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Meagan Good has been acting since she was a kid, with her first acting role in the books in 1991. In the second part of an interview with friend and actress Grace Byers (formerly Gealey) for the former Empire star’s online series Sit + Sip, she opened up about the ups and downs of trying to stay in the industry all this time. The now 38-year-old kept it real about moments where she didn’t know how she was going to make ends meet. She says she was able to not throw in the towel because of her trust in God, who helped her develop a better outlook on her struggles.

When asked what lesson’s she’s learned in a career spanning nearly 30 years, she had this to say.

“Really trust in God. Like really, really, really trust in Him,” she said. “I don’t believe in ever giving up. I’m relentless and resilient, and I’ve seen a lot of like really kind of sucky times. Times where I couldn’t pay my bills, or I would have a big movie in the theater but couldn’t afford to pay my bills. Oh yeah, I’ve seen a lot of different seasons. But for me, it’s really trust in God. This entire job is a faith walk: When am I going to get my next job? Am I going to get my next job? Every single day we have to walk in faith that we’re going to get a job and then we’re going to go the way that we want to go.”

It also helps the star to not compare herself and her successes to what other women actresses are doing.

“No competition. I just don’t believe in it,” she said. “I believe truly what’s mine is mine, you can’t take it from me, and what’s yours is yours, I can’t take it from you. I really believe in celebrating each other, celebrating all women and celebrating any form of underdog. Absolutely.”

But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have times where she feels defeated, like many of us do in our fields of work. However, she’s confident that God is nowhere near done with her anytime soon when it comes to what is in store for her professionally.

“When I’m in that in between stage and I’m feeling insecure or I’m feeling like I don’t know if I can do it or like this person over here is winning, why can’t I get a break or a chance, I just bring myself back to the base. I’m here for a reason, God created me for a reason,” she said. “He’s not going to stop what He’s started. I’m going to get all the way there. It is a process. I have to be present in the process and choose joy in the process, even when it sucks, even when it hurts. It’s all about perception and attitude. Just keep pushing. Just don’t give up.”

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