Blog #640: Making a Mark in Hollywood
For over 25 years…
I’ve lived part-time in Los Angeles.
I’m lucky to have met many brave people.
Actors.
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Here’s a recent phone call shared with one of them.
Her: I didn’t get it.
Me: Ohhh…no! I’m sorry to hear that.
Her: Yeah…I thought I nailed this one, too. I thought it was my best audition.
Pause
Her: You know, I’m getting tired of not getting it. I don’t know if I even want to keep auditioning anymore. Why? Why keep putting myself through these downs? Why keep hoping I’ll get picked when I never do.
Me: Well…you have been picked before. You know that.
Her: But not for a role I really want. Maybe I’m not good enough for the big roles. Maybe it’s time to stop acting and putting myself through all this crap.
A pause finds us.
Her: What do you think?
Me: I get your frustration. I get your disappointment. I get it sooo much.
Another pause.
Me: But please don’t get stuck on those feelings. You are extra talented. You are extra brave. That is what I see in you. To show up and sit in an audition chair and lay yourself on the line again and again…with the possibility you’ll be judged and rejected… it’s extraordinarily brave. You…inspire…ME.
I hear a sniffle.
Her: Then should I keep auditioning?
Me: I’m pretty sure five years from now you’ll be happy you did.
Her: I love acting. It’s the only thing I want to do.
Me: Then tell me about your next audition. What’s it about?
Laughter finds its way into the call.
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I asked her.
She said it was okay to share our call.
As many of us struggle to go for our own personal goals…
perhaps many of us can relate to how she feels.
I can.
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Last week…
I cast a dozen hopeful emails seeking to create opportunity into the digital universe.
Ten didn’t respond.
One thanked me with an official form-letter.
The 12th was a kindly written…rejection.
But that’s how it goes.
Rejection.
Frustration.
Disappointment.
It’s a brutal, emotion-rich game we are forced to play when we choose to pursue supersized goals.
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This week…
This blog is written not only for an actress looking to make her mark in Hollywood. It’s also written for the reader struggling to find purpose, the guy fighting hard to land a better job, and the ailing senior working hard in physical therapy to regain health after a big surgery.
And…
This blog is written for the person who’s stuck on thinking “nothing goes my way,” the many who struggle with getting older, and the reader who is now desperately trying to find an extra ounce of energy to get out the door for her daily walk.
This week’s blog is written for all who seek to improve their lives.
Ummm…
I think you and I fit in that group.
Yes?
🤓
May we each continue to find the courage to keep going the most…
when we feel like it the least.
Don’t give up.
S.
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Note: The trail photo above is from one of my country-crossing walks. It reminds me that I might not always know where my next steps may lead…but if I keep my feet moving forward, my reward will always be adventure.
EXTRA Thoughts…
The short run often affects how far we run.
Sometimes….
We quit TOO early in order to avoid the lousy feelings of rejection and defeat.
But in the long run, that hurts success.
If we can somehow stay brave and remind ourselves that success is often a 100-mile hike and not a 100-yard dash, we give ourselves a chance.
For me, this is definitely true.
My most painful regrets are when I ran short-term races for long-term goals. In each of my heaviest regrets, I quit before I had a chance to succeed.
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Miss last week’s blog?
I share 23 nudges to help create wealth, health…and life’s other good stuff.
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Thank you for walking with me this week.
May you find a little extra bravery when you need it most.
With gratitude for you being here…
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