Every Little Step Toward Success

Self confidence is one of the keys to personal and professional success that I discuss in Straight Talk for Success and 42 Rules to Jumpstart Your Professional Success.  If you want to become self confident you need to do three things.  First, become an optimist.  Believe that today will be better than yesterday and tomorrow will be better than today.  Second, face your fears and act.  Third, surround yourself with positive people.

Last week I saw a great movie, Every Little Step.  It is a documentary depicting the casting for the revival of the Broadway play A Chorus Line; which is interesting because A Chorus Line is a play about people auditioning for a Broadway play.  Pretty clever filmmaking – and a delight to watch.

As I watched Every Little Step I was struck by the self confidence of the dancers and actors auditioning.  They were optimistic.  They all believed they were going to get the part.  They faced the fear that comes with auditioning for a highly critical small group of people – and did it with a smile on their faces.  And, even though they were all in competition for the same parts, they supported on another.  It was great to watch.

I found one woman particularly interesting.  Prior to the final audition, cospoke candidly on camera about finding the courage to do the very best she could at the audition, and taking solace in that, even if she didn’t get the part.  It’s what athlete’s call “leaving it all on the field.”  Natascia went for it.  She left it all on the audition stage – and didn’t get the part.  My heart broke for her.

Afterwards, she spoke on camera again and said that she was disappointed, but that in her heart of hearts she knows that “her time will come” and she will get a leading role in Broadway.

I was impressed.  This young woman put her heart and soul into wining a part that she didn’t get.  Yet, she was happy with herself because she knew she did the absolute best she could.  And, she didn’t let this set back deter her.

Natascia is an optimist.  She embodies several points of The Optimist Creed.  And, as you remember, optimism is one of the keys to self confidence.  After her disappointment, she promised herself “to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.”  She also was “so strong that nothing – even losing a part she had worked so hard to get – could disturb her peace of mind.”  And, she was “too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble” in her life.  She looked forward to the next audition.

I love The Optimist Creed.  It helps me stay positive and focused on my goals.  I have given away over a thousand copies of it.  If you want a copy to hang in your workspace – just like me, please go to www.BudBilanich.com/optimist.

The common sense point here is simple.  Successful people are self confident.  Self confident people are optimistic.  They act in the face of their fears, and they surround themselves with positive people.  The film, Every Little Step, shows a group of courageous, optimistic people competing against the odds for a part in a Broadway show.  If you’re interested in building your self confidence, pick it up at the video store, or order it on Netflix.  You’ll see some amazing examples of people who are optimistic, believe in themselves and face their fears and act.  It’s a film you can enjoy on many levels.  The human drama is gripping.

That’s my take on Every Little Step and self confidence.  What’s yours?  If you’ve seen the movie, please leave a comment sharing your thoughts with us.  As always, thanks for reading.

Bud

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