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Everything comes gradually, and at its appointed hour – Ovid
The above pearl of wisdom is probably something that nobody wants to hear if they are putting forth all they have to scratch their way out of an unseemly situation. It’s a desperate feeling as a stricken soul copes with the present while pursuing the frantically needed future. Even more crippling is the memory of opportunities passed that could have potentially alleviated while waiting for the ‘appointed hour’.
To those so afflicted, I give you Jennifer Lawrence. If you haven’t heard of Jennifer, just wait a few months as she’s about to hit the Hollywood-scene harder than a Brangelina/Bennifer lovechild. Much of that is a result of her leading role in the hotly anticipated ‘The Hunger Games’, the first of a cinematic version of a bestseller young-adult trilogy of the same name.
What’s most amazing about this looming smash Jennifer is poised to make is you could argue she’s already smashed it. She had a meaty role in last summer’s redux of X-Men and worked alongside established mainstays as Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson in ‘The Beaver’. And all of that came after she was nominated for an Academy Award for her tortured rendition of Ree Dolly in the acclaimed ‘Winter’s Bone’.
Now just take a moment and consider that all of this very well may not have been for Jennifer. See, right around the time she was working in relative obscurity on a TBS sitcom Lawrence nearly landed a career-making role. More than that, it was for the lead in a cinematic version of novels that she (and every other woman on earth, I’m sure…) had devoured. That’s right. Jennifer Lawrence was nearly Bella Swan in Twilight.
Just imagine the potential turmoil. Jennifer, so close to a sure-thing box office cash machine, had to instead settle on an unheard of indie flick boasting a $2 million budget and very little appeal outside of the arthouses. But then guess what happened…she nailed it, and her fortunes changed immediately based on what she didn’t get.
Seriously, love them or hate them, it should quickly be agreed that the Twilight series is not exactly Oscar material. Jennifer suffered that great disappointment, and then just look at the trajectory her career has taken since the setback. Because of what she didn’t get, Lawrence has positioned herself to become the next Hilary Swank (noted for both her appeal to the Academy and common-man).
It’s a message for all of us to absorb. Remember, every ‘no’ takes you closer to a ‘yes’. Like Jennifer Lawrence, we can’t afford to dwell on what hadn’t happened. Rather, make everyday a step in your journey toward what will happen. Don’t spend time thinking about how you were almost Bella. Rather, commit yourself to being the best Ree Dolly possible. Commit yourself to the roles you did land, and your appointed hour will find you too.
Contact DS Palmer at dspalmer@thelibertyweekly.com and download his new dark comedy St. Bart’s High Or, How I Had a Love for the Classes Beat into Me for $2.99 on kindle.
Very good advice! I have already been searching for something similar to this for a time now. Thanks for the tips!