Chaos is the Mother of Invention

21 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by Rebecca Ahn in Uncategorized

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Well if you think about it, what creates the necessity for change, for improvement, for invention? I’d say it is Chaos which first makes the mess that then creates this need. And so it would follow that Chaos is in fact the true origin of invention.

I do believe Chaos should be given more due respect that perhaps people give it now. But that doesn’t mean it should be allowed to run rampant through our lives as much as it pleases. Given its way entirely, Chaos is capable of doing great damage and bringing great danger. So it deserves great respect, but it does require a bit of control.

A dear friend once told me that you must first build deep structure in order to hold deep Chaos. Honestly, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with structure. On one hand, I do have a natural tendency to organize things, as well as to always expect the worst, so it is reassuring to have a plan in place and anticipate something of what the future will hold. But on the other hand, I desperately love change and crave the feeling of adventure that comes with mystery and spontaneity. Perhaps my greatest fear is becoming numb to my surroundings and too comfortable in routine. So I very frequently have these very strong urges to do something crazy that changes my structure in a very real way.

This is my Chaos, and it keeps things interesting. Without it, my life would be significantly less thrilling and less creative. Without it, I’d still be in that comfortable corporate bubble, with little ambition or mind to break out of the norm and carve my own path. Without it, I would be nowhere near where I am today, building the very picture of my life’s dream. I’d be nothing like the person I am today.

In fact, I imagine that most of you would also be nothing like the incredible and unique characters you each are. So it stands to reason that we should all feel some gratitude for the Chaos in our lives. That said, we must also recognize it’s limitations, and how to harness the power it gives without suffering from it’s distractions.

This is why I’ve started a new project called The Chaos Whisperer. It’s something inherent in everyone’s life, and I fear that too many of today’s experts encourage methods that try to ignore or even destroy your Chaos, rather than understand and utilize it. Chaos can be a powerful force in the effective evolution of your life’s goals, if only you can properly embrace and empower it.

I’ve been fortunate to find balance with my Chaos, and now I want to help other people do the same with theirs, to seize its full potential and see what great results can come of it. This project may have been born out my Chaos’ desperate urge to try something new, but it was also born out of a necessity to address this lacking perspective I’ve observed.

If you agree with any of what I’m saying, or feel the necessity for a new approach to your own life’s Chaos, I encourage you to check out my new The Chaos Whisperer blog and follow me on Facebook. And if we’re lucky, maybe we can help you build the deep structure necessary to hold all your Chaos.

Thank you and a Chaotically beautiful day to you!

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A Dream In Need

11 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by Rebecca Ahn in Uncategorized

I hate to admit it, but I’m scared. I’ve been telling you all about my new indie action film Rise And Fail, the dream I had to take a huge leap of faith to realize. Well we’re in post-production now, and basically out of money! I’ve been desperately trying to raise the rest of the necessary funding, but we are still at least $10,000 short. And that’s no easy sum to come by.
We did recently launch a new Kickstarter campaign, with the hope that folks will indulge their holiday giving spirit and contribute to this remarkable breakthrough film. But we are already 17 days the campaign (out of 60 days, or 28% through), and have raised barely 8% of our goal! So you can understand why I’m starting to panic.
I’ve put my heart & soul (not to mention sweat & tears) into this film. And in return, it has given me the truest sense of fulfillment I’ve ever known in my life, and could ever dream of. So it would literally break my heart to see it fail. I do fully intend to do everything in my power to see this thing through, but I cannot do it alone.
And so it is that I place my dream in the hands of you all — my friends, family and readers. If you’ve already donated, please know that your contribution is immensely appreciated. But if you haven’t yet had the chance to give, or feel inspired to give more, please know that you’ll supporting more than just a film — but also a revolutionary action film movement, a dream, and me.
Plus you’ll earn awesome rewards in return such as signed copies of the DVD, tickets to the Bay Area premiere, and even a private 1 hour martial arts lesson, all of which would make excellent gifts, for either someone else or yourself (I won’t tell).
I do appreciate all the love and support I’ve received thus far, and I hope you will help me finish making my dream a reality.
Thank you dearly. Rebecca.

