We recently connected with Natalia Martins and have shared our conversation below.
Natalia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
I was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, a small country but recognized for its human quality and great merits in soccer. I lived there for 18 years. From a very young age I always knew that I would go to another country to have a different life; So I got married and moved 6033 miles from my home. First big risk: going to an unknown country with a relationship that had practically just begun.
We both went with a plan in mind, I would go to college and he would work; but life had something different for us in mind. To my surprise, what started as a perfect plan, where my life was going to be not very different from others, became a spiritual and purposeful path.
3 years were enough for me to realize that after many falls and successes, something else was missing in my life. At the age of 21 I got divorced, I had only 23 euros in my bank account and I was discouraged. I was starting again from scratch.
For 6 months I disconnected myself from the world and only focused on finding my passion. Meanwhile, I began to grow professionally; I was the director of a company, I started my YouTube channel and I became that Natalia that I always dreamed of being. One night, all the pieces of the puzzle that didn’t seem to fit together at one point, came together to make the whole picture, showing me the answer I needed. I wanted to be an actress!
The rest is history… The only thing I can say is that, 1 year later, I crossed the ocean again to reach the United States. Two suitcases and a dream: to be the first Uruguayan actress to win an Oscar.
Today, I am part of the movie ‘Reese Enterprises’ directed by Jacob Grehl, which will soon be on an important streaming platform.
Failure is not taking risks.
Natalia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Have you ever felt that your life has a greater purpose than just going to college, buying a house, having a car, getting married and having children? Don’t get me wrong, this is great, but personally I always had a voice inside of me, imploring me to make a few small adjustments to the famous equation of life. Well, maybe big adjustments. One of the most vivid memories I have as a child is when, for the first time, I painted the United States flag on a white piece of paper. I placed it behind the bed, and every moment I looked at it, I was transported to that wonderful country. On that same wall I had posters of the biggest movie stars, whom I admired and hoped to one day meet. The only thing I know is that deep down in my soul, I knew the life I wanted and who I wanted to become.
My childhood was incredible. I was a great dreamer, I believed that everything was possible for me, time passed slowly and life seemed to have more color. When I reached adolescence, I began to let myself be influenced by what others thought of me. That great dream of going to the United States and becoming a movie star had been buried; but something that I have learned in recent years is that God always has a plan for us, and absolutely everything happens for a reason.
If you knew me at 17 years old, you would have realized that, within me, there was an unquenchable hunger to do things differently. That hunger was covered by a thin shell of shyness and lack of self-confidence. At 18 is when finally, what kept me in the shadows, came to light. I had a vision. Suddenly I began to feel something inside of me, a feeling between hope and enthusiasm… Faith took over me little by little. So with vision, faith and determination, I decided to step into the unknown.
I lived 4 years in Spain; 4 years in which I built the foundations of the tower that I am building today. I learned the value of effort, of giving without expecting anything in return; compassion; integrity; actively listening and appreciating what the other has to say; humility to admit that I don’t know everything. I learned the value of words; the small actions done with love; empathy; the power of making people smile; patience; optimism; determination; discipline; approach; leadership; communication. I learned about the law of sowing and reaping; to forgive; to thank; release emotional burdens; respect; help from the heart; listen to the voice of my soul; prioritize myself; love me and accept me. I learned that the mind is suggestible and that we must take great care of the information we consume, just as we take care of the food we give our body. I learned that we are more than just a body, and that behind nature we can answer many of the questions we ask ourselves daily. I learned that knowledge as such is not power, but the execution of it is; the information by itself is valuable, but if you keep it to yourself and do not put it into practice, it is of no use to you.
If I had to choose between all the money in the world or having wisdom, I would choose the second option, because it is wisdom that leads you to a prosperous and abundant life. Just like King Solomon asked God “Now give me wisdom and knowledge” – 2 Chronicles 1:10.
