Are You Walking The Line?

David Sutcliffe

There’s a powerful scene in the movie Walk The Line where a young Johnny Cash is performing for a record executive, who looks unimpressed.

He suggests to Cash he doesn’t believe in himself.

Cash takes it in, dismayed, then makes a decision.

He starts to play a song he’s never played for anyone before, Folsom Prison Blues.

He’s tentative at first, but as he keeps singing, his voice grows stronger, his confidence builds, and his spirit starts to shine through.

The record executive smiles.

A star is born. 

I had a moment like that back in 1998.

I was 28 years old, trying to make it as an actor. 

I’d been toiling away for years in Toronto with nothing to show for it but a few bit-parts and some TV commercials. 

I finally caught a break when a friend gave me a leading role in his low-budget film.

It wasn’t a very good movie, and only a few people ever saw it, but I had a chance to finally test my chops.

When I watched it I thought: “I’m good! I can do this.”  

With that new-found confidence, I assembled some clips from the movie and decided to try my luck in New York City. 

Everyone thought I was crazy. “If you’re not getting anywhere in Toronto, how do you expect to make it in New York?”

I didn’t care. I was approaching thirty and still working as a waiter. I needed to make a move. 

So with $2000 in my pocket, I took the train to NYC to find my fortune.

I had one contact, a talent agent named Philip Carlson.

I showed him my tape. “You’re good,” he said, not exactly enthusiastic. “Let me send you out and we’ll see how it goes.” 

Two days later I was sitting alone in the waiting room of a casting office on Madison Avenue, shuffling through the pages of the scene I was about to read.

The casting director came in, greeted me with a friendly smile, and led me into her office.

We sat down across from each other. I took a beat, then began.

I’d never felt great about my auditions. They were always flat. I could never quite connect. 

But this time it was different.

As soon I started, I was in the zone. Present. Alive.

It was finally coming out the way I heard it in my head. 

When I finished, she looked at me and said, “That was AWESOME!”

I nodded in agreement. It was awesome. I nailed it, and I knew it. 

The next morning I got a call from Philip.  “What the hell did you do in there? She called every casting director in the city and said they have to meet you. You have three more auditions tomorrow!”

Two months later I was at Fox Studios in Los Angeles shooting a sitcom pilot for CBS. 

I was on my way.

Leap and the net will appear. 

I believe that.

Something magical happens when you’re willing to take a risk.

When you enter into the unknown.

When you make a choice to trust yourself.

It’s creates leverage. You’re forced to face your fear.

That’s why I was able to come through in that audition. 

It was my last chance. It was do or die.

Under that pressure I was either going to fold in fear or trust the moment and surrender. There was no in-between. 

They say the universe conspires to help you when you take a big risk.

But so do the people around you.

We’re inspired when others go after what they want.

Because it gives us permission to go after what we want.  

Sure, you’ll have the nay-sayers. I had plenty of those in Toronto.

But when I chose to stop listening to them and start listening to myself, my world transformed. 

And my faith was reflected back to me.

So many people helped me along the way once I chose to believe in myself. 

It made me realize life is a mirror.

Others doubt us when we doubt ourselves. They sense our fear. 

But when we believe in ourselves, and let our light shine, that energy inspires those around us to rally in support.  

It’s such a relief to understand that. 

To know there’s nothing outside of us.

That the impediments to our expansion are always within.

That’s why I’m such an advocate for deep inner work, like meditation, breathwork, and therapy. 

Yes, it’s good to make a plan if we want to succeed. And tactics and strategies are great.

But mastery over the self is the ultimate meta-skill.

The true secret to success. 

❤️✌🏼

Dave

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