what is a mistake really?

Not sure about this one,
especially every time I take an audition,
which equates 3 minutes of playing with employability,
not considering a plane ticket, a hotel room, transportation, and the innumerable emotional costs.
What measures are we using to define mistakes and its opposite, success?
Why is it so hard to think about the trajectory of one's growth as a success,
as opposed to the obvious marker of a job?

Can you afford to make a mistake?

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