POINT TO PONDER
Losers visualize the penalties of failure. Winners visualize the rewards of success.
- William S. Gilbert
STORY LINE
In 1985 Jim Carrey was one of many out-of-work actor/comedians in Los Angeles. Carrey's situation was dire: he was a high school drop out who was broke, depressed, and didn't have any foreseeable prospects on the horizon.
Years later, when Carrey was a success, Jim famously told Oprah that no matter how tough it might have been, he would never give up on his dream. He'd drive up the hill on Mulholland Drive to overlook the city on nights that were particularly rough. On those drives Carrey would tell himself that he was already a success, visualizing directors contacting him to be in their films and people telling him how much they loved his work.
He refused to give in to the challenges and hardship he faced. To prove his resolve, Jim Carrey pulled out his checkbook (in which he didn't have any money to begin with) and wrote himself a check worth 10 million dollars for "acting services rendered." He then post dated the check for Thanksgiving day in 1995. He then folded up the check and put it in his wallet and carried it around with him every day fully believing he was a success.
Over the years the check deteriorated but just before 1995, Carrey learned that he was going to make 10 million dollars on the film Dumb and Dumber for 'acting services rendered.'