It is not that what she said was something I haven’t heard before. As a life coach and trainer, I live in the land of making dreams come true.
What struck me, as I watched her acceptance speech at this year’s Oscars, was… first – I have been witness to not only her hard work but also the vulnerability she has modeled… and second – there was something that thrilled me about what she said because of who she is.
Truth can be spoken and lost, but when a celebrity speaks it, there is a much better chance the message will be listened to, broadcast on social media and taken seriously by those who might otherwise ignore personal growth type of advice.
Inspiring others during a moment in the limelight is a sign of true leadership.
If you missed it, here are her exact words:
“And if you are at home, and you’re sitting on your couch and you’re watching this right now, all I have to say is that this is hard work. I’ve worked hard for a long time, and it’s not about, you know…it’s not about winning.
But what it’s about is not giving up. If you have a dream, fight for it. There’s a discipline for passion. And it’s not about how many times you get rejected or you fall down, or you’re beaten up. It’s about how many times you stand up and are brave and you keep going.”
I love what she said because it rings true to me on so many levels. Don’t get me wrong, I love to win! Going for the win is always my goal – be it in a game of Yahtzee, a business goal or one of my life’s dreams.
The win, though, is always secondary to the journey toward, and experience of, a heartfelt dream realized.
I feel fortunate to have realized many dreams in my life and I have many more that are works in progress. One or two I have been working hard on for many years.
Sometimes I feel like those dreams are never going to be a reality. Have you ever felt that way?
It is a painful paradox to feel like a loser when pursuing a long-held dream.
The paradox is that, in order to be a winner, you have to go for something you care about… and, as Lady Gaga infers…you will be rejected, fall down and perhaps even get beaten up by inner demons or outer bullies.
My favorite part of her speech is this:
“There is a discipline for passion.”
It is hard work… in my experience, that is true even when there is magic involved!
To achieve anything worthwhile takes an effort and requires discipline.
Which, to me at this moment, means simply that you do things even when you don’t want to, even when it seems like a waste of time, even when others just don’t get it!
You do it for a passion… something that lights you up, something that matters to you in a heartfelt way… something that brings you joy and lifts you up.
Going for that kind of dream, my friend… THAT is what makes life worth living.
Do you have a dream you are working on?
I would love to hear what helps you keep on going!
