Norton, who began acting at age six, told the Living Ageless and Bold<\/em> podcast that the anxiety she experienced was apparent to casting directors\u2014and for years, it was the only thing they saw. “The only parts I got cast for were frightened children, because that’s what I projected,” she said.<\/p>\n That changed three months before Norton auditioned for the role of Mary Ellen when she discovered the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health<\/em> by L. Ron Hubbard.<\/p>\n Dianetics<\/em> describes the reactive mind as a part of the mind that records moments of pain and loss and can influence a person’s reactions without their awareness. It presents a method for identifying the source of unwanted emotions and reactions.<\/p>\n “I used Dianetics<\/em>, and it’s like a switch flipped,” Norton said. “The anxiety, the fear\u2014walking into that audition, not an ounce. When I went to audition for Mary Ellen, I went in there cocky and confident.”<\/p>\n For Norton, overcoming audition anxiety was only the beginning. After The Waltons<\/em> ended its nine-season run, she faced another challenge familiar to many actors: being defined by the role that made her famous.<\/p>\n Norton said the same tools helped her navigate the transition that followed the show’s success as she worked to establish an identity beyond Mary Ellen Walton. “I am me. I’m valuable,” she said. “I have a worth beyond whether I’m on a hit TV show or not.”<\/p>\n Today, more than five decades after beginning her career, Norton continues to act, direct and perform on stage. Looking back on the challenges that shaped her career, she credits Dianetics<\/em> with giving her tools that she continues to rely on long after her breakthrough role.<\/p>\n Established in 1981, Bridge Publications, Inc., located in Los Angeles, California, is the publisher of the nonfiction works of international best-selling author L. Ron Hubbard. Bridge Publications’ award-winning state-of-the-art facility serves geographic regions including North and Latin America, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n For more information, visit dianetics.org<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n Sara Lucatero
Bridge Publications, Inc.
sdinges@bridgepub.com<\/p>\n
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