You only fail when you give up.
We all have had moments when giving up seemed like the best option. It felt safe and simplistic to call it quits when things weren’t working out. Let’s take my mom and I for instance. She’s trying to start a business and I am on the pursuit to dominate the entertainment world as a writer and an actor. When you’re on a journey to conquer a goal, tough times are a given. They are required, to test your ambition, your faith, your loyalty, and your seriousness. Simply, how bad do you want it? I’m here to tell you, don’t “F” up, and the “F” is for failure.
I’ve been entertaining people, whether it was from dancing, singing, writing, or purely acting a damn fool, since I was about five years old. I knew very young I wanted “the star” behind my name, or on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
But the older I got, the more I became faced with road blocks.
In high school (2005), I was banned from the library due to the obscene yet cult-classic story (Dis B That Family) I would print for my fellow classmates to read. I didn’t give up! Hell, I was in demand! I found an alternative, the computer lab in the freshman building. In college (2009), I sacrificed my personal life to adapt Dis B That Family into my debut novel (Nothing like Family). That was a very lonely time in my life, but I didn’t give up! I found out who my true homeboys were, and that women require a lot of attention in relationships. Besides, I knew this was my calling, just like my mom being a businesswoman. She successfully ran a championship-winning, recreational cheerleading squad for more than 10 years back in the late 90s and early 2000s. You won’t give up if you understand your purpose. I’m here to tell you, don’t “F” up, and the “F” is for forget.
Today, I’m tackling this flaky world of acting. Damn! I must be crazy! In the three years since I started out, and over 90 auditions, and many 4am encouraging conversations with my dad; I have wanted to give up almost once a week. This is coming from a guy who is very much confident and very much sure of himself, but dammit, this shit is hard. With my mom and her business, I am to her what my dad is to me: her pusher, her belief system, team her. Anything worth having doesn’t come easy, remember that. I whether work my ass off to win then to have success handed to me only to lose.
#SheaWisdom The door may be closed, but it’s not bolted.
