[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hey, Los Angeles, are you Looking for unique 4th of July plans for you and your friends or family? LA's greatest rivalry returns to Rose Bowl Stadium for a July 4th edition of the El Trafico soccer matchup. As the LA Galaxy returned to their original home to defend their turf against LAFC last year, a record crowd of over 82,000 fans were on hand to witness the Galaxy victory. That's July 4th at Rose Bowl Stadium. Guaranteed fireworks both on and off the field, and a celebration for all of LA LA Galax versus LAFC. The Rose bowl edition
[email protected] tickets.
[00:00:47] Speaker B: Welcome back to now, no opportunity wasted. I'm your host, Angelica Ross. Now, as you can see, I've got a guest here with me today. We're doing things a little bit differently today. And. And you know, there's so many of us that practice nature and Buddhism and there's so many gems and so many breadcrumbs that speak to us differently. So today's episode, the Buddhist breadcrumb at the end, is going to be brought to you none other than by my friend, Madam cj. Welcome. Thank you for coming.
[00:01:20] Speaker C: Thank you for having me, Angelica.
[00:01:22] Speaker B: So now we're going to set the tone for today's episode by sharing today's word Buddhism day by day. Wisdom for Modern Life by daka ikeda. Madam CJ, what does this say for today? Today is Monday, May 13. What is it telling us?
[00:01:38] Speaker C: Yes, ma'am. May 13, Monday. We should give first priority to the development of an independent spirit as a human being before considering one's role as a man, woman, child, or parent. In other words, for a person to become a man, woman, child or parent in the true sense of the word, one has to first of all develop his or her autonomous identity as a human being.
[00:02:07] Speaker B: Oh, okay. I want you to run that back one more time because I think that's still. That's still sinking in with me. Run it back one more time.
[00:02:17] Speaker C: I got you. May 13. We should give first priority to the development of an independent spirit as a human being before considering one's role as a man, woman, child, or parent. In other words, for a person to become a man, woman, child, or parent in the true sense of the word, one has to first of all develop his or her autonomous identity as a human being.
[00:02:46] Speaker B: Who. That is saying a lot of things to me. I think what that's saying is the roles that we play as mother, as, you know, or patient or friend or man, woman, you know, student, whatever it is, is that those things are all secondary to who you are as an individual. And I think that that sounds a little confusing because I think. Well, yeah, well, as an individual, I'm a woman or I'm a man or I'm a this or I'm a that. But I think that that is. I think that it's leaning to the fact that there is also a collective identity when it comes to being a certain gender. And in our culture, sometimes people get caught up in trying to live up to what the cult, the collective ideal is of that role. But what was that saying for you?
[00:03:40] Speaker C: I feel like it's basically speaking to our own human revolution.
You know, before we are man, woman, child, or parent, we are spirit.
And in our practice, we believe in many in body but one in mind.
And currently, we need everybody to be many in body and one in mind.
[00:04:03] Speaker B: We sure do. We absolutely. But. But I think, again, that's the confusing part for folks is that both and. Because what it's saying is I need you to know who you are as an individual to do your human revolution as you're talking about. But then collectively, we need to be.
What is it? One.
[00:04:23] Speaker C: Many in body.
[00:04:24] Speaker B: Many in body. Meaning it's a lot of us.
[00:04:27] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:04:27] Speaker B: And we need to show up in numbers collectively focused on world peace, on changing the world, and on changing ourselves.
[00:04:35] Speaker C: That's right.
[00:04:36] Speaker B: Oh, my goodness. I love that. All right, so that was an amazing word for the day. Monday, May 13th.
You can always list. I know I only share with y'all the quote that's on Monday. That's because the podcast only comes out on Monday. But if you would like these type of quotes every day, you can easily get this book yourself. We have our SGI Buddhist store. You can get it online. I even think they might even have it on Amazon, but you can get it pretty much anywhere. It is life changing to have this kind of reminder. Just a little bit of. Just a little thing can change your whole attitude for the day. So today's conversation that I'm going to be having is with Nava Mal. She is starring in the Netflix series Baby Reindeer. Have you seen that yet? No, girl, I listen. And I have not seen it yet either, because I hear that you need to brace yourself for it. But wait till you see this conversation that I had with Nava. Just about getting into the role as well as what it means as a trans woman of color to be seen in a role that is not your stereotypical role. Well, hello, Nava Mao. Welcome to now. Oh, did I just rap? Did I just do A ball.
