“And the award goes to…”
You’ve seen the speeches at the Oscars, Golden Globes, and Emmys. When an actress or actor wins that golden award for giving all their heart to a character – they get up on stage, wait for the applause to die down, and most will say with tears running down or with short breaths of excitement and amazement…
“First I want to thank God, my agent, my manager, the director, the cast and crew, my family – sorry if I’m forgetting anybody – and the Academy for this award.”
As aspiring actors, we sit there watching with anticipation of hearing an inspirational speech that will help keep our own fire lit – giving us that surge of renewed energy to keep pursuing our dream so we too can one day be up on that stage.
I’m sure when your time comes, you can agree that giving thanks, showing gratitude is the honorable thing to do. That act of kindness is perfect for a speech up on stage, before everyone who has helped you along the way to make it possible to receive an award.
Sometimes though…
In our attempts to “stay humble” and give everyone their due credit, we overlook the most important person in the equation – ourselves.
Yep. So it’s time to switch focus and put the spotlight on you…
Let’s explore a little of your journey, the one you’re on now because I feel it’s so important while you are on your journey that you give yourself the credit for your victories along the way – big and small.
You know – those fun, amazing things like getting an agent, getting booked, hearing back from a casting director or producer on Twitter, to winning an award for the lead role in an indie.
A quick stop to my story…
Along my own journey, on many occasions whenever I get a “win” in my acting career – I have been guilty of giving other people a lot more of the credit than I have given to myself.
I give a lot of credit to God, for I believe he ultimately has destined me to live out my success and for it to happen in the first place.
I also have given a lot of credit to supportive friends and family members along the way, my agent’s hard work and belief in me, my teachers who have challenged me and pushed me to be better in class, to casting directors who call me in to audition in the first place – giving me a chance, and the list goes on.
While they all deserve to be acknowledged and praised…if I didn’t take the necessary steps along my journey, if I didn’t keep believing in myself even when it was hard to, and if I didn’t get off my butt and take action – where I am today wouldn’t be possible.
Are you too giving too much credit for your victories to outside sources vs. yourself?
There are gifts and blessings that you get to have, but it’s your choices that enable you to receive them.
And no matter who has helped you along the way, you are the one who ultimately has to make and agree to those choices, and you are the one who will live out the results of those choices – the good, the bad, and the I wish I had’s.
Giving yourself credit isn’t about being cocky or selfish, or about taking it away from others who deserve it. It’s about owning your journey, taking pride in the steps you’ve taken, where they’ve gotten you, where you have come to, and the vision of where you are headed.
It’s about recognizing your own worth, talent, ability, and work ethic in the equation, and realizing that your efforts are just as important as anything anyone else has ever done that’s helped you in your career.
Again, I have plenty of people to thank in my story, but in a moment of reflection on where I was at in my career, I realized it is me who is walking the walk. It is me who is feeling the punches. It is me taking the hits. And it is me who is actually achieving the victories in spite of it all – it is me who gets to know what it feels like to have the victory.
Reflect on your story and what you have achieved and what you’ve made possible.
Begin to give yourself the credit.
And when it comes to winning your award – you have to have a solid supporting cast to win Best Picture for sure. But remember, that YOU are the hero of your own story, and without the lead…there is no movie. 😉
Comment below…are you giving yourself enough credit? Do you feel you give yourself enough credit from a win? Do you celebrate your victories, or do you just push them to the side or downplay them?
I wanna hear from you, shout out your wins!
