12 Days of Confidence
Day 9
When you get asked a question, called on in a meeting to speak, or requested to present, it’s easy to think “why me? They can tell I hate this so they are forcing me! Ah!” And when that happens, we spiral. Maybe we even think that we’re being set up to fail.
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But the thing is, most people aren’t jerks. They’re not asking you to speak so they can trip you up. They’re asking because they care about what you have to say. So today, I’d like you to remind yourself of that:
I reflect (not so fondly) on my early days as a professional actor and attending auditions in London. I can still remember the feeling of desperation, terror, the dry mouth and out of body experience. The rumours that flew around about how mean or rude this casting director or MD could be as you stood trembling in front of them.
And then one day a director gave me a golden piece of information. “We want you to be good. We are wishing and hoping that every person that walks into the room is ‘the one’, perfect for the role. Our job is so much easier after that moment. So every time you walk into an audition know that we are on your side, willing you to do well!”.
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I know, it’s a wild idea. And you might not be used to believing it. But it’s true. You’re being asked to contribute because people want to hear from you and they want it to go well. Always remember that.