Don't Focus On What Others Think Of You

One thing I really wish had realized when I was a bit younger is how to let go of caring so much about what others think of me. It can truly get in the way of everything you are trying to accomplish. I should have been writing years ago and trying to get a manager, but my fear stopped me. Especially when you are in a field that's creative, you often have to put yourself out there and you will never have everyone love what you do. You have to focus on your passion and harness that without being constricted by others opinions. It's hard, but it is crucial to stand out and not just seem like everyone else. If you look at this list from EW last year of the top 30 actors under 30, you will notice that a large amount of them have made at least some offbeat choices and it paid off. Another great example of this is Russell Brand from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. His audition for Forgetting Sarah Marshall, wasn't really what they had in mind for the character, but it was so fun and interesting, the rewrote the part for him. He is successful because he has stayed true to himself and embraced what it is that makes him special. He did a great interview recently about his new book and the idea of him being himself and getting out of his own way is discussed at length. If you want to check it out, click here.

The only thing you can care about is what you feel about what you do. The rest is out of your control, so don't let others change you. Sometimes being who you really are is the thing that will make you stand out the most.