The Worst they Can Say is, "No." So who cares?

Learning to endure failure is critical. When you build that muscle you are honing an even more important one: resiliency. The capacity to bounce back from setback after setback after setback is integral part of any meaningful endeavor. But far more importantly, when you reframe failure as deferred success you begin to take setbacks in stride and use them as building blocks to greater character.

My first screenplays were so bad my friends didn't even know where to begin with their feedback. My first attempt at getting a literary agent was met by well over 100 rejections. And my short films were passed on by so many festivals I lost count. But I didn't stop. I kept writing blogs, articles, screenplays, one-man shows, and even a book. And in time as I developed my voice my confidence grew convincing me I had something of value to offer. 

If there's anything I learned as an actor and a casting reader it's that the worst anyone can say is, "No." But once you hear a few, "No's" you learn to take it all in stride. It's a masterful craft if you think about it: 

Developing the mental mindset and stamina to not take the most personal form of rejection personally. 

If you can hone that skill there's nothing you won't try.

Cost and Benefit

For a few weeks now I've been raving about a book called, Grit by Angela Duckworth. The book has resonated with me on many personal levels and I've found it a particularly useful resource for actors. In no other industry that I can think of are the words, fortitude, grit, and determination more applicable - unoriginal as it may seem.

But this morning I came across a passage about, "Cost and Benefit." In other words, we have a tendency to weigh the amount of time, effort, or finances a project will entail and what we hope to gain as a result of our efforts.

As actors, more times than not, we fail to see our return on investment. How many hundreds of hours have you spent strengthening your voice, breaking down a script, or perfecting a monologue only to see the part go to another actor, or the project go through setback after setback?

I realized two things:

1. You do the work because that is the reward.

2. Showing fortitude, determination, and "grit," is often less about where it will get you, but more a representation of who you are at your core.

Both are respectable reasons and arguably more noble than simpy trying to gain something.

You can check out Angela Duckworth's TED Talk below:

https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance