Day 50 of 99 Days

“I was seven when Maureen O’Sullivan said, ‘What are you going to be when you grow up?’ and I said, ‘I’m going to be an actress.’”

Vivien Leigh

I love this quote. Self-belief, tenacity, talent and courage all rolled into one. I so much admire someone having a dream so young and, with such determination, making it come true so spectacularly. Her levels of self-belief and tenacity are beautiful demonstrated in the story of how Leigh bagged one of her most famous roles as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind.

The producer, David Selznick, spent two years searching for the right actress for the role. Every one wanted it and Leigh didn’t seem to be in with a chance. Selznick had deemed Leigh “too British” to play the role and said that he had “no enthusiasm for Leigh.” But this didn’t stop Vivien. She flew out to LA to convince him he was wrong. On the voyage across the Atlantic Leigh rehearsed and rehearsed. When she came to meet Selznick she dressed the part. She wowed him so greatly, from the first moment he met her, that Selznick later wrote” “her tests showed she could act the part right down to the ground but I’ll never recover from that first look.”

Today, take inspiration from Vivien. Whatever it is you want, don’t give up. No matter the odds against you, don’t give up. Believe in yourself. Be courageous. And don’t give up!