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Onward and Upward

Copyright 2006 Mike Pniewski

I lost a big job a couple of weeks ago.

Copyright 2006 Mike Pniewski

I lost a big job a couple of weeks ago. It was really good
job, too. A couple of episodes guest starring on one of the
most popular shows on TV. Good role, good money, good
timing---everything was perfect. Which should have told me
something, but sometimes those perfect opportunities work
out. Right? Not this time, they picked somebody else.

You might say, "what?s the big deal, you work all the
time"-----well, maybe more than most but never as much as
I?d want. But that?s not the point. Once I?d gotten the
call my first reaction was that I was disappointed. Then I
felt a little angry, as anyone would be when they didn?t
get something they wanted and worked hard for. I had a few
moments of that and then I said to myself, ?What?s next??

Almost immediately I began to search for the next thing to
focus on, to strive for that would take me forward. I
wasn?t thinking, ?Give me something to make me forget
this,? but rather accepting the reality of the situation I
needed to get energized toward the future instead of
wallowing about my loss.

Wallowing is bad news for everyone. Giving unlimited
amounts of emotional energy to something that can?t be
changed is crippling and useless. What good will come if
you scream, yell, drink?whatever you do?for hours on end
lamenting this bad thing? How is that going to make you
better? And even more importantly, how will it help you
reach your ultimate goals? It won?t and it could even set
you back.

I had one of those experiences when I was very young in my
career where I was angry for several days when I felt I was
wronged because I wasn?t the actor selected. Not only did
it not change the original outcome, it put me in an
emotional state that I know caused me to lose even more
work that I auditioned for during my dark period. How
smart was that?

My problem then, which is the same for everyone who dwells
too long on what?s wrong, is that my ambitions were too
small. I had no big picture of my life and career; I had a
very tunnel-versioned image of what I wanted and it was all
about ?right now.? No tomorrow or next year, but ?What do
I want now and how do I get it?? Period. That?s it.

The higher you focus, the bigger your dreams, the less each
misstep along the way matters. It all fits in its proper
place within the bigger picture; it is not the picture
itself.

Set your goals high about the most important things in your
life and focus on moving forward no matter what happens.
Everything that happens, not succeeding at certain steps
along the way, can take you forward if you let it. Because
of my not being chosen for the job above, I have since used
that to open other doors that are already proving fruitful.

It?s all about choices. Choose your goals over your
losses, what you have over what you don?t. You?ll be a
whole lot happier and keep yourself on track to bring even
more happiness your way.

----------------------------------------------------
Mike Pniewski has been a succesful actor in film &
televison for more than 20 years, having worked with some
of the biggest stars in the world. If you'd like more
information about Mike, his extraordinary programs and his
strategies for success, visit him at http://www.acttowin.com

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