[00:05:48] Speaker D: Oh, my God. Hello, Angelica Ross. What?
[00:05:52] Speaker B: Goodness. Yes. It is so great to meet you virtually, I feel like. But have we met in person before?
[00:05:59] Speaker D: We met very briefly at a party once. Yeah, that's what I thought. I was like, yes.
[00:06:04] Speaker B: And that was. Was that dinner party.
[00:06:05] Speaker D: It was so long ago, I think.
[00:06:07] Speaker B: With Rain Valdez and a bunch of folks.
Maybe it wasn't that one. It could have been. You know, it was.
[00:06:12] Speaker D: It was framing Agnes is what it was. Oh, yes.
[00:06:15] Speaker B: Framing Agnes. Yes, yes, yes. Oh, my goodness. You know, I'm so excited, actually, to really talk to you because this podcast is called no Opportunity Wasted. And really the context of our conversations are all about introducing people to other folks who have been faced with very challenging situations and didn't give up and made the most out of those opportunities and challenges. And it looks like you have made the most out of your life's opportunities and challenges. Congratulations on being on a hit series on Netflix with reindeer. Talk to me about how that opportunity came up and how you specifically saw it as an opportunity and were able to take advantage of that.
[00:07:07] Speaker D: I mean, it came in like an audition just like any other.
I got the sides and maybe the first episode.
[00:07:15] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:07:16] Speaker D: So I did a self tape on my computer and.
And then I waited and heard nothing.
And then a few weeks later, I was asked to do a second tape, and I was. I was on the road and had to figure that out. And then I really had to wait after that. And, you know, I kept texting my manager. Like, you know, usually. Usually I really.
After an audition, I let it leave me because that role was mine for the time that I got to do the audition for it, and then it's not mine anymore, you know.
[00:08:02] Speaker B: Right, right.
[00:08:03] Speaker D: And so I usually do that, but.
[00:08:05] Speaker B: This one, I will say I was.
[00:08:06] Speaker D: I was following up with my manager. I was like, have you heard anything about baby reindeer?
And I think it was so much longer, like week, six weeks or two months or something. And then I went and did a call back in London, so.
[00:08:22] Speaker B: Wow. Yeah. You know, honestly, that's how it was for me, with candy and pose. Like, I auditioned. I actually, I auditioned. I didn't hear anything back for a minute. And then I heard back that I did not get the role of Blanca. And I was crushed. Even though I didn't feel like it was the right role for me because it was like, blanc. It was like, didn't seem like the right role, but I still got really excited, you know, for the opportunity and whatnot. And also everything in my Spiritual life was kind of pointing to this actually happening, like little signs and serendipity, I was like. Was telling me. And so my spirituality is usually kind of on point, and I can trust it. So when months went by and I was not, you know, cast, I was like, oh, no. You know, and then I got a. A call a couple months later and found out. But for me, being on Pose, it was such a great jump, a leap for me in narrative. You know, for me, the first time having something that felt kind of right was when I did her story, the. The web series, and then going to. And, you know, seeing just regular love, whether it was queer, trans with women or trans with men. You know, just seeing us being seen in a regular light. And then there was pose, and then there was like. You know, I feel like the industry doesn't really want us to have another pose. You know, they don't. They. But they. They basically have taken us and putting us into other stories. How. And. Which is, again, also what we do want, but we also want our own Sex in the City as well. But it's great to see trans characters popping up and stories like reindeer. How do you feel, Baby reindeer? How do you feel?
How have you felt about the representation and, like, sort of the growth from what you've seen in the past to what you're playing right now?
[00:10:19] Speaker D: Well, I feel like I have to tell you this, that I saw her story.
You know, I'm still living in Oakland, and I was working as a counselor. It wasn't. I wasn't thinking about the industry, and I never thought that I could pursue acting or anything. And.
