What do you do if you go after a position with Disney or Netflix and they pick someone else?
Don’t take it to heart. You don’t know the reason you weren’t chosen, and it might have nothing to do with you and everything to do with that other person. When successful people experience setbacks, they focus on the future they’re working toward. They immediately pivot to what’s next and go after that with the same zeal and enthusiasm they threw at that first opportunity. This is called “falling forward,” when you have a vision that allows you to keep things in perspective.
Keep your eye on the future because you never know what opportunities will come up that you might miss because you were stuck worrying about the job you didn’t get. Focus on what you can change instead of what you can’t. With the right energy, other (often better) opportunities will come up, and you’re going to want to be ready to jump on them.
If you keep a positive, optimistic energy around you, people will gravitate toward you and the number of opportunities being offered to you will increase.
When you’re feeling bummed out, think abut a time in your past when you were excited about your future prospects. Remember how you felt, if you felt in control, if you felt happy. Take the time to practice that right now and ask yourself some empowering questions. These are questions you’ll answer in the affirmative and will make barriers to your success seem smaller:
Do you want to work in the film industry?
Are you smart enough to do the jobs you’re going for?
Are you excited about a career in film?
These kinds of questions boost your morale and change your entire state so that you project positivity out into the world. Film industry professionals are excited about their work and careers. They want to be around people who are positive and enthusiastic. Become someone like that and you’ll have shoots coming to YOU to work with them instead of you having to reach out.
A-list Mentor Crystal remembers not getting chosen for a Marvel pilot. She was completely sure she would get the job but then… she didn’t. It was a one month job and she was pretty upset about not getting it, but she didn’t let it keep her own for long. Shortly after, another opportunity came up for a three month job on a reality TV show. She met a lot of people and became close with them, and that led to more opportunities after the show was done filming.
You can’t know every detail of the future and where you’ll be lead. You can, however, control your state in the present and become someone that attracts relationships and work. Crystal kept a positive outlook and as a result made connections that helped her career.
You are in control of whether or not you feel empowered. Choose to feel empowered every day.
