Well, it’s been quite some time since I wrote a post just because I wanted to share some words of wisdom or inspirational thoughts with you. I often post interviews with our favorite stars and attempt to keep up with my busy schedule. But after watching a particular YouTube video the other day and writing a mini-post on my Facebook page, I figured it was time to share my thoughts more cohesively. I could have done a vlog, but I decided that I’d do a traditional post since this was inspired by a video. So here goes.

Paul Greene Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Starbuck/Alexx Henry Studios, LLC.

First of all, let me get this out of the way. I know I now work for Paul Greene, and some may think I am required to post about him or promote his work on my website. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have not been asked to write this post, nor will I be compensated by him in any way as a result of this post. In fact, I didn’t even tell him I was writing it. I just wanted to write it because his YouTube video was such a massive inspiration to me.

As most of my readers know, Paul is one of my favorite people on earth for a wide variety of reasons, which has been the case for over four years now. I have followed his career–both acting and music–and he never ceases to amaze me. I’m also completing an online course led by him and his fiance (fourth time I’ve done this course, but I’ll talk about that at another time). His words of wisdom are invariably perfectly-timed and spoken with such kindness and love.

Paul Greene Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen

In this particular video, he challenged everyone to consider the following statement. “Love what you do; do what you love.” And he continued to quite brilliantly expound upon that very statement with relatable imagery, profound inspiration, and a bit of humor. I was honestly mesmerized by his video and found it impossible to turn away. He has a unique way of encapsulating precisely what needs to be stated so that it inspires his viewers to want to listen and immediately jump in and do what he says. (Okay, most of the time, that is. There are moments I’m not quite as prompt to take the plunge and do what he says, but almost without exception, I come around to his way of thinking…eventually. Do you know how hard it is to say “no” to Paul Greene? 😉)

Image by brookesaugust from Pixabay

The imagery of the mountains really spoke to me in this post. After all, I live near the mountains, so maybe that’s why, but it just seemed to make sense in the way he explained and described it. Instinctively, I knew this metaphor would be the ideal thing for a post that hopefully not only informs you about me, but also motivates you to consider his entire premise and challenge as presented in the video.

Here’s my abbreviated account.

Image by gagnonm1993 from Pixabay

When I was a child, I was obsessed with old Hollywood and music. I voraciously read biographies and autobiographies of the greats, and I made it a point to watch as many movies as possible that featured my favorite actors. I also bought around five hundred albums from bygone eras and Broadway musicals. I was so enraptured with the entertainment industry that I invested more time in my “dream world” surrounded by these special people (who I pretended to know intimately) that I only ever felt truly alive when venturing into that escape.

As I matured, I realized that I was a skilled musician and a gifted writer, as well as an academic overachiever (in most areas). In the fine arts, I soared, and I adored English and History in a way that most people would never begin to conceive. I was convinced I would be a singer and/or a Broadway actress, and I would definitely be friends with actors and musicians. Not because it was a status symbol, but because I longed to impact their lives and come to know them as human beings, not as celebrities.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Upon my high school graduation, I took off from the foothills, where I had been residing and intentionally ascended towards this dream. I knew there would be struggles along the way, but if there was one thing I was always ready for, it was a challenge. Rarely would anyone challenge me more than I could challenge myself. I expected arduous work that required perseverance and perfection. Giving any less than that would never be acceptable.

I got sidetracked on the way to my dream. I fell in love with a man who swept me off my feet. I was willing to sacrifice my dreams to be with him, and before the path became too steep, I would say he rather promptly drove me down this mountain in his 1971 Mercedes Benz car that was fraught with rust and holes. I imagined it was my chariot, and he was my prince in shining armor who would give me the kind of life I’d never dreamed of. Of course, it meant dismissing my dream, but who cared about some childhood fantasy anyway? And I loved this man. I hadn’t climbed my mountain very high yet, and I might as well come down with him now before things got too complicated, and I stumbled and fell flat on my face.

