The Real Definition Of "Success"

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The types of risks people take in life are directly related to their definition of success. The person who defines success as living comfortably and raising a family is going to live life very differently from the person who defines it as hosting talk shows. Jumping off of snowy mountains every day strapped to a board is a perfectly reasonable risk for an aspiring professional snowboarder, but not for someone aspiring to become a plastic surgeon. There is, however, a problem within the industry I work in, entertainment. When people talk of succeeding within it, they actually mean becoming famous. It’s an attitude I have ran into often in my trials as an actor, an endeavor I embarked upon several years ago. This is a recipe for failure and disappointment. Success and fame are two totally different beings. Defining the former for yourself may very well lead to the latter, but intertwining them leads to false expectations and potential disappointment. The climb to the top in any industry is always ridden with catch-22s. Let's take the acting industry as an example. Agents and managers only make money if the actors they bring on work, so they only hire actors with substantial experience. But actors cannot become experienced without working, and work that agents and managers value is hard to obtain without their help. A catch-22.New actors also start out as non-union and spend many years working for very little or for free. Every TV show and film the public sees is unionized, but you cannot get there without union representation, which you need union experience to obtain. A catch-22 within a catch-22. Add to that the fact that there are many more actors vying for roles than there is work available, and it's no wonder that most actors have several other jobs. Every industry is similarly set up: There are many people vying for the top jobs, and the path to those jobs often demands experience in that job. These channels take years to govern. This, however, does not mean you will or have to become famous to succeed. Fame should not be the end goal of any career. A successful person is someone who works hard and makes a living at what he or she does. That is success, and defining it as such makes it far easier to ride out the roller coaster ride that is your chosen career. Lasting fame should be the goal beyond the goal. Meaning, if you can make a living at what you do, then reach for the stars. Maybe you are one of the lucky few for which these things happen simultaneously, but don't count on it when starting out. For most people, lasting fame will be a byproduct of being exceptional, working tirelessly for years, becoming recognized by industry professionals and then being thrust into the public spotlight. To use the examples above, Jon Hamm, Steve Jobs and Aaron Rodgers were remembered by people who recognized what they were capable of. When the time came, these people called on them. Ultimately, they became famous because people who believed in them were willing to invest their time and money in their careers. Each of these men simultaneously became the face of industries that are subject to the scrutiny of the public. Becoming successful in a niche industry might bring you success, but if the public is unaware of it, lasting fame is a fleeting goal. Despite all this, the ultimate danger of intertwining fame with success is holding out hope for an overnight change. There is no such thing. No one becomes famous overnight or successful at anything without years of hard work, perseverance and a ridiculous amount of luck. Let me use some examples. Jon Hamm had been an actor for over 15 years, having even been dropped by a top talent agency (William Morris), before earning the role of Don Draper in Mad Men. Steve Jobs was fired by the company a decade before he came back to build it into the Apple we fawn over today. Aaron Rogers, although a star college quarterback, was a backup in the pros for three years before taking the lead role in his team. The list goes on. Almost no one you recognize today was picked out of a lineup of randoms. Whether you listen to this or not, success and/or fame will be unattainable unless people trust your work and believe in your reputation. You may not have known Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) before she was cast as Katniss, but you can bet the casting directors and producers knew of her and her work before they cast her. They knew they could trust her as the lead character in a multimillion dollar film with an already existing fan base. There was no doubt that with her at the helm, these films would be successful. Alternatively, being a diva is likely to stall your development for good -- as no one will want to work with you. Think Terrell Owens and the NFL. Intertwining fame and success fosters an unhealthy environment, one which hopes against hope that the fates will align in your favor. Make a living at what you want to do, then follow that quest wherever it takes you. Ignore those who rely on being overnight successes. To do it right, you have to become very good at what you do, and that can take many years. You have to build relationships with the people around you, proving to them you are truly talented. That, too, can take many years. Most of all, you have to become proficient at managing your goals and being patient. Then one day, with luck, your skill set will no longer be questioned and your hard work will speak volumes for you. Be happy with whatever that means for you. Remember: Most people will always be unknowns. Continue Reading

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