The ‘Big Shot’ Star Who Visualized Booking a Series Regular Role + Then Did

The following Career Dispatch essay was written by Monique Green, who stars on Disney+’s “Big Shot,” premiering April 16. 

I was at a crossroads. I was at a point in my life where I had literally no place I needed to be. I was suddenly a free bird with the whole world accessible to me. I had just graduated college and I had to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, who I wanted to be. I had acted while in school, but now I had to figure out how to continue acting—and further, how to pursue it full-time. Now, that’s a different beast. I moved back home and I had to face the dreaded question: What’s next? This common question comes from every kind of person; from family member sto overly helpful strangers. It seemed like anybody and everybody had advice for the new baby bird.

I tried reading books about this uncertain time, to see if that could aid in my journey. I tried going on job-searching websites for some kind of a part-time job to support myself. Nothing seemed to speak to me until I discovered meditation and journaling. I remember my first meditation session. I sat there with my eyes closed, body calm, and my mind quiet. I heard no doubt. I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. There’s something so beautiful about being still. There’s something so beautiful about simple peace. It feels good to just be. 

During meditation I was able to silence my inner critic and my inner doubt. Even though life seemed uncertain at that moment, I was certain about one thing: that I was finding my purpose. Meditation allowed me to commit to my dreams wholeheartedly.  

Then, I started journaling. I wrote affirmations for myself and wrote down all of the things I wanted to achieve. The biggest goal I set for myself was to book a series regular role. It didn’t matter how I was going to get there. It’s all about the inspiration for the motivation. I wrote down how thankful I was to receive that role even though it wasn’t in my present reality. I visualized myself over and over again receiving the role, acknowledging how I felt in that moment. I knew it was coming. I knew it was coming because I already saw myself having it.

A year after I graduated, I ended up booking not only a series regular role but also a series order! This confirmed to me that I am able to achieve anything and everything I set my mind to. The mind is a very powerful tool and the more I’ve worked, the more I’ve realized this to be true. It all starts and ends with me. I control my reality and my future. I realized that advice from others was great, but finding what works best for me is the ultimate goal. Every person is unique, therefore it makes sense to create and/or find your own unique approach. Once you find that, the “what’s next?” of a it all becomes just a little bit less scary.