With some of my students and fabulous clients from Sideline Prep auditioning this summer , I wanted to offer a quick and pretty straight-forward tip that will go a long way. One thing about auditions, and life in general for that matter, is that you never know what is meant for you. Not so shocking, but definitely mic-drop worthy as I continue. By the way, this has nothing to do with religion, beliefs, or spiritual notions of any sorts, but ultimately there are things that are outside of our control that can determine our path. I listened to a podcast on Optimal Living Daily, and Steve Pavlina, one of the most successful personal development blog writers now, shared his story (read more here). This man had a rough start, he was fired from a job, and woke up one day to realize that maybe he wasn't cut out for the rigid, corporate world. So, he took hold of his future, started his own business, made a name for himself and is now killing the game and giving advice on life development like its his job, because it is! He found his passion and found the path for himself. Tying this back around to auditions, although we can work to prepare ourselves for what we think we should have, sometimes you just may not fit the mold. That's not the end-all-be-all! "You can only control the controllables", like being prepared and ready with your A-game, giving it your best shot, and leaving everything on the floor. The quest for self-fulfillment should not end just because you did not make a team. Do not give up. Continue with your passion, and other opportunities will open that are meant for you. This can carry on to other scenarios in everyday life, like job interviews, first dates, meeting your partner's family, you name it. Give this some thought...
Just because you think you are the very best person for the role, doesn't mean you are what is being sought after. I am not saying any of this with a negative intention at all or to make you feel like there is any lost effort; in fact, my number one goal is to motivate you and encourage you to do your best in all aspects of life. I am coming from a realistic place though. Let's be real. I have experienced that feeling of not making the cut more than once, but to me it isn't failing if you gave it your all and you continue to pick yourself up again. At the end of the day, you can only "do your best and surrender the rest" in any situation that life presents you with. Giving something your 100% effort will make you feel accomplished, no matter what the result is. You will still be a winner. Just remember, Michael Jordan didn't make the varsity basketball team his first try; keep trying!
You can be the strongest technical dancer in the room with a bright shining personality. You can study the style of the team, hire a coach, spend hours in the dance studio improving your technique. However, if the team is only looking to add two rookies next season and they both need to have light colored hair, then the odds may be limiting your opportunity. Type casting is a real thing in this industry and something to accept. Pro/college cheer/dance teams often work off of the idea that they want a diverse group that will appeal to any audience. So, that may mean for this season they want a particular number of girls with a certain hair color or ethnicity. That may just be the determining factor between you and another hopeful. Your chance may come the next year, or they may altogether change something around to fit you in. You just never know, so never let that deter you. Keep perfecting your technique, keep going to dance classes, keep improving your look, keep doing everything you can do to make you the dancer you want to be. What is meant for you will come to you.
You can be the most prepared, most achieved person up for a job interview. Your resume and experience could top all the others. However, if the company is looking for someone with a very specific skill-set to fill the position, then its just not going to be your job. Being turned down means that there is another position that you are supposed to have. I know first-hand that the job I thought I was supposed to have really wasn't meant for me. It had a higher paying salary than I currently have, but there was zero work-life balance. I would have never been able to do the things I do today that I love, like teaching in the evenings. I found out about the time constraints in my final interview and knew right away that I would end up being miserable without that essential work-life balance that I need. Some are okay with working extra long days, toting their laptop everywhere, and not turning off when they leave the office, but I knew, with my passions, that was not for me. Sometimes a "no" can be a blessing in disguise!
You can be the most loving, perfect girlfriend, but if your partner is not ready to commit to the relationship, then maybe that relationship is not for you. Remembering back in my early twenties, I wanted to start a future with someone. However, he was not on the same page as I was. He wanted to party every night, see other females, and not be "held down" with one person. We all experience that at one time or another, but you have to realize that a relationship takes two people who must be on the same wavelength. Was I heartbroken? Yes, but I realized that I was just at a different point in my life and wanted other things than what he wanted. It doesn't make him less of a person. Moreover, I needed to love myself and know that I was worthy of more and that my priorities were different. You learn to get over other people's priorities and you find your own. And, my darlings, there are beautiful things in store when you do!
2011 NBA Wizard Girls Auditions
My whole point in writing this is not to discourage you from doing anything you want to do because of an unknown, but to enlighten you on the fact that sometimes things may not be meant for you at a particular time. And that is okay. Most importantly, that does not mean to stop trying. Keep trying, but do it for yourself. Give full energy to what you do and be so proud of it that you will be happy of any given result, because you gave it everything you had. Find the intention within, rather than letting it be for someone or something other than yourself. If something doesn't work out, regroup and find another path. Set the intention to be ALL IN for yourself!
Best of luck to you. Live in the moment, and do it because you want it for yourself!
xoxo-Lee-Ann