Meet Tiana Pongs | Actress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tiana Pongs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tiana, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Balance is one of the most important aspects of life. I could write a whole novel about balance. The topic is so important to me that I got a tattoo on my arm that says: Balance is everything. My life, my friendships, my relationships, nothing was really in balance, so I became more and more concerned with this whole dynamic, and after I realized the importance, I transformed my life.

Balance and happiness are closely related. Many people are not aware of this.

Whenever we pay attention to just one aspect of our life, another aspect gets less attention. All our lives consist of different aspects such as work/earning money, family, love/partnership, and hobbies/traveling/friendships. All aspects are important for survival and our soul needs all of them. Which explains why even multimillionaires who have paid too little attention to their private lives are depressed and unhappy. And vice versa, you can be in the most loving relationship, and it breaks up because of money-related issues.

What helped me a lot was imagining my life as a cake and dividing it into 4-5 different pieces. We all have 100% energy and time, and it is our responsibility how we divide the cake. Looking back, I can really say that it was one of the most important realizations of my life. The whole thing also has another wonderful side effect. You take the pressure off different areas of life, and things happen effortlessly. For me personally, this was really the key to happiness and peace of mind.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Our world is so divided right now, and I believe, everyone has the power to make an impact in a positive way. Art is a creative way to do so. Movies and television are amazing tools for raising awareness, providing bridges to understanding someone else’s perspectives to deepen understanding of the world and spread ideas that matter. That’s why I act, to use my voice. I want to be a part of the solution.

The lessons I’ve learned on the way are to stop thinking so much, just do it! Work hard and be gentle to yourself in the process. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Success comes over time with consistency. Be wise about who you surround yourself with, be open to learning from anybody, and have fun in the process.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
That would be Santa Monica, my new adopted home! I emigrated from Germany a few months ago. All I ever wanted was to live by the ocean! Having this salty smell in my nose when I wake up! The sound of the seagulls and the waves at night and the warmth of the sun on my skin. I never imagined how transformative this environment would be for me. I hang out a lot just by the ocean and around the Santa Monica Pier. Grabbing a coffee, and reading a book. With friends coming to visit me I would go to my favorite Mexican restaurant “La Fiesta Brava” in Venice, the spot is family-owned, not fancy at all but the best fish tacos I’ve ever eaten. I also go to Sunny Blue on Main Street regularly; they serve hand-crafted omusubi. Try the ebi mayo omusubi, if you like shrimp. I get hungry just thinking about it. And for a proper dinner, I would recommend Sugar Fish in Brentwood or the Water Grill on Ocean Avenue. I recently had dinner with friends at the Moonshadows in Malibu and the food was really good, too and the location is amazing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The first person coming to my mind is my mother. She always believed in me no matter what. She never questioned me, no matter how crazy my ideas were. And I had a lot of them. Looking back, that gave me a lot of self-confidence because I think when you are around people who tend to be anxious and negative, it can do so much damage that you may not even give it a try.

Website: www.tianapongs.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tianapongs/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/tianapongs/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tianapongs/

Other: https://medium.com/@tianapongs

Image Credits
Photo by Bode Helm