I'll never forget the moment I got the call: an audition for a movie with Robert De Niro.

My brain short-circuited as soon as I heard his name. De Niro. The Godfather. Heat. Goodfellas. How could I not get distracted?

As the big day drew near, I spiraled. This wasn't just another audition. This was the audition.

What if this is my big break? What if I blow it?

What should I wear? Do I look the part?

What if I forget my lines? What if I forget how to speak?

Maybe I'm not ready. Maybe I'm not good enough.

But what if I am?

The pressure was electric. Hope and fear did a wild dance in my chest and no matter how hard I tried, my imagination kept racing ahead.

This was the moment that could change the trajectory of my life and career — and I blew it.

But the lessons I took from tha

See Full Page