Author of
The Stage is Yours

 You may be feeling too old or too young, too qualified or too inexperienced, way ahead or way behind... wherever you think you are there’s a vital definite longing at some point in your life for deeper introspection and soul-searching so you become more capable of embracing the most authentic version of yourself! With every page of this book you’ll start giving permission to every single building block of your true identity to get restructured till it fully surfaces under the spotlight... watch how fascinating the process is till you fully take on that leading character role in the ‘center of your own stage of life’!

‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players’. That’s William Shakespeare, and I couldn’t grasp the meaning of it until I experienced it fully, for indeed the theater is a representation of life itself!

I’ve come to connect with that stage as a platform to explore multiple life perspectives and different life scenarios! By delving into monologue, dialogue and character portrayal, the theater holds empathy and deepens our understanding of the human experience. This is similar in life where we find ourselves approaching and perceiving life from different separate angles or positions till we take hold of the whole picture!

In the audience you become an observer watching your role disconnect from any intentionality on your part! Backstage, you get unseen, unheard running away from the spotlight! Onstage, you sometimes play roles detached from your real character in order to embody roles that are expected of you by either circumstance or other people in your life! But when you become the Director of the Stage… that is the only time you can actually do justice to yourself and the whole Stage Set and Performance of the play! Only then you get the privilege of choosing the most fitting leading actor, best supporting characters and the most ideal element impacting every aspect of your stage! That leading actor and Director ought to be You and only You!

This book may be your ultimate guide to restoring your truest self, regaining your greatest sovereignty and reclaiming your fullest life imaginable.
You may be feeling too old or too young, too qualified or too inexperienced, way beyond or way behind…
Wherever you think you are, whatever you feel you need, and whoever you believe yourself to be… All these ideas are growing dim, now, as you contemplate this dazzling fact:
If these words of mine were not yours to read, Emiku, these hands of yours would be holding another book.
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players”. That’s William Shakespeare, and I couldn’t grasp the meaning of it until I experienced it fully, for indeed, the theater is a representation of life itself.
Theater serves as a platform to explore other perspectives that may go unnoticed. Then by delving into dialogue, monologue and character portrayal, the theater holds empathy and deepens our understanding of the human experience. This is similar in life, where we encounter different positions while perceiving life which unfolds as a 360 degree panorama.
In the audience, we become observers, loyal to our role as outsiders in life. Backstage, we organize and rest away from the spotlight. Onstage, we play our roles, expressing ourselves, just like in life. This brings us to differentiate between the actor, who detaches to embody the character, and the director shapes the play’s vision. Hence while sitting in the director’s chair, it offers a full perspective to comprehend life from a broader point of view.
Therefore, in this book, dear Emiku, you will be guided to launch the first Act of your journey as a Life Director.
So, take a deep breath in, sit back, and enjoy the show.

“Who are you? And why are you calling me Emiku?”
I am Nadine Chammas. I am a wife, a mother, a lifelong learner, an educator, a mentor, an inspirational speaker, an author, a singer, a songwriter, and an entrepreneur…
I am also a performing artist, an NLP coach, a transformational counselor, a stage hypnotist, a drama therapist, and a healer… In short, I am a woman passionate about positivity, empowerment, and joy.
I spent most of my life performing on stage and entertaining the masses with my plays and shows. I was the star and the stage was my safe space, my lover, my home.
Then, a culmination of pain, grief, and disorientation drove a wedge between us. And I found myself lost in the Theater of Life, rehearsing scripts that I didn’t write, and playing small narratives in which other people starred.
Like a puppet, I found myself stripped of all my creativity, power, and joy. And when people asked me, “Who are you?” The only answer in my head was, “I have no clue.”
But when the consequences of this lifestyle stared me in the eye, I awakened and decided to get my act together. I ditched all the scripts that I had adopted and resigned from all the roles that I had agreed to perform. I decided to write my own script, embody the protagonist character of my own story, and be the director of my own life.
I am Nadine Chammas, the Life Director.
In this jungle overgrown with tangled masses of confusion, depletion, and powerlessness, I am very fortunate to have found the formula that initiated my dormant self, activated my ultimate sovereignty, and erupted my pending life.
The Life Director is the title that I created for myself to represent all that I am and summarize all that I do, as well as define this formula that totally flipped my life around.
Emiku is the title that I created for you, inspired by the Andamanese adjective meaning “direct” and the Japanese name meaning “blessed and joyful young spirit”, to represent each and every person desiring to flip their lives around and become their own Life Director.
Sounds fun, right, Emiku?