To Get Away

09 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by Rebecca Ahn in Uncategorized

I re-watched the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” the other day, and as usual, found myself moved to emulate the main character’s courageous journey. I often dream of traveling to some distant exotic place like Italy and languishing in luxury for a few months, or maybe even a year. But if I do that, I don’t want to let myself become another one of those hopelessly lost dreamers, caught up in the romance of her 20’s, wandering aimlessly through the streets of Paris. I want to have purpose when I go abroad, and everywhere else I am in my life. Wherever I may roam, I want to know why I’m going there.

I do often find myself romanticizing the idea to get away from it all, to up and leave life behind, and just disappear for a while. And while this is always a tempting proposition, I don’t think I could actually do that unless it meant something completely differently. I don’t want to “get away” from it all as a means of escape, but perhaps as a means of getting closer to it all – taking the opportunity to get closer to myself while seeing more of what the world has to offer. If that is the goal, then yes, I do think I could just get up and leave and go exploring.

There’s so still much out there to explore, and still yet so much inside of me unexamined. It could be considered a journey of similar proportions just to “get away” from that which I’ve come to know in myself, and trespass through the parts of me I’ve not yet dared enter. This is almost harder to do than getting up and leaving the country. And it can be just as rewarding.

Life is a journey, and sometimes that journey manifests itself as a mental rather than a physical one. I do look forward to getting away and seeing more of the world someday. But in the meantime, I think I will set my sights on a destination a bit closer to home that equally aches to beheld.

A Career Come True

04 Dec 2011 2 Comments

by Rebecca Ahn in filmmaking, happiness

It’s been a while since I last wrote on here – six months to be nearly exact. And a lot has changed in that time. I left my job at Google, basked briefly in the joy of fun-employment, and then, just as quickly and unexpectedly, I discovered the light. That’s right, I found my calling. I know, I can hardly believe my luck either.

In my diligent quest to identify the best next occupational adventure, I discovered a friend had connections to Bay Area stunt team The Stunt People through the team’s strapping founder & leader Eric Jacobus. And I can’t explain how, but at that moment something in me just knew – knew this was the right path for me!

So I began attending their weekly stunt practices, eager for my chance to jump in head first. And as the next few months passed, Eric and I became good friends. He told me about a script he was developing, the film itself nearly ready for pre-production. Of course, I had no idea what “pre-production” was at that time, but I could make a pretty good guess given my background in theatre and event production. I loved the story and the characters, not to mention the prospect of my first project, so that I practically begged him to let me be involved in any way possible. I never dreamed he would come to offer me the female lead role, or better yet, to recognize my real passion and expertise on the production side, and ask me to produce the film with him!

It’s been a wild ride since those first initial months, as we began the journey of producing our beloved Death Grip, through pre-production & the wonderfully stressful period of filming, into post-production where we are today. There is still much to do before you’ll be able to see this baby out in stores on DVD and on video-on-demand on your TV, but we’ll get there — because we are a team, Eric and I, and we believe in this with all our hearts. This is a dream come true for both of us really, though his journey has been longer and more arduous (he’s been doing this for 10 years).

We have already come so far – and I’ve already come so far! I still can’t believe my luck that I’m actually doing this. It’s all still a bit surreal. And it’s all because I risked everything, left a life of comfort and security and decided I wasn’t going to stop and rest until I found a pursuit that could light me up everyday and express the passion within me. And I found it – so much faster than I dreamed I would, I found it! And I can’t tell you how amazing it feels.

So if you are wondering if such a risk is worth taking, if you feel the urge to stand up and take charge of your own life, I say go for it! The road to your destination may be long and bumpy, but it will be worth it in the end. And besides, it’s not even a destination at all, but really just another light-post on the journey of your life. Life is a journey, so you might as well choose a path with scenery you’ll enjoy the most.

Happy Trails!