This is a guest post by Anthony Meindl
Looking at your life in context will change how you see the world. When getting some perspective on your life situation you’ll usually find that you’re doing just fine!
As a matter of fact, you’re probably doing a heck of a lot better than fine.
(I’m taking a page from HELENA BONHAM CARTER, who now makes her husband, director TIM BURTON, compliment her when they’re working together. “HE HAS TO GIVE ME A GOOD COMPLIMENT, WHICH ISN’T ‘OH, THAT WAS GOOD, THAT WAS FINE.’ ”)
So you’re doing…Fantastic!
When we don’t keep things in perspective, when we focus only on what isn’t working, when we become defeated by rejections and challenges — we lose sight that contextually we’ve probably made great progress in order to get to where we now stand.
Little victories change our contextual landscape.
With context, you see that life will still present us with challenges, but perhaps the problems themselves (and how you face them) are of a different quality.
Sure it sucks when your ass gets dumped.
But up until now maybe you’d spent the last three years too frightened to even date.
So getting dumped is progress! This is context!
Sure it blows when you come really close to booking a big job and someone else gets it. But maybe a year ago, you weren’t getting seen for any jobs!
So rejection is progress! This is context!
Having context is a more accurate (and exciting) way to look at your own growth and development. We must have obstacles to overcome in order to achieve success. Without overcoming challenges, success would have no meaning.
So the next time something doesn’t go the way you had hoped…
Don’t! Get on the Brain Drain Train.
Don’t! Find a seat on that Doom & Gloom Bus.
Next Stop Depression City!
Throw yourself a gigantic context party instead.
You’re doing just fine…Fantastic!
Anthony Meindl is an award-winning writer, producer, director and actor whose first feature screenplay, THE WONDER GIRLS, was the Grand Prize Winning Feature Screenplay in the Slamdance Film Festival Screenplay Competition in 2007. Prior to this accomplishment, Meindl was responsible for the production of an array of award-winning projects. His background in acting, training, and performance has afforded him the opportunity to create what has become a thriving artist community in Los Angeles.
