What a Great Film Instructor Taught Me About Disappointment – and What You Can Learn

"I want to quit 3 times a month! The 99 no's get to me. 
They'll get to you too... we're human. The constant disappointment 
and rejection sucks." – Jason S. Blanchard

Old Film Instructor and very inspiring friend Jason S. Blanchard intimated to my class in one his dynamic lectures that three times a month he feels the urge to quit the entertainment business. Three times. Sometimes it’s that overwhelming.

The Geek just had one of those days. Disappointment nearly discouraged me to stop blogging.

I won’t, mind you, but that little episode sure knocked me on my butt and reminded me of my humanity.

Ever find yourself so preoccupied with life that you forget the very person doing the living?

If you haven’t yet, you certainly will. Every human being experiences it, and you’re sure to now that you’ve decided to pursue your passion and start your own business – in the entertainment business.

Jason’s Great Lesson

Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew.

Jason just recently raised money online (via GoFundMe) for his move from Florida to L.A. to pursue his entrepreneurial goal of becoming a talent agent and is already out there hustling as much as he possibly can (despite a recent broken leg).

He’s already experienced an urge since moving out there. On February 29^th, he told his Facebook community, “I just had a ‘I want to quit’ moment. It has passed.”

His lesson: keep chewing. One crunch at a time. Don’t spit the excess out, but don’t take any more from the plate, either.

Your takeaway: Use what you’ve got to get what you want, and muscle your way through the icky sentiment:

• Contact a friend, confidant, or accountability partner (Jason’s not alone on his journey, either – he’s roommates with fellow former Film instructor Constantin Preda),

• Listen to motivating music,

• Go for a walk (even ten minutes make a world of difference), or

• Take a mental break by browsing the web for something entertaining or reading a book

A Bonus You Can Learn

If you also want a good example of audience engagement, study Jason.

He values and remembers all of his students, and established the Facebook community (A Film Networking Group that’s 1,716 members strong) specifically to encourage his students and friends to network and meet each other.

To deepen the engagement, he and Preda have begun a video series chronicling their adventures in L.A. for the group, and Jason launched his own blog chronicling the lessons he’s learning along the way.

Talk about using what you've got.



To You...

So the next time you're in the whale's belly like I was, just remember what the U.S. military always drilled into Jason's and my head: pain is weakness leaving the body.

Keep chewing.

What do you do in times of self-doubt or disappointment? Let me know in a comment below.

Thanks for reading! 



Public domain image: Sebastian Str

Get free updates right in your inbox!

Email Address