Lisa Temple Actress Your Senator, Doctor, Teacher, Mom

Auditions are one of the trickiest parts of being an actor. I’ve lost roles because I didn’t audition with enough intention and clarity. And I’ve watched actors waiting to go into their auditions, clearly feeling fragile and negative, and it’s obvious they won’t be getting cast this time. Why are auditions so difficult?

It’s similar to the tennis match I just saw Sloane Stephens lose. Sloane has all the talent and skill she needs to beat Marion Bartoli of France, but she just couldn’t pull herself together. It seemed clear that she did not believe she could overcome Marion’s aggressive confidence, and as a result Sloane wasn’t playing in the moment, but instead kept her focus on the frustration and self-doubt that plagued her. If she had chosen the same mindset as Marion, she would probably have beaten her and would now be in the semi-finals of Wimbledon for the first time.

A negative mindset is really just a dis-empowering habit we have allowed to take over. The trouble is, this negativity feels so normal, that we think it’s actually real. But the self-doubt and fear are no more real than any other thought. We have the ability to retrain our minds to focus on the present moment, and what it is still possible for us to do in the next moment. Otherwise, habit will dictate that we focus on what just happened or on what we fear will happen. A new mindset is possible: it takes courage and persistence plus a desire to go for what we want in our lives.

Tonight I’ll be attending a casting director workshop, and I have the opportunity to go in with a great attitude, feeling like I belong in the room and have a lot to offer as an actor. I can imagine that they are on my side and would like to see me succeed. Isn’t this a much more empowering mindset with which to enter a room? I think I’m getting this!