If we do the same thing, if we take the same action or a variation of the same action and get the same unwanted result each time, something must change. Some new information has to be taken in to supply some new action or a change in perception. If we fail to do this we can’t help but fall into a state of helplessness and frustration, which can easily lead to a state of depression where all forward action is stopped. To occasionally feel frustrated and helpless is normal for anyone in any business, but a constant feeling of frustration and helplessness is an actor’s occupational hazard. The constant bombardment of these feelings creates a wall between you and what you really want to accomplish. These two feelings are quite insidious and act upon us, with or without our acknowledgment. They steal our excitement, our energy and most of all our self-esteem.

Without a level of awareness it’s easy to get lost in both of these feelings. They are like sinkholes along the path to our goals. Most people aren’t even aware of the degree of frustration and helplessness they are experiencing. To maintain a certain level of ego they may choose to believe they are above it or merely deny it. They may have felt it so long that it has become a staple in their way of thinking and feeling and overall view of life. Others may try to combat the feelings by escaping into drugs, alcohol, sex or fantasy. Some try to take a more positive approach through daily affirmations, which do help to some degree, but in and of themselves are not a cure-all to the problem. Although affirmations may be done in the morning, by the end of the day the same persistent feelings have won over again and you are left feeling drained and in a state of despair. The next morning you might get up with a bit of hope and have just enough energy to do exactly what you did the day before, hoping that today will be different. But, unknowingly the feelings only get validated when we achieve the same results as we did the day, week, or month before.

Whether we admit that we truly feel helpless and frustrated or not, over a period of time, these feelings create a negativity that permeates our entire being, making people, not only in the business, but the people around us want to avoid us. We begin to reek of either hostility or desperateness or both. This is sensed the moment we walk into a room. Hostility or desperation is neither appealing nor self-serving, but without a doubt, both are self-perpetuating.

I understand the business is a frustrating one. The actor is seeking approval on so many levels. It’s easy to see why over a period of time people would begin to feel like they have no control over anything. You can’t make an agent take you on as one of his clients. You can’t force a casting director to see you and you surely can’t make a director or producer hire you. Adding to the frustration are those times when you finally do meet up with a talent agent or casting director and have them tell you what a great type you are or how wonderful your work was and never hear from them again. Unfortunately this is the nature of the business.

The effects of helplessness and frustration go well beyond a negative personality; they have a way of under-minding whatever opportunity comes our way.   Fortunately, we do have a choice in all these situations. Not all is hopeless. We can remove ourselves from this self-imposed hell. It does take a bit of work but the result is worth it. The first three steps in this process are to raise our level of energy, start living more consciously and to take responsibility for your own happiness and success.  In other words, if I do not have a sufficient amount of energy to combat the feelings of frustration and helplessness, I will not have the will-power to change, If I am not conscious of my state of mind or my actions, how can I change anything about me? If I don’t take responsibility for my own happiness and success who will? When I stop denying and take responsibility I go from a reactive condition to a proactive state.

Proactive people put their energy and focus on the things they have some level of influence over. The nature of their energy is positive, moving in forward direction, which brings about a greater area of influence. Whereas, reactive people focus their efforts in the things they have no influence over. They tend to focus on their own weakness or the weakness of others or circumstances over which they have no control. While in a reactive state we empowered the things that we have no influence over.

One way to move from a reactive condition to a proactive state is to make a list of all your concerns. What you are giving most of your energy, thought and action to. As you make a list of all your concerns notice which ones you have some influence over and which ones you don’t. For example; you may have had a meeting with an agent and they chose not to represent you. Not having an agent may be a great concern, but if you are putting most of your energy and thought into the disappointment of not getting the agent you are in a reactive state. You have no influence over the agent’s final choice. What you do have influence over is what you project in the interview and what you bring with you to the interview; your skills and experience and how you handle interview.

What we will be discussing over the next few articles is what is actually in the actor’s realm of influence. What do you actually have influence or control over and new areas in which you can take positive action. Those area will include; What you Project – Type and Quality, Level of Skill – choices and execution of those choices, The Business – knowledge of the business and acting on that knowledge, Creativity – expanding and execution, Will Power – Consistency and follow through and Self-Esteem – what it really means to the actor.

By defining what is actually in our realm of influence, we can better define what actions we need to take. By focusing our energy and thoughts on what we have influence over, we will move from a place of helplessness and frustration to a place of empowerment.

John Sudol
http://www.johnsudolstudio.com