I walked out of the theatre enraged. Never have I been more livid after seeing a movie.
La La Land really struck a chord with me. I was appalled that somewhere out there people were applauding the choice of career over love.
My friends and family that saw it with me weren’t nearly as taken aback as I was, and continued chatting about the elegant dancing and beautiful singing.
While the movie was incredible well done and deserves all the awards it’s being nominated for, I can’t help but shudder at the thought of applying its lessons to my life.
Personally, I would never choose a dream job over the one I love. I’d make it work. Fight it out. And figure out a way to have both.
Before I lose you, let me assure you I realize this isn’t everyone’s way of life. And after my temper cooled down, I realized that’s okay.
It’s okay if my life doesn’t look like La La Land, Cinderella, or any other fairy tale. My life and my relationships are my own, and there’s no reason to compare them to anyone else’s. We (myself included) are so quick to judge people’s personal lives.
“Oh she’s getting married way too young.”
“Oh she waited that long to have kids? What a mistake.”
“She picked a career over marriage?? Who DOES that?”
If I’m guilty of this I know other women out there must be. Not only are we quick to judge, but we’re quick to compare. We compare our life choices to the ways of our girlfriends, mentors, celebrities, etc.
We cannot fall into this temptation. We can’t doubt our life decisions just because they don’t line up to someone else’s expectations or personal choices. Not everything in life is black and white or adheres to a certain formula, relationships being one of those things.
My advice? Stand strong in what you feel the call upon your life is. If that’s pursuing a career, a relationship, adoption, being a stay at home mom, entrepreneurship, whatever it is, work at it with your whole heart. Do not work for the approval of those around you.