Image by Dean Moriarty from Pixabay

Unfortunately, the “safe” path we began to trod together led to more dead ends than I could formulate. I was denied entrance to a Master’s Program in voice. The mission board did not seem overly enthused to have us on board. (Mainly, it was my indecisive then-husband who couldn’t string together a cohesive story that disquieted them more than anything.) And I began scaling a mountain on which I never intended to set foot..teaching music.

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

I remember how much I had to invigorate myself when it came to teaching music. I searched for things to keep it fresh and appealing. I had no idea how to run a classroom and keep a tight rein on those who wished to be off-task and elsewhere. But I could mount dazzling programs. I could write super spectacles. I could see those who had potential. And so it was time to make the most phenomenal programs anyone had ever seen, and I surmounted those precarious heights with enthusiasm and tenacity. That is, until I was shoved off the ledge a few too many times. I would create a marvelous program, and then my superiors would state that this or that was wrong and to never do that again. At every turn, the mountain I was ascending in music education excellence reached the deadest of the dead ends, and I had no choice but to pursue the safe path towards music education stability. I will never forget the final year I taught music full-time. It was by far the most comfortable year I had ever known, but equally the most forgettable, and the most boring.

Image by Comfreak from Pixabay

Well, God had other ideas for me. You see, I had no idea that I was still taking furtive glances over at the other mountains I had forsaken. What about getting my master’s degree? What about going to Broadway? What about writing a book? What about…At times, I still was that little girl with stars in her eyes, but education seemed to be my lot in life. I even added some additional endorsements to my teaching certificate. Maybe English and History could still provide me with stability for my daughter. I was already a single mother, and it seemed like any of those childhood dreams were but distant memories that were unattainable and extinct.

Image by Emmie_Norfolk from Pixabay

When I came back to my home state of Washington with my young daughter and moved in with my parents, I was sure God would keep me rolling on the mountain of education. That’s where I had been for roughly thirteen years, and I couldn’t imagine there being anything else in this life for me. Well, in an instant, God allowed me to tumble down that mountain. That’s right. I didn’t make the conscious choice to turn away from education. Instead, all the job opportunities evaporated, and it was as though I had never been a teacher. I literally had to start from the very beginning all over again, and I had no idea what would be the end result. How could God take away what I believed was the calling on my life? I was meant to be a teacher. Everyone said so. I had some success in the past, and I could certainly have some success again. I just needed supportive parents, an exceptional staff, and an influential administration. It was going to happen.

Image by GraphicMama-team from Pixabay

I started out substitute teaching, and I realized I had a knack for that line of work. There was nothing like vaulting into a classroom and teaching kids I didn’t know and may never see again. Rising to the challenges of substitute teaching kept my brain alert and gave me a sense of satisfaction. I began to develop as a teacher and seek to meet the students’ needs in that room in ways that their regular teacher may not have been able to. (Nothing against classroom teachers. Sometimes students are more comfortable spilling their stories to strangers, and as a substitute teacher, I could run a less-structured class, thus encouraging such sharing.) I was enjoying this mountain journey quite a bit, and I was convinced it would lead to something more permanent. But every time a potential opportunity was handed to me, it disintegrated. I would meet a hindrance, an obstructed path, and a whole host of pitfalls. Once in a while, I was able to make infinitesimal progress for a time, but in the end, I always lost my way and had to start all over again. Or at least return to the foothills and locate the path again.

Image by DarkmoonArt_de from Pixabay

One day, about ten years ago, God dropped an opportunity in my lap that required scaling an entirely new path towards an unknown mountain. I had no idea where this would lead, but I sensed God drawing me towards it. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy path, and I was reasonably confident there was no certainty that I would arrive at my ultimate destination within any given time, if at all. There were no guarantees, but somehow, I knew this was exactly what I was supposed to do. And so began my journey of launching my own blog and writing. Before long, companies were contacting me to try their products, and I was writing all sorts of advertorials for various commodities. A couple of times, I ran into some setbacks, but despite those, I refused to give in. Writing was the perfect supplement to the career of a substitute teacher, and if I could wait it out long enough, maybe, just maybe, I would become a full-time writer.

