Avoiding Career-Killing Mindsets as an Actor

### Title: "Avoiding Career-Killing Mindsets as an Actor"

As an actor, you're likely brilliant at creating stories. However, your talent for invention might sometimes inadvertently sabotage your own career. Your imagination and storytelling skills are meant to shine on stage or in front of a camera, not in your personal life.

For instance, after an audition, when the casting person says, "you were good," "nice," "we got what we want," or "thank you," your mind might start racing with negative thoughts. You’ve heard these words before from various casting directors and didn’t get the role or the shoot. However, when someone says “thank you,” you typically respond with “you’re welcome” and accept their kind words as genuine appreciation. “Thank you” simply means “thank you.” Nothing more.

Here are some common career-killing stories that actors often concoct in their minds:

1. "The casting director doesn't like me." How do you know? A casting director’s job isn’t to like you; it’s to assess whether you fit a particular project. Don’t confuse the two.

2. "I didn't do well in the audition; I suck at auditions." If you repeatedly tell yourself that you "suck at auditions," you will start to believe it, and it will become your reality. Instead, fill your mind with positive affirmations about your auditioning abilities so that you feel excited and ready to impress next time.

3. "Casting directors, creative heads, and producers only hire their own people." When you see a show or an ad that you also auditioned for and someone else got the job, using this excuse is just a way to validate your feelings when you didn’t get the role.

4. "The new casting person doesn't know anything." Your job is not to question the experience of the casting person. Whoever they are, they are the gatekeeper for that audition. You should always give your best performance, regardless of who is on the other side.

Comment below if you’ve ever found yourself thinking these thoughts. Remember, you’re not alone. Now that you're aware of these detrimental mindsets, you can avoid them and steer your career in a positive direction.