The Power of Persistence

This week, I absorbed a fantastic 5-hour documentary about one of my favorite directors, called Mr. Scorsese, made by Rebecca Miller.

Whether you enjoy his films or not, you likely know his name. (Fair warning: these movies are often violent and not for everyone). 

I have seen 17 of his films and enjoyed all but one (Skip The Irishman). My favorites are Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, The Departed, Shutter Island, Wolf of Wall Street, and Killers of the Flower Moon.

What feels relevant to share is how struck I was by the trajectory of his career. With so much success over five decades, I presumed he could rely consistently on being a wanted talent. 

Nope. It was constant up’s and down’s. He would have a hit or two and then make a total flop that would scare studios away from working with him. 

He made some films just to show that he was competent again after going over budget or failing to make big enough box office. 

To his sadness and dismay, his various films have instigated an assassination attempt on Reagan, mass protests, a bomb in a theater, and a temporary Chinese ban on Disney and himself. 

It became a Hollywood joke that he had not won an Oscar, despite many of his films being on astute lists of the best films of all time.

Even though he was known as one of the greatest American directors, at one point he had to rely on a kid who had come into celebrity power to rescue his flailing career. 

Leonardo DiCaprio insisted on acting in Scorsese’s lifelong dream, Gangs of New York, and that’s what got it green lit. Luckily, they became a great team for many films after. 

He still had to fight with the studio to get the ending he wanted on his picture that screened well with test audiences. The pressure paid off, as he finally won the Oscar for The Departed.

This reminded me of how much persistence plays a part in our success. If you do things right, you will make mistakes. Only people who are pushing their own comfort zone excel into greatness. 

This same week, I have a visitor of a 21-year-old nibling (gender neutral for niece / nephew) who wants to break into the competitive industry of video game arts. I am proud to say he was Valedictorian of Full Sail University, so I know he has the work ethic to make it. 

We chatted this morning as I was promoting the idea of him and his friends moving to Seattle to give it a real shot. He said he wants to, but he’s currently saving money and is tired of rejection. I get it. 

I moved to New York City at 23 years old to attempt to build a career in film, and moved on three years later. 

Even if I didn’t succeed, I am so glad that I gave it a real shot. I met some of my favorite directors (Wes Anderson, Spike Lee, John Sayles, Frank Oz, Albert Maysles, Mira Nair, etc). 

Oh and one of the most exciting people I met in NYC was Thelma Schoonmaker, who edited many of Scorsese’s films.

Over the years of admin hustle in post-production and unpaid internships, I learned why I didn’t want to be in the industry. I can see why Scorsese needed to fight so hard long-term, and it didn’t appeal to me. But at least I know why I decided against it and gave it my best shot.  

I tried to get my nibling and his friends to understand . . . You don’t regret what you fail at so much as what you don’t attempt. 

This week, I hope you will consider something you would rather regret failing in than not trying at all and take one small step toward it. 

Now I need to listen to this advice myself and go work on editing my book . . . again. 

Need a pep talk with spiritual guidance to take a bold leap? Sign up for a personal tarot reading with me. 

Gather inner motivation and remove inner obstacles with an intuition coaching session. 

A tarot reading lesson is another great way to develop skills in self-awareness and persistence.

Support a friend in their dream during a Tarot Together session. This can be online if your friend is from afar.

Want to add some spice to a gathering this winter? Bring magic to your whole party when you hire a tarot or palm reader from Portlandia Fortune Tellers. 

Celebrate how you pull yourself up again and again in life. Good job! 

Keep on Trucking,

Jenna Lynne Roberts

Present Path Tarot

Portlandia Fortune Tellers