We have probably all felt this statement at least once in the past 12 months.
But especially when it comes to acting, is there any truth to it?
You’ve taken all the classes, you have updated materials, you have the reps… what gives?
Is it really just a string of bad luck?
𝗡𝗼.
Absolutely not.
Your luck is no worse and no better than anyone else’s. It just feels that way.
𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦.
Here’s what happens when you put focus on “having bad luck”:
External locus of control.
Heard of it? It’s a psychological term for people who believe that they can do little or nothing personally to change their lives.
Because of this, they either merely hope for the best, focus on trying to change their luck or submit passively to whatever comes—disappointed that it doesn’t match their hopes.
Most “successful” people take the opposite view. They have an “internal locus of control.” They believe that what happens in their life is nearly all down to them; and that even when chance events occur, what is important is not the event itself, but 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁.
If you focus on what’s going wrong in your life (especially if you see it as “bad luck”) it will seem more malevolent. In a short time, you’ll become so convinced that everything is against you that you’ll notice more instances where this appears to be true. As a result, you will drown yourself in negative energy and almost certainly stop trying, convinced that there is nothing you can do to improve your prospects.
In short: You do not have bad luck.
Acting is hard and requires a certain drive, mindset, and attitude. You may be doing all “things” right but what’s your mindset? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥?
Remember: Your attention is under your control. 𝕊𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕥 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕚𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕘𝕠.
#themoreyouknow #thecastingdirectorscut #mondaymythdebunker #actorlife
Related reading: Are You Doing Something Wrong If You Are Not Booking?, Do You Need a Plan B as an Actor? and Have You Had Enough Training as an Actor?.
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