[00:10:39] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:10:40] Speaker D: And so then to see that y'all did that and to see your character specifically, it was the first time that I ever felt seen, connected and represented and.
And so thank you for that. Like. Like. Like, you created the change, you know, so it's really, really deeply an honor for me to be talking to you right now.
[00:11:05] Speaker B: You know what was so great is that what I love about your story, though, as well, is that similar to mine, is that, you know, I think we come from a community that has been often overlooked in ways in which we're so talented. It. But we don't even get to really bring all that to the front because we're too busy advocating for our basic rights to use a public bathroom or to have access to housing or schooling or healthcare. And so talk to me about, like, because you. You're similar to me where you start off in, like, grassroots organizing and working. And were you working in San Francisco, was it?
[00:11:44] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah.
[00:11:45] Speaker B: Talk to me about those early days and the type of work that you. You've been doing in community.
[00:11:51] Speaker D: I.
I started working in community. Really? It was like, in middle school.
[00:11:59] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:12:00] Speaker D: Yeah. Yeah. Wow. There was this.
This organized. This program, I think it was called Voices for Choices, and it was run by Mujeres Unidas Contrelcida, which is a organization in San Antonio that does HIV awareness and safe sex work. And there was a theater, a kind of community theater, popular education program that went to schools to teach students about protecting themselves. And they were talking about consent and.
Wow. It was in the 2000s in Texas, you know, and I'm in middle school, so I, from that very early age saw the connection between, you know, creative work and community work. But I, after that, kind of went more into community focused work. And so in high school, same thing I did. I think I was in, like, 10 clubs and I was. I was just doing. I was just always doing too much.
[00:13:11] Speaker B: I was the same, too. I was like, in, like, school newspaper, the drama club, like.
[00:13:17] Speaker D: Yes, yes. And we had. So there was like the Environmentalist Club, there was the Interact Club. And then in college, I started working at center for Community Partnerships and at the Queer Resource center. And so I was doing ally trainings and I ran the ESL tutoring program and I created another program. And it just was like I couldn't do enough, you know what I mean? I think that I felt the call, I felt the need, and. And I felt the possibility. Like, when you do that kind of work, you can feel the impact. You really are, like, changing your life, changing other people's lives. And. And it just makes. It makes it all feel possible that. That maybe we can overcome, you know, and so it's. That for me was always the connection that. It's like, very direct.
[00:14:13] Speaker B: You know, one thing that I love about that and love about hearing that from you is that, you know, in a world that tries to get us to believe in, like, a scarcity mindset and that, you know, if you get something and then there's nothing left for me or, you know, that I. And, you know, it. That has definitely plagued our community in ways in which we see that because of politics, passability, you know, what people see as valuable or not valuable with trans folks, you know, sometimes it's been hard for us to, I think, truly support each other for some. For some folks who might, you know, again, because I don't. Even though I understand how negative and bad the scarcity mindset is, I Can't say that I don't understand where a lot of folks come from because of the lay of the situation. But what I love is that I always say that success starts with service.
And so for me, it is this thing of, you know, you. Are you acting? I love that Viola Davis kind of pointed out recently that, you know, beauty has nothing to do with acting. You know, but, you know, sometimes some of us, we get a little bit of dip in both, you know, we get to dip in both containers. We get a little beauty and we get the skills of acting, you know, we get a little bit of everything, you know, but like, it is not something that, that we focus on as an actor. We. What we focus on is revealing the human condition in these roles and revealing. And making a per. Making a role human.
[00:15:57] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:15:57] Speaker B: And I think that that's the work.
[00:15:59] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:16:00] Speaker B: That you were doing before is helping for our society and for the people themselves who have been tricked out of seeing their own humanity, being able to see their humanity. How do you now balance sort of the space of. Because, you know, we come from grassroots organizing and doing all these things. And then when you get into Hollywood, it's kind of a different story. It's not a situation where, you know, when I first got into Hollywood, I thought that I was going to be able to fully utilize my platform in a way, but I realized that there's only so much that they want you to talk about and uplift and do in Hollywood. So how do you, how do you balance being an actress and an advocate for the community?
[00:16:49] Speaker D: You know, there was, there was a time where I felt like I, I had to kind of like, be respectful of people who are full time doing community work and say, like, I don't do that anymore.
You know, I really felt like I was like I needed to create a separation.
And as time has gone by, I realized that the work is connected.
The work is connected. And so we can hold space for all of it. You know, I think it requires grace with ourselves and with other people. And, and what I try to do is uplift the work of people who are on the ground and, and. And uplift the voices of people who can speak very directly and clearly and boldly about, about all the issues that, that we're facing. And ultimately, as the queen Viola Davis said, the acting is about revealing the human condition. And so that it really is a different role. I think that is what took me some time to give myself permission to have a different role in culture change and that we need it all.
[00:18:16] Speaker B: You Know, I. That. That was something that. I agree. Yeah. You know, and I. I. What I love is from my community, from the girls that are on the front line, you know, so many of them. I, you know, I appreciate that they gave me the green light and sort of the go ahead to say they were like, look, girl, we know that you are now in a different space and that you, you know, kind of have to move differently. And we. We love you. We love seeing you on tv. We love that you're an actress, you know, and we're, you know, inspired by a lot of the things that I do. And so I. I did feel.
I felt the blessing sort of from my community to sort of, you know, do that. But, like, you know, also, you know, Candy, it's so funny how they wrote her. Well, because the thing is, is that they didn't.
They, like, wrote a outline, I guess, of her. And so I was able to show up on set and kind of.
Yeah. Build her and show her up and be. Even when there was no line for me on camera, I still, you know, am doing things to pull the attention and. But what I realized was they gave me a space to bring a girl, one of the girls with me to life in the sense of that girl who always says what needs to be said no matter what, or the way that it rolls out. Yes. And, you know, and I know that that's. It's such a complicated. Because we had such a complicated narrative with Candy, something that was like, girl, sit down. Go find your category, or whatever. And then at other times, it's like, well, she's kind of right about this, and she's right about that, you know, and so, you know, I. I think that I'm, you know, in that space where I do accept my role in leadership in ways in which I want to and should and do move differently, you know. But also, I think that for me right now, because so much is on the line, I've been grateful to learn about this Buddhist concept of suffering consciously. And basically what it is is that sometimes we are shaken and thrown off our game when loss or grief or, you know, different type of suffering happens and not realizing that it's actually a part of life, it just. We go from birth to death, and it's gonna happen a few times that you're gonna.
[00:20:46] Speaker D: More than a few times.
[00:20:48] Speaker B: More than a. More than a few times. So the more that we can get into a state of being where we are not shaken by times of turmoil, sort of the better. And so I've, you know, put myself in a position.
So it's like sometimes when I talk to friends and I'm having it, maybe I'm having a difficult time or what have you. I want my friends and people to know that I've made the choices I've made conscious. Yeah, first of all, yes, yes, it's difficult. Yes, it's all the things. But I consciously made that choice and I am suffering.
But there's a different beauty when you suffer consciously versus when it's forced upon you and you feel like you have no control or no, you know, whatever in the situation. And so, you know, we have the saying, suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy, but never give up. Basically we say, never stop chanting, not meoho ring a kill, but also just kind of like, never give up. And so for each of us, you know, I think it is this place where we have to constantly be making these decisions of understanding that life is both joy and suffering. And how are we going to consciously participate and not in these ways of being in denial and like, checking out, but like, okay, I know I do. Okay, Life is suffering. So at some point I'm gonna have to check in on the suffering.
And I think that sometimes as well as a creative, that's one thing that me having, whether it's music or even now as I try to create other projects and other things myself, being able to express through art in ways that we hope, you know, will sort of change.
[00:22:41] Speaker E: Okay, picture this. It's Friday afternoon when a thought hits you. I can spend another weekend doing the same old whatever, or I can hop into my all new Hyundai Santa Fe and hit the road. With available htrac, all wheel drive and three row seating, my whole family can head deep into the wild. Conquer the weekend in the all new Hyundai Santa Fe. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for more details. Hyundai. There's joy in every journey.
