Filmmaker Kevin Smith drops wisdom:
I've willed almost all of stuff I've done into existence, and if I can do that, ANYBODY can do that. So start your chatter: talk about what you're going to do. Don't pursue a role, LIVE that role. Like my sister told me, back when I confessed I wanted to be a filmmaker. "Then BE a filmmaker," she said. "That's what I'm saying: I wanna be.". And that's when she gave me the million dollar advice: "No - BE a filmmaker. You say you wanna be; just BE a filmmaker. Think every thought AS a filmmaker. Don't pine for it or pursue it; BE it. You ARE a filmmaker; you just haven't made a film yet." And it sounded artsy-fartsy as fuck, but it was CRAZY useful advice.
A slacker hit the sheets that night, but the CLERKS-guy got out of bed the following morning. So plant the seeds early & take as much time as it requires to will your goals into existence. Keep a few going, you'll never get bored. Expect moments of discouragement, but don't wallow in them.
Remember that if an ass-hat like KevinSmith can succeed at something like film or life, then what the fuck is stopping YOU from doing the same. I was not 'to the manor born'. This shit was not manifest, nor was it ever offered. And just remember that, when you read about some deal or project, sometimes, that's just some bluffy motherfucker trying to change his or her game by willing some shit into existence.