4 Ways an Attitude of Gratitude Will Boost Your Acting Career

This time of year, feeling grateful is all the rage. Thanksgiving nearly sneaks up on us in the middle of a busy fourth quarter and the very nature of the holiday encourages us to slow down, take a breath, and look at all the incredible people and situations we have in our lives. 

As artists, we have an especially poignant reason to be grateful: we are living our dreams as reality! Okay, so maybe you didn’t book all the roles you wanted this quarter, but the mere fact that you were able to pursue them speaks to how purely you honor your life’s calling. 

Now there’s something for which to be grateful!

In my experience as a Clarity Coach, I’ve seen tremendous things happen for actors as soon as they step into a space of gratitude. Sometimes it’s a challenge to remember why gratitude is important, so in case you need a reminder, here are the top 4 ways an attitude of gratitude will boost your acting career. 

Reason #1: When you’re grateful, you don’t go crazy wondering whether or not you booked the role. 

I know an actress who recently had an audition that was perfect for her. When she received the audition notice, her jaw nearly dropped and she thought to herself, “I have been waiting 7 years for this very audition.” It was for a huge network television show, and the role called for a very specific skill: playing the harp. 

This actress had been playing harp since she was 9 years old, and in the casting office, she nailed the audition. She left with a big smile on her face, completely confident that she had booked it. 

Well, a few days went by and she didn’t get a phone call. Her confidence started to turn into self-doubt. She even thought, “If I can’t book the one role that was practically written for me, why am I even doing this!?” 

It turned out that she hadn’t booked the role because it had been completely cut from the script, but there was no way she could have known it. However, if she had approached the whole situation with the thought, “I am so grateful for this opportunity to practice auditioning and be part of the entertainment industry,” chances are, she would have felt much better about the entire situation, regardless of whether or not she booked the role. 

Reason #2: When you’re grateful, you don’t feel insanely jealous of your peers when they book. 

As much as we try to ignore or stifle feelings of jealousy, they do come up. It can feel especially tough when you see your peers booking roles and it feels like your acting career has plateaued. 

All actors deal with feelings like this. However, when you approach everything from a place of gratitude, it’s so much easier to be happy for your fellow actors who experience success. And after all, isn’t it so much more pleasant to be happy for someone rather than jealous of them? 

As one industry executive once told one of my friends who hadn’t worked in a while, “Who knows? In ten years I could be out of work and you could be high on the horse. In this industry, there are no guarantees.” 

When you’re committed to an attitude of gratitude, there is one guarantee: you’ll always feel good about where you are, no matter what. 

Reason #3: When you’re grateful, you’re more open-hearted and enjoyable in the casting office. 

Hey, casting directors are people, too. And guess what? No one wants to work with a Hamlet! When you’re grateful and unattached to the outcome of an audition, you’re easier to be around. When you’re easier to be around, people feel more comfortable and accepted. When people feel comfortable and accepted, they want to work with you... and that’s when you get hired.

See how that works? 

Reason #4: When you’re grateful, YOU enjoy the whole process much more!

Sometimes, the acting world is really challenging. You don’t book the things you think you should have booked, you can’t predict when you’ll get an audition and you never know when you’ll be struck with inspiration to create something incredible. 

Gratitude is the gateway to love, fulfillment, enjoyment and manifestation. After all, there truly are only a handful of people in the history of the world who have the luxury of pursuing their life’s passion. Isn’t that something to celebrate with gratitude? I think so! 

How do you regularly practice gratitude and love for your art? Leave a comment in the area below to share your ideas.