Image by Jan Vašek from Pixabay

Again, however, I was not genuinely doing what I loved. If I was writing a book review for a book I cherished or sharing a story that meant something, I was delighted. But simply writing about companies that didn’t resonate with me on a real level didn’t fulfill me in any sense of the word. I was becoming a bit jaded in my blog writing. In fact, I had someone analyze my blog to determine what should be improved, and the critique was that I had ceased writing about things that mattered to me. At the time, I indignantly thought, “What do you know?” And I just moved on. But he was right. I didn’t know how much longer I could write reviews and do giveaways on my blog because I felt so unfulfilled.

Just as I was beginning to stalemate, God revealed a new path that terrified me like crazy. I had started to review movies and shows from the Hallmark network, and some of the actors involved were beginning to notice my writing skills. Sure, I had to prove myself a bit, but I was quickly being hailed as one of the most supportive Hallmark fans out there. And so many raved about my reviews and posts.

Image by pasja1000 from Pixabay

When the opportunity came up to start interviewing these actors, writers, etc. I admit, I was quite skeptical. I didn’t even consider the fact that this was an extension of my long-lost dream as a child. By this point in my life, I figured I was predominantly insignificant as an individual, and if I could just write a few posts that people liked and maybe have a comment or two from some of my favorite actors, that might be enough to fill the void within me. To interview these actors seemed like an insurmountable step outside my comfort zone. Was I willing to take that colossal leap of faith and begin the harrowing journey of climbing this new mountain I had always admired from a distance?

Well, if you know my story, you know I seized that opportunity, and the rest is history, as they say. It’s not been an easy path, but it has been the most gratifying journey of my entire life. I have met more entertainment industry professionals both in person and via phone/video/email than I could have ever imagined as a little girl, and the response and rewards have been absolutely staggering.

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

But more important than any of this, I began to realize that I was absolutely loving what I was doing. And I was doing what I was loving. I was coming out of the shell I had fashioned to protect myself from the calamities and disappointments of this life. I found my calling, and I was climbing higher and higher on this mountain towards what God had in store.

But interestingly enough,  I had to admit that merely placing interviews into cyberspace became unfulfilling and uninspiring after a while. I still relished writing them, and there was nothing better than returning to people I had interviewed previously and connecting with them again. I took my work very seriously, and I made extensive studies of the people with whom I was connecting and interviewing. I never dared to think they might find me fascinating and want to talk with me as well, but as the months and years went on, that is exactly what happened. My entire focus became to extend these extraordinary people’s careers and show that they are human beings, not merely celebrities. I found myself loyally promoting the careers of countless Hallmark stars (and beyond), and the more I did that, the more I realized how much I desired to continue in that vein.

with Paul
Carnegie Hall
December, 2019

I won’t retell my entire story of how I was impacted by one particular actor/musician (post can be read here). But this year, because of the pandemic crisis, Paul Greene and I–with whom I had formed an association due to regular interviews and meetings–we developed a stronger professional bond than I expected. I never anticipated helping him and his fiance admin a Facebook group in line with their online course. Furthermore, I didn’t expect to experience such amazing personal and professional transformations due to this increased responsibility. And I didn’t foresee that I would be working for Paul–that was something that I don’t believe either of us ever saw coming.

As I move closer to almost two months in this new position, I suddenly comprehend that everything I have ever done in my life has prepared me for what I am doing now. I honestly have no idea what is waiting for me at this summit of this mountain on which I now find myself. While I’m still doing interviews and building that part of my life, my current focus is on being the best executive assistant to Paul Greene and helping him become the international superstar I know he will be one day. I find myself diving into things I never dreamed of before, and I somehow feel as though I’ve found my true calling.

