Believing You Belong Here

Watching the coverage of the Olympics, one of the announcers said a very interesting quote:

Confidence is a little voice inside your head that tells you that you belong here.

(I've done a little Googling and couldn't find the original source, so if anyone knows it please pass it on to me.)

As an actor, you find yourself in lots of intimidating situations like auditions, table reads, your first day on a new set.  Actors know that their job is always tenuous.  Just look at Eric Stoltz who shot for 5 weeks on "Back to the Future" before being replaced by Michael J. Fox.  That feeling of being replaceable is something that always sits somewhere in the back of my mind.

But, all that is in my head and it's my job to change the dialogue in there.  Change that little voice inside my head.  Of course, I know it isn't that easy. 

I wish I was one of those people who just exudes confidence that has never known a place they didn't belong.  My problem is that whenever I do get something I think it's a fluke.   And just try to give me a compliment - I am a master at deflecting them. 

Since confidence doesn't come naturally to me at all, I'm going to have to pretend.  Maybe if I pretend enough, I'll be able to change that little voice inside my head