Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater celebrated its 77th Anniversary in 2011serving as the model for Star Search and American Idol. Competitions are held weekly culminating with the year-end Super Top Dog competition.
There is a tradition that started in the 1930s that has the unsuccessful contestants chased from the stage when the audience gives its vocal thumbs down by a loud chorus of boos. I happened to see a documentary on the Apollo Theater's amateur night where the manager was asked"Don't you feel bad for the contestants that get booed?" He answered:
"No I don't. Because they got to have a chance to show their talent in a professional situation. If they don't make it they can go on to find their greatness in other areas of work. Maybe they will go on to be a great computer programmer or great writer or great business person. Their failing here should be something to push them onto other goals where they can excel."
I thought that to be a very positive and energizing thing for him to say and I'm sure he told that to the contestants that didn't make it. And they probably did go on to find their greatness.
On the other hand, in 1954a teenage Elvis Presley performed at the Grand Ole Opry and though he got a polite response from the audience the manager Jim Denny told him,"Son you better go back to Memphis and continue driving a truck because you're never going to make it in show business."
So now we have two sides of the failure issue. Do we give up after one failed professional attempt and "find our greatness in other areas of work”? Or do we continue on like Elvis did no matter the discouragement?
Yes we can adapt and overcome. We can find our piece of that dream. We can also waste lots of time and money on a dream that might not happen. I have no answer for which path is best. Where you end up by taking a certain path is a mystery that only time can unravel. It's a choice that only you as a James Bond Lifestyle agent can make.
My only idea concerning that choice is that you can successfully take both paths at the same time by making money at your job and playing out your dreams on your off hours. And while you're doing those two things at the same time your dream can expand over the years until it becomes a larger dream than you even imagined.
Connecting to the Apollo manager's statement of "find their greatness"I've heard some people say that they have to "find themselves"even to the point of dropping out of life and living someplace where there is no pressure on them so they can "discover who they are". That is fine up to a point and solitude will help with that idea. But instead of the Mindset of “finding yourself”I prefer the Mindset of "create yourself". Create yourself "in the fire of your will"to quote Han from Enter the Dragon. That's the angle of attack that the techniques of the JBLS take on for our goals and dreams.
How to Live the James Bond Lifestyle -
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