All too often we talk ourselves out of shooting for something big, telling ourselves it’s crazy to aim that high, or that we couldn’t possibly make something like that happen. But what if we were wrong? What if the opposite was also true, that the very thing we desire is actually entirely possible and we are absolutely able to make it happen?
Last weekend I was thrilled to facilitate a surprise meeting between an actor/independent film maker and an iconic Hollywood Director. By rights, I should never have been able to make this happen but somehow I pulled it off.
It is (understandably) very difficult to connect with celebrities, much less have them give up their precious time to meet with you. So how is it that I was able to not only get in contact with a Hollywood Director, but that he agreed to spend an hour of his time face to face with a complete stranger? Here are some key attributes that contributed to making the connection.
First of all, I was curious. I started to wonder “what if…?” and “wouldn’t it be cool…?” and then “I wonder how…” – which led to some research and a whittling down of degrees of separation. When you’re curious you explore avenues of possibility, rather than convincing yourself of all the ways your dream will never work. By staying curious, I was also able to take myself out of the equation – without the ego’s insecure need to “succeed” there was no fear of failure, only an inquisitiveness about what might be possible.
Persistence came into play. Working through contacts to get in touch with the right people, and to actually connect with someone who could help, ultimately led to a conversation with a human being and some concrete next steps – no guarantees, of course.
I was grateful. I had made some headway and certainly appreciated people’s help which, given that there was absolutely nothing for them in it, they certainly were not obliged to give.
I was wholly truthful, respectful and authentic. Next, I had to write an email outlining my request and the reason for it, essentially a pitch. I re-wrote it a bunch of times, agonizing over how much detail to include, how personal to be, how to balance a polite request with a desperate plea… And then I threw out all my drafts and just wrote from the heart. I told them what I wanted. I reassured them I wasn’t asking for any favors and also let them know that I was determined to do what it took to make this thing happen. And then I told them why it was so important for me to give this person this particular gift.
More gratitude! The next day a response came back that my request was being forwarded for consideration. Again, no guarantees. I couldn’t have asked for any more, really.
Then I let it go. I had done my best, and the outcome was now out of my hands. What
would be would be (incidentally, check out this good advice from actor Bryan Cranston on doing your best, what you can control, and walking away).
Long story short, the Director decided to make an exception and take the meeting – and it couldn’t have gone better if I’d scripted it myself! Exponential gratitude at this point.
So to recap: what contributed to making something “impossible” like this happen?
Last weekend I was thrilled to facilitate a surprise meeting between an actor/independent film maker and an iconic Hollywood Director. By rights, I should never have been able to make this happen but somehow I pulled it off.
It is (understandably) very difficult to connect with celebrities, much less have them give up their precious time to meet with you. So how is it that I was able to not only get in contact with a Hollywood Director, but that he agreed to spend an hour of his time face to face with a complete stranger? Here are some key attributes that contributed to making the connection.
First of all, I was curious. I started to wonder “what if…?” and “wouldn’t it be cool…?” and then “I wonder how…” – which led to some research and a whittling down of degrees of separation. When you’re curious you explore avenues of possibility, rather than convincing yourself of all the ways your dream will never work. By staying curious, I was also able to take myself out of the equation – without the ego’s insecure need to “succeed” there was no fear of failure, only an inquisitiveness about what might be possible.
Persistence came into play. Working through contacts to get in touch with the right people, and to actually connect with someone who could help, ultimately led to a conversation with a human being and some concrete next steps – no guarantees, of course.
I was grateful. I had made some headway and certainly appreciated people’s help which, given that there was absolutely nothing for them in it, they certainly were not obliged to give.
I was wholly truthful, respectful and authentic. Next, I had to write an email outlining my request and the reason for it, essentially a pitch. I re-wrote it a bunch of times, agonizing over how much detail to include, how personal to be, how to balance a polite request with a desperate plea… And then I threw out all my drafts and just wrote from the heart. I told them what I wanted. I reassured them I wasn’t asking for any favors and also let them know that I was determined to do what it took to make this thing happen. And then I told them why it was so important for me to give this person this particular gift.
More gratitude! The next day a response came back that my request was being forwarded for consideration. Again, no guarantees. I couldn’t have asked for any more, really.
Then I let it go. I had done my best, and the outcome was now out of my hands. What
would be would be (incidentally, check out this good advice from actor Bryan Cranston on doing your best, what you can control, and walking away).
Long story short, the Director decided to make an exception and take the meeting – and it couldn’t have gone better if I’d scripted it myself! Exponential gratitude at this point.
So to recap: what contributed to making something “impossible” like this happen?
- Staying curious about possibilities and paths, taking my ego out of the equation.
- Persistence. Persistence. Persistence.
- Gratitude for every bit of progress along the way, and for the final outcome.
- Letting go once I had done everything I could.
- Authenticity and sincerity (the clincher).
These attributes can be applied to any seemingly impossible undertaking and I believe they will stand you in good stead – I’d love to hear about what other attributes have helped you do something impossible or make a dream come true – share your comments and Happy Dream Making!
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