Allow me to introduce myself, my name is John Gabriel, I'm a guy who for the last several years has been in a continual search for meaning and purpose. I finally found it.
Throughout my short life, I've followed my heart and lived life on my terms. It's too short to experience it any other way, right? We're allowed one chance in this life, and I want to live it to the fullest. Living life to the fullest is what prompted me to follow my dreams and passions straight to Hollywood! Straight to acting. And ya know what? I made it. I was "living the dream" for five solid years. After much heartache and rejection, and over the course of several years, I had begun to solidify myself as an emerging player in Hollywood. Acting had become my full time job. I loved it...for a time.
Television appearances, movies, commercials, and print jobs quickly came. I even booked a pilot (didn't get picked up--thanks NBC!). All of my friends and family thought I had it made. That wasn't the case. I had secretly been dealing with a God-sized hole that couldn't be filled, and I was terribly insecure. Most actors on any given day are wracked with feelings of insecurity and unworthiness. Who knows why...and it's obviously not just actors, it's billions of people walking this earth. But, this is also a large part of the reason actors can accomplish showing emotion in front of the camera. Our whole lives are built on vulnerability, and we are better compensated the more skilled we become in displaying those emotions. Actors are no doubt a strange breed!
But...why did I leave? Why did I give up my so called "passion"? I turned it all in because of this woman. Janice Lee Spriggs. My mother.
In April of 2015, my mom called to share the news that she had been diagnosed with Cancer. I was stunned, shocked and overwhelmed. I had just experienced my best year in acting, and it was all about to come to a screeching halt. Over the next 5 months (that's all it took for the cancer to claim her life), I watched my mom deteriorate, and ultimately take her last remaining breaths in front of my brother and I. We held her hand, assured her that she had been a fantastic mom, then helplessly looked upon as she began to turn yellow.
It was the most difficult day of my life. It's been two years, and I think about her everyday. Through her death, she radically changed the direction of my life. Thank you mom! I love you even more for that.
Back to why I left Hollywood...I left because I didn't see the meaning in it any longer. My life had been filled to that point living mainly for only me. My mom passed away at 62 years of age. Young. Sadly, she spent her whole life living in fear of tomorrow. She is the reason I do and don't walk this earth EXACTLY the same way. Oh the wonderful dichotomy of man! After burying my mother, I went back to Hollywood. I took four months off to clear my head, and when I came back- I booked 3 television appearances and a commercial. It meant absolutely nothing to me. My passion for all things Hollywood had evaporated. What I had spent so long cultivating, building and achieving had been completely undone by her sudden death.
Throughout this whole ordeal, I've been gifted in learning more about myself and fellow humans than I ever thought possible. So what did I do? I packed my bags, thanked my agents for all of their hard work and told them it had been fun. I left. Just like that. That was 9 months ago. For these last several months, I have spent hours upon hours studying the human condition, and what makes us tick. I am fascinated by all of you. Fascinated by your stories, by the smiles we all share and the masks we sometimes wear. I want to know what makes you laugh and what makes you cry. I want to know why the same event happening to two separate individuals can produce drastically different results. I want to know why we get stuck in ruts and what strategies we can implement to overcome those moments. This is what fuels me. I am amazed by the human condition and the power of human potential, and I want to serve others. My mission with this platform is to connect and share, to give back to the community in whatever way possible. I hope I can accomplish this.
My other interests involve healthy living, and yes crypto! I was turned on to Bitcoin in late 2015, but unfortunately I shunned the technology. I did however revisit the topic a year and a half later. At that point, I became obsessed with all things blockchain. At the beginning of this year I dove headfirst into Bitcoin and Ethereum. I have not been disappointed. A side mission of mine has been to introduce as many people I come in contact with to the power of this rapidly emerging technology, and how it can deliver things we have only begun to dream about for the future of mankind. I look forward to connecting to my fellow steemers.