Today, October 2022, I am living in the United States on my way to Los Angeles, California; I wrote and published my first “book” (I’ll tell you about it later), and I got a leading role in a movie that will soon be released on one of the biggest platforms. What brought me here? The same reasons as years ago: a vision, faith and determination. I share all my path on my YouTube channel, which I started 2 years ago, when I was coming out of one of the darkest storms of my life.
But here I am! Healthy, safe and… HAPPY!
The only thing I can tell you is that excuses are for weak people, and I know that you are strong. If you have dreams, go for them! Are you afraid to jump out of the nest and fall into the void? Believe me that when you do, the wings that kept your heart and soul tied, will come out. If you are very comfortable and fear the unknown because “you are fine with what you have”, I invite you to imagine life itself as the most prestigious school you have ever attended. Every day is a different lesson; Every day you are closer to fulfilling your dreams. Remember that the seed you sow today will be the fruit you will reap tomorrow. Plant seeds of greatness, and you will have a great life.
My purpose in life? Transform millions of people through the gifts that God gave me. I take the victorious exits from the deserts of my life, as the most valuable thing I can offer humanity. I want each person to achieve total spiritual and material fulfillment. I want them to enjoy a life where they can give their full potential and show their gift to the world.
I commit to helping you. Do you?
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My goal is to break down the barriers of the mind and the prejudices of latin society about actors.
There are so many people out there with great gifts and untapped talents, that I feel a big responsibility on showing the world that it doesn’t matter where you come from, if you were born in a low-income family, if nobody supports you, or if you think you have nothing to give, everything is possible if you adopt an attitude of total dedication to life. For this reason I created the planner called “Lead your Life”. It is my ultimate expression of love for those who have big dreams but feel stuck, without vision or purpose in life.
As you know, at 21, I got divorced, ended up with less than $30 in my bank account and no job (not to mention being away from my family). It is at those turning points where our life can go down two different paths: sadness and abandonment of our own being; or happiness, determination and willpower. I decided to take the second path, and that’s when I discovered the power of planning. The only thing that was clear to me was the type of life I wanted to have, and that was enough for me to start mapping out in great detail the following three areas: health, money and love. Little by little the clouds of procrastination and uncertainty disappeared from my mind, giving way to the light of organization, focus and discipline.
The only thing I can say is that there is no such thing as magic, rather there is what is called “cause and effect”. By planning you are ordering your ideas, you clarify your thoughts and prioritize what leads you to your established goals. When you least expect it, you get to where one day you thought you could never get to.
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” -Hebrews 12:11
These are the main benefits of planning:
-Reduce stress
-Activates the reward hormone (dopamine)
-Improved mood and attitude
-Increases productivity
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
These are some of the books that have helped me in my personal growth process: the Bible, “The Voice of Your Soul” by Lain, “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle, “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, “The monk who sold his ferrari” by Robin Sharma, “The 7 laws of success” by Deepak Chopra, among others.
They have also been great sources of inspiration when it comes to public speaking and communication: Bryan Tracy, Tony Robbins, Mel Robbins, Lain Garcia Calvo, Dante Gebel, Robin Sharma, Brene Brown.
Great figures who have left their legacy sharing wisdom that we can all learn and apply today: Nikola Tesla, Henry Ford, Thomas A. Edison, Nelson Mandela, Louis Hay, and of course, Jesus of Nazareth, the most important man in history of humanity.
Stories of great artists have also been part of my path towards my dream of becoming a movie star, among them: Audrey Hepburn, Silvester Stallone, Will Smith, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Shania Twain, Jennifer Lopez, Peter Dinklage, Dwaine Johnson, among others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://express.adobe.com/page/m37QnEdSljeO6/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliamartinssoy/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVDNvTnIMd55Y3c3Qt9u9Ng
- Other: Backstage: https://www.backstage.com/u/natalia-martins/?editing=1 ModelManagment: https://www.modelmanagement.com/model/natalia-micaela-martins-dos-santos/
Image Credits
Kevin day Photography
Ruben Zanel
Jacob Grehl