When he finished his thoughts, I asked if I could say a few things. I told him "I sure don't have the answers to everything, but.." From my own life experience, I know that most of us don't really like change, especially if we are creatures of habit, which most of us happen to be. I like to use another word for change. I call it shifting. Shifting is what the earth does during an earthquake. It shifts, and then settles, and then all is well again. Things are rebuilt, moved, and often even better than they were before. Big shifts have a way of revealing who we are in a moment in our life, and if we aren't happy in that moment, we can shift that too. How? By changing our perspective.

Something I have learned for my joy and mental hygiene is the art of acceptance, allowing, tolerance, and flexibility. I reminded Mikey, that the greatest things that ever happened to me happened because my life was shaken up in some way. One might even say that walking through the flames put me straight at the doorway to Heaven. When it was becoming clear that the changes on my own show were not going to be good for me, I went back to school to learn something I had always wanted to do. I did not wait until I couldn't stand my job anymore; I did it while I was moving towards transition and transforming. I did it while I dreamed about what my life could become. I didn't do it by focusing on past achievements, but by focusing on future ones.

I love what I do now more than any acting job I have ever had, and between television and Broadway, I have had some awesome acting jobs. A lifetime of them! I love that now I can be in control of my life and career. For the first time ever, I choose when I will work, how I will work, and for whom I will work. Do I make as much money? Nope. But my happiness is what makes me rich. I'm a firm believer that he money will come if I take care of my mind first.

Today, I am happier than I have ever been. None of this would have happened if I hadn't gone through some very unpleasant times and experienced unpleasant feelings about my job. The ending didn't turn out to be an ending, because I made it a new beginning. I changed my perspective.

When my first marriage ended, I was a wreck. But when I changed my perspective, I could see the purpose in the why. It moved me along to another chapter in my life, taking me exactly to where I needed to be. I needed to learn some life stuff, and also to meet Michael, who would not only become my husband of 17 years but the best friend I have ever had.

When my marriage to Michael was ending, as I knew it, I survived the sadness by turning that ending into a beginning, as it opened a door for both of us to walk through that we needed to become as close as we are to this very day. We started out as friends, detoured into a 17-year marriage, and we evolved into best friends for life. Works for me!

When my agent told me I was finished 20 years ago, I went on to have (and continue to have) the best time of my life and career. Oh, and PS, that agent isn't even in the business anymore! In fact, he went a little nutty for a while, which, if we carelessly use our words and actions to kill people's dreams the way he tried to do with me, we really kind of have to be a little nutty to begin with. It really didn't matter. I didn't believe him anyway.

All this is to say, change is the standard today. We really do need to learn how to mentally roll with what comes towards us, or moves away from us. Friend, I too, have sat at the kitchen table with my head in my hands wondering what was going to happen next. This is what I know for sure. God does not bring us this far to drop us off. But he wants us to meet him at some point in between. If life knocks you down, for the love of God, stand up. We are moving on. We are going to move forward. We are going to change our perspective, and therefore change the picture, therefore changing our behavior, and that's what changes a life!

When I was Mikey's wife, these talks were hard to have. Men don't listen to their wives. But as my friend, he appreciates me, and the blessing is, now we have these talks all the time. He gets it. More important, I get him. I have a feeling he will love his new life in California, and so does he. He changed his perspective, and all of sudden, everything looks really good.

If you're facing changes, (and everyone is) be gentle with yourselves and do your best to change the view. We can't live our lives looking in a rearview mirror. Well, we can, but we wont get very far.