bit conservative.

Is acting for film different than theatre, or is it?

The pauses were in sync and the orchestrated flow was inviting. Jono Glum, who played Vittorio, maintained a believable accent with Brynne Piesco, who played Ursula. The choreography was entertaining and bold. I wonder how long it takes to learn the steps and the duration it takes in general to organize such a production. Entertainment is a beautiful art, it’s expressing feelings differently and being vulnerable, and that’s not always easy. I pretended I was in New York on Broadway and the entire cast made it possible for me to enjoy the moment. Except that my chair was uncomfortable and the railing kept blocking my view.

I thought I didn’t like musicals, although my childhood is founded on Disney classics, but this weekend made me revisit that lane and reconsider the beauty of musicals. Acting is my first love and it is also a profession that requires practice and I don’t know if that ship is going to sail, but Sweet Charity certainly lifted my spirits.  

The Good Dentists

They say you are never fully dressed without a smile, so leave it to dentists to brighten the world, one smile at a time.

USF graduate Dr. Charbel Klaib, DMD, was earning his degree in Microbiology when he fell in love with the art of smiling and attended University of Florida College of Dentistry, where he graduated in 2007 and began planting smiles ever since.

Dental insurance coverage, or lack thereof, is the main reason that prevents people from seeking dental care as it is lavishly expensive: A set of braces costs more than a car. However, Dr. Klaib and his trusted staff at Coast Dental in Lakeland understand that dentistry is not as expensive as neglect is, and they waive their labor fee to provide the vital care patients in need, need!

‘It gives me a sense of pride and joy being able to use both my mind and hands to help others,’ said Dr. Klaib.  

A toothache is unbearable and bleeding gums is a sign of gum disease that spreads bacteria, so disregarding oral health takes a toll on your overall health.

Also USF graduate, Dr. Georges Raffoul adds, ‘Dentists are one of the few doctors who are experienced to handle emergency cases immediately,’ and this appeals to both practitioners the most because they can relieve their patients from pain instantly.  

Removing wisdom teeth, a rite of passage for young adults, is Dr. Klaib’s favorite oral surgery to perform, and he offers his services to his community because he recognizes the damage they can cause. Smiles are free but they are worth a lot, and Dr. Charbel Klaib’s compassion restores our faith in humanity. 

A Speech to remember...

           March 13, 2015 was a memorable day for me that widened my horizon and directed me in a whole new direction. It was the spring semester at USF and I was just attending another one of my classes, basic marketing. However, as soon as I stepped into the big lecture hall, I noticed more students had attended than usual and I see cameramen in the back and others gathered near the stage wearing formal suits.

            Glad I brushed my hair that morning, I took a seat in the auditorium and I pulled a notebook and a pen, just as one of the men took the stage and introduced us to Jordan Zimmerman.

The Name sound familiar?

The Zimmerman school of Advertising! Zimmerman Advertising.

            Jordan Zimmerman graduated from USF in 1980 and went to build an advertising empire. He took us on his exciting and humble journey of growing up in an average home and attending USF, to founding a $4 billion company. Through the success of his agency, Zimmerman Advertising is one of the largest in the world. They make the best commercials we see on TV! A sense of relevation lifted me when he spoke about his achievements. Furthermore, Mr. JZ, as he wishes to be called, donates back to his community and offers USF the leading advertising curriculum in the nation. He thinks the same way I do and I could feel his sincerity when he speaks. His time is extremely valuable and people in his position sleep about 4 hours a day and have huge responsibility so he is funny in a serious way.  

            He is muscular and loud, his energy is boot camp like, and he is so passionate about his company. He walked the stage in a fairly fast paced as he indulged us through their departments and their different approaches to motivation, in offices planted across the country, filled with the most advanced technology and creative opportunities. The best part was when his team played us an incredible presentation that resonates and enriches my imagination. Top notch quality: the coolest videos, and funniest commercials, perfect imagery combined with exciting background music. My world lit up and I was in disbelief: I want to work there!

            Mr. Zimmerman strongly believes in the power of dreams and his insisting tone instills hope and encouragement. I was able to relate to him because deep down I have never been afraid of dreaming as big as he did and I know I would never give up on it. Some will tell you your dreams are too big, JZ wants me to dream even bigger. However, he challenged my view on time and its value. I am an active person but I don’t think I could live under that much pressure with only 4 hours of sleep. Yet I am sure if I am doing what I love, I can sleep when I die.  

Fortune Builders Insiders Workshop

            

            This weekend I attended a Fortune Builders event that was hosted by Cole A. Hatter. I am a Real Estate investor enthusiast and I learned so much in this 3-day seminar because Cole is truly an interesting speaker. He focused on financial education as the foundation of any business and I wish I learned that back when I was in high school and saved myself years of struggle. I was one of the youngest attendees and I guess it is better to learn late than never.

            The doors opened at 9 am at the Embassy Suites in Tampa on Friday morning and a gentleman named Dan walked across the stage and welcomed 250 local residents who are eager to learn about the business, and then he introduced Cole and we all clapped and cheered for him as he made his way to the center of the convention hall.

            Within the first few minutes of Cole’s introduction, I felt like I was in the right place. I am usually gullible and I have fallen for many events that upsell products and services but I still take risks every once in a while if I feel the knowledge is worth the time and money. When Cole speaks he sets the right tone through his posture, his body language and mostly through his confidence. 

He created a friendly and comedic presence with his voice and his pace. He certainly worked the stage creating real life examples of what my future could hold. The man knows what he’s talking about and through his tone I could immediately tell that Cole Hatter is a very successful investor, or at least in the same financial freedom position I aspire to be.

