Everyone's circumstances change in life, and many changes are happy ones: getting married, starting a family, etc. Some people feel that this type of "life change" is the best time to get out of the business.However, I have had clients that were able to raise families, move out of town and still keep a toe or two in the business. Of course, things slow down tremendously in these circumstances, but they still feel like they're part of the show business community. It is also possible to leave the business for a while (to raise a family, take care of a sick loved one or one's own illness, or to go back to school) and return later. You have to determine for yourself whether or not this time away from the business is for temporary or permanent.

If you are questioning your place in this industry, I would encourage you to do some thorough soul-searching every six months to a year (perhaps with the assistance of a therapist) to assess where you are in this business. Some evidence that it is time to find a new direction: If you've gone through a long period of time with no work at all, no auditions, no call-backs, no jobs. When you start becoming angry, bitter, and depressed. When it's not fun anymore.

Let's all face it: it's much easier to stay in a career that's not going anywhere (or a bad relationship or a job that's not working out) than it is to move on. It's the fear of change. We tend to feel more comfortable even in a bad scenario because it is familiar to us. We don't know what that change will entail. Are we going to be worse off or better off than we are now? Keep your eyes open for BOB'S CORNER for more in-depth discussion on this matter.