Seizing Your Moment

It was Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull that changed eleven year old Brett Ratner's life. "It blew me away," Ratner, now an accomplished Hollywood director, remembers. "I decided I wanted to be a director like Scorsese. I heard that he went to NYU and decided that was where I was going to film school."

After years of waiting, Brett was given his opportunity. He traveled from Miami Beach up to New York City after his high school graduation for an interview at NYU. Armed with a briefcase full of his films and a projector to show them on, Brett walked into his interview expecting the best.

Unfortunately, it did not go quite as he planned.

"The woman who interviewed me said I needed a 4.0 grade-point average." The interview did not last long. Brett was told that he would not be accepted into NYU's film school. Brett was crushed. "As I was walking out, I thought my life was over." It seemed as if that was where Brett Ratner's dream would end.

But Brett was not going to let it end there. He took his briefcase, and ran over to the office of the dean. "I've got to see the dean," Ratner told the secretary. She told him that without an appointment, it would be three months. "You don't understand," Ratner replied, "this is life or death."


After he persisted for a few more moments, Brett was granted two minutes with the dean. One week later, Brett Ratner had been accepted to NYU's film school.

Brett Ratner's story shows the power of persistance and determination. When given the opportunity, you must seize your moment and attack it for all it is worth. So many people fail because of a roadblock.

Don't let yourself be one of them.




Above: One of Brett Ratner's films