My wise acting coach, Milton Katselas, used to say, “The one who gets up from the mat the most times wins.” It was great advice to use not only in our careers, but in life.
Actors deal with rejection and dream-dashing all the time. I can’t tell you the number of auditions I’ve failed, or the times when my best work ended up on the cutting room floor. I was replaced and recast once from a major TV show. Talk about heart-breaking and humiliating. Even more publicly, I once took out an ad in Variety to promote an upcoming role in a blockbuster movie – only to find that because of time I’d been cut out of the entire project. Afterwards I had to answer a hundred calls and emails saying, “What happened?”
Well, what happened was life. Nobody wins all the time. But looking back, those are the times I actually learned the most about what I was made of. And it taught me how much I truly wanted my Dream.
Sometimes hearing Milton in my mind say “Get up” is the only thing that gets me back up. It makes my fight kick in until I ace an audition or book my next part. It’s also how I’ve been a working actor for over 30 years in a career where most people burn out quickly.
The truth is, most people give up way too soon when victory could be just over the next small hill. Here’s my success formula. When you’re knocked down, go ahead and cry like crazy for five minutes – you’ve earned it. But only allow yourself five minutes. Then find some glimmer of humor in the situation and laugh at yourself – even if you’re laughing through tears. It will cleanse and heal your spirit.
Blow your nose, dust yourself off and… GET UP. Take stock of what happened and squeeze the lesson out of it so you don’t repeat it. Got it? Stand tall, revel in your new strength, and get ready to fight again for what you want. It’s not over til you say it’s over!
Remember what astronaut Chuck Yaeger said: “Just before you break through the sound barrier the cockpit shakes the most.” If it’s been shaky lately, you’re probably getting very close to your breakthrough! So smile, dust yourself off, take a deep breath, and TRY AGAIN!
Thank you, Milton.
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