1. Be willing to be your own best friend.

Los Angeles County has nearly 10 million people in it. It seems as though it will be easy to meet people to connect with but it is not. At some point, in order to fully enjoy life here you must decide that your own company is the best company so that you won’t compromise who you are to make a friend.

2. Be open to diversity.

It is important that you move past tolerance of other people’s differences and embrace their differences. To tolerate someone who is different is to keep quiet while silently judging them. To embrace someone different is to accept and try to understand their differences without judging as wrong.

3. Be willing to fail.

A dream deferred is just as important as a dream realized. If everything we wanted materialized as soon as we thought about it, when would we have time to improve? You won’t get everything you want right away. You will be told NO. You will make a mistake. You will do things in the wrong way. Get used to it. Learn how to get back up. This is the most valuable lesson you can learn.

4. Be willing to succeed.

As much as this seems counterproductive, some of us have a habit of sabotaging ourselves because we don’t really believe in our dreams. We are so used to failing and faltering that when things seem to be headed in the right direction we freeze up, become scared ans walk away because we don’t really know how to handle success. You must be willing to  hear YES and to know that you do deserve your chance in the spotlight.

5. Choose yourself to win.

So many people think that just by showing up within the city limits of Los Angeles they are doing what they have to do to succeed. That is completely untrue. You and about 5 million other people showed up in Los Angeles for the same thing. No one is going to choose you. You have to choose yourself. You have to be willing to decide who you want to be and ACT as if you are already that person by telling others what you can do, being camera ready at all times and creating your own opportunities to showcase your talent.

6. Leave the past behind.

You moved to Los Angeles because you wanted a fresh start in life. Once you reach the county limits you can not have this fresh start if you do not decide that you will react and interact differently with life. Your past does not define you; your current choices define you. Decide that you don’t want to be the person you were and keep moving toward becoming who you want to be by not choosing those former bad habits or that mentality that held you back for so long. Every belief and action is a choice.

Those people who hurt you in the past are not here. They did not follow you. They won’t follow you unless you bring them with you by focusing on what they did and how they hurt you. You can bring them with you or you can choose to leave them in your past.

7.  Be flexible.

The way you begin your journey will not be the way you end it. It is okay to compromise in your standard of living to set you up for greatness later. It is okay to take on a project that is different from what you would have normally taken. It is okay to hang out with people who are not exactly what you would prefer. Being flexible offers you those life experiences that you need to be fully well rounded. You will draw from these experiences later and they will help you to be more  understanding of everyone everywhere you go.

8. Be willing to break.

When you learn how to be flexible you will encounter situations that will push you way past your comfort zone. Some of these situations will leave you crying, frustrated and feeling broken. It is okay to break. When you break, you find out what is really inside of who you are and you can examine it, heal it or accept it. This is important for your journey.

9. Be willing to be happy.

Just because it didn’t work out in the past doesn’t mean it won’t work out now. Don’t bring your old situation with you when you arrive in Los Angeles by having completely negative expectations or thinking that every thing that doesn’t happens the way you imagine it means that you will never be happy. Happiness and contentment are a choice. Once you understand that nothing can hurt you permanently, you will transition into having a peace of mind that surpasses all understanding.

10. Get to work.

You won’t see any results unless you show up. Even if you were taught to have faith that the divine or the Universe or God is orchestrating your steps, please believe that the force you believe in that will turn straw into gold will use your hands to do it.  Move your hands. Move your feet. Speak up. Take action. BE guided.