Читать книгу Positive Thoughts for Troubling Times - Allen Klein - Страница 13

Believe in Yourself

When I was seven years old, my parents took me to see my first Broadway show. From that day on, I wanted to be a scenic designer, someone who created those pretty stage pictures.

In grade school, my fellow classmates would write book reports. I, on the other hand, made a book-related diorama in an old shoe box. In high school, I took myself downtown and saw almost every show on Broadway. In college, I designed many of the school productions, and, with the help of one of the professors, got into Yale Drama School.

It was a three-year master’s degree program. They admitted twelve students the first year. Then, because they only produced eight plays in their smaller theater the second year, they let go of four designers. I was one of the first to go. In essence, they were telling me that I had no talent.

Soon after being booted from Yale, I became an apprentice in the scenic design union in New York City and finally became a full-fledged designer at CBS Television. My Yale classmates were still designing school productions. I was designing national television shows such as Captain Kangaroo, The Merv Griffin Show, and The Jackie Gleason Show.

Who said I had no talent? Who said I would never be a designer? Nobody could tell me I wasn’t one. In my mind, I had been a scenic designer since I went to grade school. I believed in myself, my talents, and my dream.

Hopefully the following powerful thoughts will encourage you to believe in yourself too.