Fall where they may:
“Making peace with the risks of trying”
When I was of age, my Aunt gave me $40 and sent me to the casino. Picking the largest and shiniest movie themed slot I could find, I promptly lost half in an instant. “No bother” I said. With unshaken confidence, I gave it another go with the remaining $20 and turned my luck around. Getting back $10 and looking forward to conquering the beast. I promptly lost the rest.
Needless to say, I am not a fan of gambling. It can be such a waste. For all the effort and resources put into it, you can still be left with nothing but a goose egg and an upset stomach.
Unfortunately the film industry, like many other markets, is run by taking risks. So much so that investors have to sign contracts with an understanding that they too can end up empty handed by the end. Make or break is a common place, and yet as I’ve gotten older, risk aversion has been at the foreground. If $40 was enough to keep me from casinos, how am I to make peace with giving my all to pay for entry fees and production costs?
When you’re younger you simply have less to lose. At least I did. Fresh out of undergrad, I was still living at home with just enough stuff to make my childhood bedroom feel safe. Flash forward to today where I have new insurance payments or pesky pop ups like an ER visit for a swollen appendix. I’ve never had to hold on to finances with an iron claw before. And this small life I’ve built for myself came with hard lessons I want no more of (For now I know mistakes take longer to clean up). But that’s the thing isn’t it? To win requires moves to be made, actions to be taken.
I came across a saying that helped ease my discomfort. A personal blog told me it’s about “Faith and Due Diligence.” Mitigating potential damages makes it easier to believe in the best possible outcome. The faith part is putting down the wager. It doesn’t matter if I don’t stick my landing and lose yet another time. The due diligence makes sure I have more to try again (after some recalibration of course).***
