Robert Taylor grew up in ten different foster homes, some of which were abusive. The lack of family bonding and the fear of what would happen to him next produced a shy and insecure child who wrestled with both a lack of confidence and damaged self esteem. Locked away alone for days in damp and dark basements with rats all about him, or in smothering attics fighting for air to breathe, the child within became increasingly introspective. In most cases, any person subjected to the physical beatings, mental anguish, and emotional deprivation of this type of childhood would become apprehensive, selfish, and bitter with a distain for people. This is not what happened though.
As he grew, his inner struggles became more complicated. Since each new day brought new challenges of survival, he always possesed hope for a brighter tomorrow. Forced to constantly leave his past behind him, he learned to look forward with faith toward a future of achievement. Within the child grew a greater understanding of the human condition, and thereby, it became impossible not to empathize with and feel compassion for others.
Robert was accepted into the Church Farm School, a college preparitory private school for boys from broken homes. Positive dicipline began to mold the man. Since he had no family, the time spent by other boys on visits and holidays was used to learn music, art, and writing. It was here at the school that he began the process of learning to be social through competetive sports and performing arts. Becoming proficient at either proved to be the greatest challenge to date for such a shy young man, but his early childhood had already strengthened him for the task.
By graduation time, he had won seven sports letters, numerous performing awards, and a scholarship to proceed on to an education at West Chester University. Comparative religion courses at the boarding school had given him an insight into the use of religion by man to understand the inner workings and to fulfill the inner needs of all peoples regardless of race, culture, color, or particular choice of religious belief. Since all peoples seemed to believe in some form of love and peace among one another, he could not understand the lack of compassion in the world of one person for another. It seemed to him that religion by its very symbolic and complicated nature was actually clouding and confusing the very people it was meant to assist. And so, he sought a more personal means of bringing others to self-awareness and ,thereby, self-improvement.
As a theatre major at the University, he focused on acting and therefore much character study and developement.The inner workings of the actors mind, emotions, and physical control in creating believable characters lead to his belief in Shakespeare's treatise that the whole world is indeed a stage. There seemed to be little difference between the actor's struggle to create a realistic character and the struggle for personal self comprehension. Since we are always acting in our everyday life, the knowledge gained by any actor in pursuit of his craft could be tailored and taught to everyday people attempting to improve themselves through self-awareness. Extensive study in Psychology and Philosophy ensued.
At the completion of college, Robert met John Barth; one of the greatest teachers of positive thought of our time. He learned from his newfound mentor that all success in life is derived from personal honor and personal faith: faith in ones self and the honor of becoming a giving person. His personal achievement of overcoming the struggles of his childhood, and the pursuit of music, art, writing, and acting gave Robert an understanding of the general principles inherent in the creative process itself. Since we are always attempting to create our own character upon Shakespeare's stage of life, Robert has developed a curriculum for self improvement based on those creative principles coupled with a study in positive character developement.
How we see others is how we treat them, and how others see us is how they will treat us. Our own self image is the character that we create for ourselves and therefore what we project for others to see. Gaining an understanding of creating a positive character for one's self is fun, fulfilling, and creates a more productive, understanding, secure, and above all, compassionate person at either work or play. Relationships and the ability to control situations improves at both the personal and professional level and so then does personal or professional productivity.
Robert Taylor has been writing, performing, and teaching Acting and Self-Improvement seminars for decades. Both his training and his philosophy of life have bettered the lives of thousands of people and made the world a more productive and compassionate place for us all.