            From my previous experience listening to such lectures and attending such seminars, I knew when I signed up that they will upsell a service and it is an unbelievably identical pattern that all businesses follow when they want to sell us a product, which in this case costs way beyond my means. Good thing, because with Cole’s enthusiasm, I would’ve definitely signed up. Nobel Laureate economist, John Harsanyi said that, “apart from economic payoffs, social status seems to be the most important incentive and motivating force of social behavior.” Cole looks like he either achieved a high social status or he believes he did.

            Though I could not afford their resourceful product and I have a long ladder to climb, Cole’s energy inspired me to come back the next day and the following day. A total of 27 hours of education condensed in 3 days reflects Cole Hatter’s credibility as a speaker because the man’s energy level remained constant throughout the entire seminar, while I was struggling to sit straight in my chair. I found out on Day 2 that I could not possibly qualify to continue the valuable education I wanted, and this happens frequently; however, as tempting as it was to leave and enjoy the rest of my weekend, Cole inspired me to grow my imagination and believe in myself. He taught me how to shift my mindset to think like an entrepreneur and I challenged myself to remain positive. His attitude was an eye-opener to emphasize the importance of bringing something to life. I never knew the importance of energy until I saw the outcomes of it: My mind was blown.

            I look forward to put in action all the valuable information I learned, and execute my ideas to grow my business the same way Cole built his. He paved the starting point and directed me to a retirement plan I needed to see. 

My Quest for Courage...

In the 1979 production of Manhattan, Isaac Davis, played by Woody Allen said:

“Talent is luck. The important thing in life is courage.” 

Those few words recently changed my perspective on Life, in general.

First of all, why courage? Why not confidence, or Education, or even Health?

And if you think about it, what is courage anyway? How do you define it? Is it taking risks? Or is it facing your fears? And do I really need to jump out of an airplane to prove I’m brave? No thank you, I like the view better from the surface.

But I can’t seem to get rid of the echoes in my head! Am I crazy? Or have I lost my mind? Or is it the absence of courage in my life that is causing all this stress?

I demand an answer, and I won’t leave until I earn it.

Will I be a working actor? Hopefully.

Will I be better at writing? Perhaps.

Will I pursue production instead? It’s possible.

It’s certainly hard to decide when you truly love it ALL. And even though I can’t determine my life in the future, I can direct it. And if ‘courage’ is the most important thing in life, I want to unlock its true meaning.

Is it quitting a secure job I’ve had for 8 years? Or is it leaving a happy home behind to ‘follow my dreams?’

It takes guts to do that. But I’m not the first one here, nor am I the last.

I believe that the biggest atrocity of all is to indoctrinate our children into a system that does not value their creative expression, nor encourage their unique abilities.

And as heartbreaking as it was to leave my mother, our eyes made their peace in difficulties, with anguished lips and salted cheeks, understanding that success is a staircase, not a doorway.

So I faced minor obstacles, and I accepted major criticism, but when I was ready for the next chapter, I seized the moment.

Moreover, I was driven to move to Los Angeles, California.  

Is that courage?

I cried when I arrived. I got scared. Overwhelmed.

It seemed like I traded a perfectly furnished bedroom with a king-sized bed, to an inflatable mattress. Minus the ‘inflate’. It’s more like a plastic carpet. Certainly, I can’t deny how blessed I am to still have a roof above my head.

Nonetheless, this city is far beyond magical. Happiness is around the corner; success is down the street. So I continue to push past the fear of not succeeding in life, because doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.

I’m not your typical 23-year old girl. I’m the girl the guys call ‘dude.’ It hurts, I know. But I can’t help choosing a basketball court over a mall. I like to have fun, and a little competition never hurt anyone. Besides, whenever I do feel spontaneous and adventurous, my bank account reminds me to calm the hell down.

Life is too short to be serious all the time; therefore, I live mine professionally. I might as well mention that I am a workaholic. I got my first job right before my 15^th birthday, and shortly after; I had several part-time jobs. I finally put it all aside, and I realized that I am ready to start ‘working,’ and I thrive to do so with desire, and some humor. 

And just because opportunity hasn’t knocked at my door yet, it didn’t stop me from building a door. I played around with my camera and I made an amateur portfolio I called ‘TheNancyZone,’ where I’ve been teaching myself the crafts of productions. With social media taking over, I upload my files on Youtube and Instagram:

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNancyZone

https://www.instagram.com/thenancyzone/

(Please feel free to view them).

           

Obviously, I wouldn’t be writing about it if I weren’t passionate about this industry. I say ‘industry’ because it takes crews of equal importance to create the art to entertain, and I would be honored to belong in any of its fields.

I’ve been staring at this blank page for over a year now: not because I can’t find the right words to say; It’s the fact that actions speak louder than words. I thought I made a huge mistake a few years ago when I agreed to major in Business and psychology. Sometime, I feel like I gave in because I lacked the courage to follow my dreams, but I will use my knowledge to make a difference in the world.

And since I am responsible for my choices, it is never too late to start over.

I don’t stress the ‘could haves.’ If it should have, it would have. Now that I am older, I see things differently, and it makes me appreciate the setbacks I’ve faced. I learned that I can rise above them and that’s how we’re meant to live our lives. When life knocks us down, it’s never too late to get back up. I might not have all the degrees to prove it, but I have a passion for this art.

And courage, is following my dreams, but also realizing that my dreams won’t work, unless I do! It’s allowing my dreams to be bigger than my fears, my actions louder than my words, and my faith stronger than my feelings. Risks make life worth living.

            And fortunately, I have great work ethics! 

Thank you for reading,

  

Nancy Habib