It’s no secret that I’ve wanted to be an actor since I was a kid. I used to want to be a singer too but God took that gift away (LOL). I remember watching awards shows with my aunts and uncles, we all lived together at my grandma’s house, and I’d be completely enamored with whoever took the stage, mainly Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston...you know, the greats. I wanted to do what they did. I didn’t know the actual term to describe them, I just knew that’s what I wanted to do.

Once I made the decision to pursue acting professionally everything I did was in pursuit of accomplishing that dream. It’s certainly not an easy dream to pursue, as you can imagine, I’ve had my fair share of naysayers. But I just so strongly believed in what I felt in my heart and knew that not following it would be my deepest regret. And I didn’t want that.

There are few moments when my past experiences flash before my eyes. One such moment was on Wednesday, December 13th, the day the SAG Award nominations were announced. Seeing my name listed with my castmates under Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for Orange Is the New Black, was...is, indescribable.

That moment made commuting into the city from Long Island 6 days a week worth it. It made the private speech and voice coaching worth it. It made the classes, private on-camera coaching, and the two jobs worth it. It made working stressful, time-consuming 9-to-5’s, sneaking out during my lunch break to audition, staying late in the city for rehearsals, performances, and shoots all worth it.

Those times weren’t easy. But I was willing to do whatever I had to to get to where I want to be. I was reminded of that while watching a favorite YouTuber of mine, Jessica Arevalo. While she was talking about fitness goals what she was saying applies to anything in life: we all know what it is we need to do, we just need to do it. Sadly, but truthfully, it comes down to laziness. I knew that that hunger I had needed to be at 200% again because I have LOTS of goals, not just acting, that I want to accomplish and I’ve been stalling. Stalling didn’t get me to book the role of Pidge or to be a SAG Award nominee … shit! I’m a SAG NOMINEE YALL!!!! WOOHOO!!

What I’m saying is: stop stalling, stay hungry, and stop making excuses. We all have the power to create our ideal life and it begins with shifting our perspective and believing that it’s possible. I’ll be honest, it ain’t easy. It’s hard, really hard. It may take some time and it’s important to not compare your personal journey to anyone else’s. Your journey is unique to you for a reason.

Follow your heart. Always.