The Show Must Go On

Musicians, actors, singers, dancers, authors, playwrights.

Do people in any other career get rejected as often?

To get anywhere in careers like these most people need to deal with regular rejection and that takes bucket-loads of stamina, single-mindedness, creativity, determination and resilience.

A very small number get their golden-ticket to the top but most people who choose these careers (or get chosen by these careers if you prefer) seem to succeed against all the odds.

Did you ever wonder how or why this is so?

There are many factors but persistence is always one, and persistence along with resilience can be learned.

Some of the people who make it in these professions share this learning all the time. Think about your favourite actor, singer, dancer or writer for a moment. Chances are, they have said something about their personal struggle – and how this was overcome – that you have found inspiring.

Hidden somewhere in these inspirational stories are the little things we all we need at times to keep us going or get ourselves moving again. The little things we turn to before picking ourselves up and heading out for that next interview, sending that next email or having that next conversation with someone else about what we want to do.

The show must go on as the old saying goes.

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I’ve used the example of actors, writers, singers & dancers but I can just as easily talk about statesmen, stateswomen, politicians, campaigners, explorers (Hello!), scientists, astronauts, doctors, nurses, builders, plumbers, teachers, engineers, technicians, mechanics, farmers, builders, labourers, soldiers, the list goes on!

Every career story has the same potential, the same power to connect and inspire us. Some of the bigger stories lift thousands of people. Others need only lift one – which can be quite important when that one person is you.

Thanks to someone else being brave enough or thoughtful enough to share their own little story or experience, someone else somewhere will be able to find a new reason to learn, to strive, to regroup, to deal with rejection or anything else that keeps him or her going.

The career we choose or the career we get chosen by is kept going by us, and all the help we need is there for us along the way, especially if we are willing to explore and keep looking.

Illumination of a different kind
[‘Lantern Sky’ courtesy of Alisha Hunt on Flickr.com]

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