Okay, picture this. It's Friday afternoon when a thought hits you. I can spend another week doing the same old whatever, or I can hop into my all new Hyundai Santa Fe and hit the road. With available htrac, all wheel drive and three row seating. My whole family can head deep into the wild. Conquer the weekend in the all new Hyundai Santa Fe. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for more details. Hyundai there's joy in every journey.
[00:23:41] Speaker B: The world around us. Let's talk about your new project. All the words but one. How did this Project come about. What is it about? It looks, it looks, it looks romantic. I don't know. That's what I'm getting from the, the COVID When I think about all the words but one, I think about like, you know, having these emotions but not being able to say I love you or something. So talk to me about this project.
[00:24:10] Speaker D: Well, first of all, I just want to say real quick that, that con. Thank you for sharing that concept with me of, of conscious suffering. It really to me makes me think of the power of a trans person's self determination.
[00:24:24] Speaker B: Yes. Because they know that what's up ahead?
[00:24:26] Speaker D: And we get to choose and we have chosen and so it's all in alignment. You know, there's such power in that. So thank you.
So all the words, but the one is, is a short film which I, I'm curious to see if more people will potentially be surprised by the actual tone and plot of the film because it does, I think, present a surface that, that it is sexy, you know, and maybe alluring. And if anybody needs a visual description of what Angelica was referring to, the poster is me and my co star, Dominic Kim, who plays Santiago on a dinner table, completely naked, wrapped up in each other.
Meanwhile.
[00:25:29] Speaker B: So beautiful. It's a beautiful photo.
[00:25:31] Speaker D: Thank you.
[00:25:32] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:25:32] Speaker D: Meanwhile, the other two cast members, Danny Woodson who plays Aisha and Shawn Dasani who plays Gio, are just still having their dinner.
So it's really, I think about the interruption of, of the, the expectations that, that we have within relationships, the expectations in society to not make people uncomfortable, to hold back, whatever your truth may be as a survivor. And ultimately it's about how we cannot control healing.
Healing is on its own journey and we actually have to meet the healing on that journey.
We have to get there. We have to create the space for it and then let it take us.
We don't get to control it. And so in, in the short, the character that I play I think hasn't quite figured that out.
You know, it's 18 minutes. Wow. You know, and I think I, I.
[00:26:42] Speaker B: Know it's jam packed in that 18 minutes.
[00:26:44] Speaker D: Girl.
I hope that that over the course of the short, it does communicate that, you know, you have to surrender to the process and it's going to take however long it's going to take and, and it's gonna change and it's going to be non linear and you ultimately do get to get to decide when you want to get onto that journey. You just have to surrender.
[00:27:11] Speaker B: Yeah, Yeah, I, I love that because that it really does Take surrender. For you to be able to go from doing, you know, again, community, grassroots work to being swept up into, you know, Hollywood, into all these things because it's, it's. You don't know what's next. You don't know. All you know is I can. Let me show up.
[00:27:33] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:27:33] Speaker B: And let me show up as best as I can, you know, with my best foot forward.
[00:27:37] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:27:39] Speaker B: What. So I can't wait to see this. So is this basically about to hit the. The film festival circuits?
[00:27:44] Speaker D: It is, yes. Yeah. The world premiere is in two days in Baltimore at the Maryland Film Festival.
Oh, I. Well, I guess if this airs after that, then it will have already premiered.
[00:27:57] Speaker B: Yes, yes. And it may, you know, so, you know, it will, it will definitely air because Monday we go on Mondays, so. Yes. So you've kicked off and you'll be kicking off the like sort of film festival tour. I know. I. Hopefully I get to see you along that way because I have a short called Captain Zero. It's a animated series that deals with mental health. The black superhero is actually dealing with depression and his depression demon.
[00:28:24] Speaker D: Wow.
[00:28:25] Speaker B: Yeah. So hopefully I will get to be able to see you on the, like on the, what we call it, the Circuit tour. Yeah, absolutely. So what is, what do you. Now that this can has been opened?
I, you know, I see you.
I see sometimes, you know, it's just like you could see people's futures, you know, and I feel like you're one of those folks that as you've taken onto this role here and just into the space, I can see that this is just the beginning for you. What type of roles are you interested in playing? Do you want to play?
