Herb Freed in his director days
Yes, you read that title correctly. Herb Freed has indeed had careers in the spiritual, entertainment, and literary fields. He is one of the most outstanding people I have ever (virtually) met and had the pleasure of learning some incredible wisdom from. While the current quarantine kept us communicating through only a brief hello on FaceTime and emails, Herb’s enthusiasm and care for people bounded across the virtual gates and brightened my spirit.
Herb’s first career was as an ordained rabbi in New York where he was drawn to the stage, producing and directing three shows in a playhouse. From there, he moved on to directing feature films, also producing and writing some of them, continuing on deeper into his creative passion.
Herb’s first career was as an ordained rabbi in New York where he was drawn to the stage, producing and directing three shows in a playhouse. From there, he moved on to directing feature films, also producing and writing some of them, continuing on deeper into his creative passion.
While an incredibly bold move, Herb is someone truly unique, as he accepts challenges and overcomes them through strong dedication, even if it is considering socially unorthodox. He is now the author of two novels, Love, Faith and a Pair of Pants and Bashert.
As someone who originally studied nursing in my first year of college, I find Herb’s life particularly fascinating. While some may not understand my switch from the steady career as a nurse to the wandering one of a writer, I see people like Herb and know that I am making the right choice. If someone as wise as him knows to drastically change careers to best suit his skills and happiness, then me changing my original course of study was definitely the right move.
As someone who originally studied nursing in my first year of college, I find Herb’s life particularly fascinating. While some may not understand my switch from the steady career as a nurse to the wandering one of a writer, I see people like Herb and know that I am making the right choice. If someone as wise as him knows to drastically change careers to best suit his skills and happiness, then me changing my original course of study was definitely the right move.
“When you choose a career, you have to be realistic about
how to evaluate your success!"
I think what I find so impressive is how Herb strives for flexibility while maintaining a devotion to whatever craft he is pursuing. He has managed to find the perfect balance in career advice and particularly encouraged people to find a passion to devote their time to, being unafraid to switch it if necessary. “If you are driven to find that field that provides you with what your soul demands, stay with it, learn to perform better than your peers and finally, if you do all that and you are proud of your accomplishments (forever or for a short time) you can sit back and rejoice for having made the best choices possible (for you...at that time).” What a wonderful viewpoint. This is something that I definitely want to implement into my own thinking. No matter where you are in life, these wise words are crucial to keep in mind. It’s not necessary to keep in one field, whether that be your career or even your hobbies. What is important, is making sure that whatever you are doing is something that you actively want to devote your time to in order to be better.
“If you are at a party and someone asks you what you do, if you are shy or embarrassed to tell the truth of what you are pursuing,
it's time to reevaluate your goals . . . or your friends."
Herb was blessed with support from his first wife, Anne Marisse, while dealing with career changes, as he noted that she “could read what gave me pleasure in pursuit and success in what made me feel that I was using the time the Good Lord provided me.” Later in his life, he attributes many of his accomplishments from his second wife, Marion Segal, who was the inspiration for his novel, Bashert. Making the change from studying nursing to writing was something that my family saw as a better use of my natural talents and they were a driving force in me finding my own passion, so I definitely relate to this. It’s something I hope everyone will find in life.
Sometimes, encouragement comes from other sources, such as your friends. “If you are lucky enough to have a friend who loves you so much they can tell you that you just don't have the qualities to succeed in that field and if you're really lucky, they help direct you to where your traits are strongest.” Unfortunately, not everyone has people that can see what direction they need to go to be successful. At times, we must rely on ourselves to figure out our own path and find true happiness in our life. When this happens, Herb recommends really taking a look into how you are responding to what you are doing as “you will know when you're in with a full heart and when you begin to fake it. If and when the latter happens.” While hopeful that we pursue what we choose to do in our life with complete dedication, it is necessary to recognize that sometimes we can fake our feelings towards our career. We want to be happy, so we pretend that we are, but it is crucial that we take a step back and accept that sometimes we’re not completely devoted to what we’re doing. You must know yourself, listen to your feelings, and respond accordingly.
Sometimes, encouragement comes from other sources, such as your friends. “If you are lucky enough to have a friend who loves you so much they can tell you that you just don't have the qualities to succeed in that field and if you're really lucky, they help direct you to where your traits are strongest.” Unfortunately, not everyone has people that can see what direction they need to go to be successful. At times, we must rely on ourselves to figure out our own path and find true happiness in our life. When this happens, Herb recommends really taking a look into how you are responding to what you are doing as “you will know when you're in with a full heart and when you begin to fake it. If and when the latter happens.” While hopeful that we pursue what we choose to do in our life with complete dedication, it is necessary to recognize that sometimes we can fake our feelings towards our career. We want to be happy, so we pretend that we are, but it is crucial that we take a step back and accept that sometimes we’re not completely devoted to what we’re doing. You must know yourself, listen to your feelings, and respond accordingly.
“To seek success in achieving whatever you set as a goal, you must truly believe that the road you follow - which when it's only moderately successful, is a significant venture for you at this point in your life."
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If you are interested in reading more about Herb’s challenges and accomplishments, I recommend his latest book, Love, Faith and a Pair of Pants, which is a collection of stories inspired by his fascinating life. His other novel, Bashert, is an enthralling love story based on the Jewish concept of soulmates, bashert, which is the Yiddish word for “destiny.”
You could also take a step back into his other career and watch the movies he’s best known for: Graduation Day, Dead Punkz, and Paradise Lost. Herb Freed has done so much throughout his life and I have never been more impressed by someone who truly fought for what they thought was best, even if it was a drastic change. |
“When to accept a new path? Sometimes because you’re en route to where you want to be, sometimes it's the benefits, sometimes the status.
Requirement: To thine own self be true."
To see all of Herb Freed's books and accomplishments, visit https://www.herbfreed.com/
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