“Indeed! But what is this formula about? And what differentiates it from the rest?”
This formula borrows the principles of storytelling, acting, and directing from the world of Theater, mixes them with my life experiences, and applies them to the world of Life.
It could be used as a simple and fun quick fix to skin-deep day-to-day scenarios; incredibly effective when you’re tight on time and energy.
And it could be used as a complex and thorough existential exercise; exquisitely resourceful when you’re contemplating and reviewing your state of mind and role in life.
This method demands no prerequisites and may further serve as a sweet yet powerful tool to help you assist your child, partner, student, parent, client, and friend on their own life journeys.
And because I wanted this method to become well-rooted and memorable to you and your loved ones, I left you my own key takeaways in bold and italics at the end of each chapter. Feel free to collect them in your journal or write them down on sticky notes, as well as share them with the people you care for or rephrase them to your own liking, for these tiny vows may grow into potent game-changers if planted and watered well.

“This seems interesting, but it’s still a little too ambiguous. Could you tell me some more?”
I love your sense of curiosity and desire for knowledge and control, Emiku. This is how the show will progress.
In Chapter One, I will introduce you to Life as a Play and unravel the domino effect of such a philosophical perspective.
In Chapter Two, I will introduce you to your Essence, as I share with you my own journey to discovering mine. Here, you will meet yourself as the protagonist or main character of your own play.
In Chapter Three, I will show you how to embody your Essence in all the different roles that you play in the stages of your life by giving you first-hand examples. Here, you will meet yourself as the embodied actor of your own play.
In Chapter Four, I will take you on a tour to the stage and the backstage areas of your life’s theater. I will assist you in decluttering your environment and then furnishing it with all the tools and props that you may need for the smooth and effective execution of your theatrical production. Here, you will meet yourself as the stage manager of your own play.
In Chapter Five, I will give you a simple and practical tool that will enable you to intentionally define and refine your character and your story development in your next life chapter. Here, you will meet yourself as the scriptwriter of your own play.
In Chapter Six, I will share the insights that my life experience taught me about how to discern, dismiss, and recruit the best backstage crew you could ever have. This would be yet another responsibility of yours as a stage manager.
In Chapter Seven, I will help you develop your own guidelines to discern, dismiss, and recruit the best supporting actors for your play. Here, you will meet yourself as the theater director - or the life director of your own play.
In Chapter Eight, I will support you as you rehearse one last time for your first life show – the embodiment of your refined character before a real live audience. In this final rehearsal, you will stand back and observe your show from the audience’s perspective as well as from the life director’s perspective for one final tweak.
In Chapter Nine, I will tell you exactly what you need to do to successfully advertise your show. I will help you select the date and place of your show, as well as the marketing tools and techniques that are most efficient for you. Here, you will meet yourself as the marketing manager of your own play.
And finally, in Chapter Ten, I will remind you of all the cues that I gave you to live your life as a play and be your own life director. I will descend those wooden stairs, take a seat among the audience, and marvel at you as you take center stage and rock your Life.
Let me go a little bit deeper
This manuscript you’re holding has a twisted layout. Every chapter, as you’ll notice later on, starts with a theater script. Each script is a story based on bits and pieces of my life. But remember, a story is just a story. What matters are the feelings it evokes and the morals it leaves engraved.
You’ll find two scenes in every act, the first scene describes times in my life when I wasn’t in my element, estranged from myself, very far from my essence. Then the second scene describes how I handled situations in my life after I had learned all the lessons while asserting myself and embodying my essence.
Each script is preceded by what’s called the Dramatis Personae, a page describing the characters presented in the scene, the physical setting they’re in, and during what period the story takes place.
Then every story starts with a “Setting”, which describes the stage, the props, and the ambiance. Then just below it, “At Rise”, which is a paragraph describing what’s happening on stage just as the curtains rise, precisely before the action takes place.
The scripts are very traditional, sometimes under each character’s name you’ll find sentences in between parentheses, those sentences describe how the character is reacting, moving, or behaving. The word (Cont.) is repeated many times after a character’s name. It is an indication that the character will continue speaking after an abrupt stop. The abbreviation (VO) means “Voice Over” and indicates that what’s been said is recorded and played alongside the action in the theater. Then finally, at the end of every scene, the word “Blackout” appears, signifying that all the lights are off and the scene has reached its end.
Then, after these magical, theatrical, and dramatic journeys, at times too surprising, I expand the Life Director concept At first you’ll find a part where I tell you more of my experience and how it helped me shape my philosophy based on the scenes of that chapter, then a part where I share my philosophy expansively, finally, you’ll reach exercises tailored specifically to help you find answers about yourself.

My hands and heart will celebrate you as you proudly clap for yourself. You’ve done it, Emiku!
The Life Director method is my life’s calling, my philosophy, my passion, my legacy… And it is my ultimate honor to pass it on to you.