[00:29:11] Speaker D: I want to do a comedy next. I just keep saying that over and over. And so that is manifestation. It's got to be coming.
You know, I really was in this era where I had written my short film and sort of like started to try to get funding for it and then I was cast as Terry and Baby Reindeer and then filmed that and then came back and went right into my short and was. And post. So it was kind of like a two year period where I was doing both of those projects and I'm. I'm good on that for now, you know, like, I really processed so much that I needed to process and it's like I workshopped it and I've released it. I've released it and so now I'm wanting to explore other emotional realms, you know, and. And I actually have done comedy quite a bit. Like we had A drama club in high school.
[00:30:14] Speaker B: I don't think they know the girls are funny.
[00:30:16] Speaker D: Yes, exactly.
[00:30:17] Speaker B: I don't think they know how funny the girls really are.
[00:30:20] Speaker D: Yes. Yeah. And. And comedy is also a skill. Right. And people devote their lives to. To kind of hone that craft. And so I am actually very, very interested in. In building that skill set and, and, and enjoying what it feels like to have a good time laughing on set. And.
[00:30:45] Speaker B: And have you done improv?
[00:30:46] Speaker D: I have.
I've done.
[00:30:49] Speaker B: Because I'm gonna tell you, improv is the place where you get. That's where you build that bone.
[00:30:53] Speaker D: I need to.
[00:30:54] Speaker B: It lets you let go of. Because basically the whole thing about improv is. Yes. And. And it's just like you can't. You gotta. Whatever they're giving you, you gotta kind of go along with it. And so, you know, the comedy comes along with. And improv is about your response.
[00:31:11] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:31:12] Speaker B: It's just literally that you are listening to what just happened and even if you are. Don't even know what to do yet, and you're like, hold up. What did I just do?
[00:31:21] Speaker D: Yeah. You know what I mean?
[00:31:22] Speaker B: And it literally is a way to get in. It's just your response. So the more you do, like, the improv stuff definitely builds that bone. So I definitely recommend some improv.
[00:31:32] Speaker D: Thank you. Thank you.
[00:31:33] Speaker B: Are you in Los Angeles or where do you.
[00:31:35] Speaker D: I am. Yeah.
[00:31:35] Speaker B: You live in Los Angeles now.
[00:31:37] Speaker D: Are you? Wow. I know you. You have.
[00:31:39] Speaker B: I was in Los Angeles. Now I'm back in my home in Georgia, you know, so when they do call me back for whatever they might call me back for, I will be. They will have to fly me out. I will have to get flew out because I am going to be staying at Georgia residence for me once. Shame on me.
So. So, okay, so my next thing I guess I want to ask you is for yourself, like, personally, you know, like as a trans person, what are some things? Like, okay, you've been able to have the dream of acting and doing those things, but what are some sort of like just personal goals and dreams that you have for yourself? Maybe outside of acting?
[00:32:30] Speaker D: I want to be more grateful to my body, my good. My good friend. I think probably just yesterday, it feels like it was two weeks ago, but I think it might have been yesterday that she told me, you know, Nava, your body has worked so hard for you. And you. You too have been through so much.
And it's one thing to take care of it and nourish it. It's another thing to Be grateful to it and really have that kind of open relationship with your body and be in communication with your body so that then you're able to listen to it better in order to nourish and take care. So I really, really want to get into more practice of, of being in touch with my body and spirituality. Like, I just know that those are the realms where I, I've prioritized other things and, and, and so it's. Now it's time to. I'm like, okay, I really, really want to have the space for that.
[00:33:38] Speaker B: You know, saying that I struggle with this similar thing where I am a type of trans person who just because of my DNA and things like that, I was able to just get away with a lot of stuff and not have to do, you know, much. And so, you know, I would just take my little Tic Tac and that would be it. But, you know, I'm someone who grew up in the church and spirituality and so, like, usually that's what's got me through this time is having this spiritual foundation. But for me, my spiritual stuff was so strongish that where I could almost. It was as if I was living more in my spirit than I was in my actual body. So I wasn't really having to deal with the conflict that I was having in my body because I wasn't really in it. I wasn't really in it for pleasure.