me as a toddler before I even envisioned those dreams

I think the little girl who dreamed of befriending actors and musicians saw this mountain way off in the distance. I think she never gave up even when reality tried to pulverize all those childhood dreams. I believe that little girl has come alive within me yet again, and I’ve never experienced such elation in my entire life. I knew that I was a deeply emotional person who always got in trouble for being too bombastic in school. (I wish I had a penny for every time I was reminded as a child by more adults that I can name, “Ruth, use your inside voice.”) But because of choosing the safe route for so many years, I concealed who I was, including all those parts of me that people were quick to criticize. I gave up my music, writing, zest for life, and dreams, all because it seemed like the “right” thing to do. From a young age, I was indoctrinated that the entertainment industry was not a viable option for anyone as far as a reliable career was concerned. I knew I didn’t want to be a full-time actor. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a full-time writer. All I knew is that I wanted to inspire the creatives in the industry, and whatever I could do to assist them on their journey was exactly what I longed for. I could never visualize it happening, so I stopped doing what I loved. I didn’t love what I was doing. I was doing what was expected. I was accomplishing the purpose others had for my life, but it was not lighting me up.

Image by rihaij from Pixabay

Multitudes of people have called me “lucky” over the past few years, and others have offered to be my “sidekick” and come along for the ride. I know that it appears I’ve had a charmed existence, and now all my dreams are coming true, and everything in my life seems idyllic. As is customary, most people only see what is on the surface. They don’t know how many years I spent preparing to do what I do now.

I am reminded of the time Christmas In Angel Falls premiered. I had only met Paul a couple of months previous to that premiere and interviewed him in person. Yet, I got to interview Beau Bridges because of Paul, and somehow Rachel Boston was willing to do an interview too. I got an early look at this film, and I even reviewed it on my blog. Well, I suppose many of you know the crazy schedule Hallmark has at Christmas. During that festive season of the year, they are usually premiering two movies on the same night just an hour apart on two of their stations. I had already seen Paul’s film, and I knew my mom would love it, but I figured we’d watch it on our DVR, and I wouldn’t live tweet.

Paul Greene, Rachel Boston Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Shane Mahood

Well, that all changed when Paul contacted me and asked if I would help him since he was filming in Canada and wasn’t able to watch the movie live. He asked if I would help him by messaging him when the commercials were on so he could track what part of the film the fans were watching. Do you know something? I immediately offered my help (without even thinking about the potential inconveniences), and one of the most unusual movie nights of my existence commenced. We started watching the Hallmark Channel premiere (which was not Paul’s movie), and then when Paul’s started, I ran out to the other TV set in the office and turned it on, tuned to that station. I kept checking back and forth between both of the premieres. I was racing through the house like crazy at times, and I have no idea how I kept any of it straight. Until I started working for Paul recently, I had totally forgotten how unconventional that night was, and that was almost four years ago! I guess I was in training back then and didn’t even know it!

Rachel Boston, Paul Greene Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Shane Mahood

I share that story because this opportunity didn’t come to me overnight. And I take it very, very, VERY seriously! I mean, for me, I am not only working to help Paul accomplish his myriad of every-increasing projects. But I am also representing his brand, and you can bet your bottom dollar that is something I do not view casually!

I will leave you with this thought. I Corinthians 16:14 says, “Let all that you do be done in love.” Now, let’s think about that for a minute. While we can definitely love others even when we’re not truly fulfilled, are we able to love them to the fullest extent when we are not wholly fulfilled ourselves? If we are climbing a mountain that does not lead to the ultimate destiny and calling on our lives, are we able to genuinely love others in the most optimum way possible? Assuredly, we can love them unconditionally. But can we inspire them to be the best versions of themselves?

You know, I don’t think we can. If we are aimlessly or determinedly climbing the mountain we were never intended to climb, no matter what, we are not unreservedly equipped to love and inspire others to the most abundant of our capabilities. I never would have imagined that I would be in the place where I am right now. It is not an effortless path, but I couldn’t contemplate doing anything else than what I am doing now. As Paul says in the video, I challenge you to consider the quote he shared.

Image by TweSwe from Pixabay

“Do what you love, love what you do.”

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