My body was for man's pleasure, so it wasn't at that. You know, back then I wasn't really concerned about my own pleasure. So it was a lot of things. And you know, even as a trans person in the movement, I have given a lot of my life to the movement and my body. I put my body on the line so many times and I take care of myself. I eat a shower, brush my teeth, you know, I go for walks and I do things like that as well, have the dogs and stuff. But I'm hearing you when I know that even for myself, I have not had a gratitude.
I. I have not shown a gratitude, whether it's in the choices of how, what, How I feed my body, how I heal, how I rest, how I get sun, or. Or even, you know, exercise and all those things, like all of it is a communication of value and love to your ingratitude to your body. And yet as a trans person, I think sometimes we can be in a state of sometimes conflict with our body and sometimes just like this homeostasis where it's just like, we good? Yeah, everything's good. But I'm not still at the place of going to the next level?
[00:36:03] Speaker D: Well, it's because, you know, for a lot of us, we were in such deep conflict with our body for so long that if we get to a place of neutrality, it's like, okay, I did it.
It's like, oh, hold on, hold on, hold on. You know, that actually is. Is level one for most people.
Yeah, yeah. So I'm trying to level up. I'm trying to level up.
[00:36:27] Speaker B: That is the word is leveling up.
And I am also chanting and praying for that level up in your career as well and to see more things from you. For those that don't know anything about Baby Reindeer or your character, what can you tell us?
[00:36:48] Speaker D: Baby Reindeer is a story that is based on Richard Gad's own life experience, and it tells the story of a time in his life when he was being stopped by a woman that he met by chance at a pub.
And it explores the. The topics of sexual abuse and healing from trauma. Part of the story is also that he was dating a trans woman during this time named Terry, who is a therapist. And I was very lucky to get to play Terry.
[00:37:24] Speaker B: Well, I, you know, I.
I've had my feel of. Of disturbing Disturbia, you know, but I just have to see you in this role, so I'm going to get over my stuff and I'm going to. Because I just. We don't get often, you know, these type of portrayals, and I just know you shine in this role, so I can't wait to see you.
[00:37:49] Speaker D: Thank you. Thank you. It's. It is very intense. I keep telling people, you know, bring some water and maybe your journal, like, take your time. Take breaths. Like it's. It is.
[00:38:00] Speaker B: I will definitely not be binge watching. I will definitely be taking my time with it. But thank you, Nava, so much for taking time out of your busy day to. To speak with me. I am just such. I'm now one of your biggest fans. I'm going to be watching as you rise. I can't wait to see what you do next year. I feel like I'm looking at you. I'm like, she's our trend. Selma Highest. She's. She's giving all of the things, honey. So I hope that Hollywood gives you all of the things as well and gives you your flowers.
[00:38:27] Speaker D: Thank you, Angelica. I feel the same way about you. And I'll be chanting and praying for you as well. We're gonna level up, girl.
[00:38:35] Speaker B: Please do. Because, you know, listen, I'm not done here, and I'm not done being creative. It's just that I'm. I'm just making a mark in the sand right now to say that I'm. I want to do it on my terms in a way that I feel like I'm being respected and valued and not tokenized.
[00:38:49] Speaker D: Amen.
[00:38:50] Speaker B: For all of us. You know what I mean? For all of us. All right, thank you so much, and we will be right back, y'all.
[00:38:56] Speaker C: And like Angelica said, I am Madam cj and I am here with the Buddhist breadcrumb. One of my favorite concepts in Buddhism, in Nichiren Buddhism, is 3,000 realms in every moment. A person like myself, who is a fiery, feisty Sagittarius, who can be very reactive and who can respond very quickly, needs to remember this at all times, because we can change the actual trajectory of the moment if we realize that a moment is very powerful. There are 3, 000 realms in every moment. This is a Buddhist concept. And we can slow down time when we chant nam myoho renge kyo. This means to pause before reacting or responding to something that may be happening, that is negative or something that is problematic. So I do my best to embody the concept of 3000 realms in every single moment.
So this week, I want you to remember the pause. Remember, embody 3,000 realms of each moment.
And remember, no opportunity is ever wasted.
