If you haven't noticed already, "La La Land" is taking the world by storm. Amongst record-breaking amounts of awards and endless recognition, it is safe to say that the lives of Mia and Sebastian have made their mark. I've seen the film three times now (no shame), with each viewing getting better than the rest. And each time I watch it, I've found more and more reasons to love it: from the soundtrack to the ending (which many may disagree with) to the extravagant dance numbers. But what stood out to me from everything else is the life lessons that "La La Land" shares; I would've never guessed that a movie about acting and jazz music would affect my outlook on success, growing up, and love.
(Fair warning: I won't go into massive detail about the plot but if you don't want any spoilers, I don't suggest reading on.)
1. Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone in order to follow your dreams.
In the very first scene including the song and dance number "Another Day of Sun", it's apparent that the amount of talent in Los Angeles is very high. Mia and Sebastian, two individuals in the midst of the traffic, have goals of making it in the business, whether it is through acting or jazz. But there's no possibly way for someone to reach their goals if they don't put themselves out there. In the middle of the film, Mia decides to take a risk with writing her own one-woman show while Sebastian joins a more modernized jazz band. Both of these things are not exactly what they imagined doing, but it puts themselves in the right direction for pursuing their dreams.
To follow your dreams and ultimately accomplish them, you need to make yourself stand out. Don't just be someone in the crowd (no pun intended); have your voice be heard. If you have a passion for something, make others know it.
2. Surround yourself with positive people.
I can't stress this enough. The road to success isn't just dependent on you and your determination, but the people that surround you. Though they certainly have ups and downs in their relationship, Mia and Sebastian are each other's biggest cheerleaders throughout their journeys. Mia never let Sebastian forget what his goals were, and Sebastian never let Mia forget how special and important she was, even if she thought differently. Likewise, Mia's friends never let her lay in bed and sulk about a bad audition; instead, they wanted to make her happy and take her out for a fun night. It's essential to remember that we should never settle for anything less than amazing support.
3. Fantasies will rarely come true (sorry).
Hate to break it to you, but it's true. It's extremely hard to merge career goals and relationship goals into one fantasized life, so we just need to accept it. "La La Land' succeeds in displaying the big dreams of the protagonists along with the various woulda-coulda-shoulda moments, as shown in the 8-minute long epilog of the film when we see the perfect life Mia and Sebastian could've lived together. The film reminds us that life isn't exactly perfect. We may not live the perfect lives we dream of, but our flaws and failures will only make us stronger in the end.
4. Sometimes the person you set your goals with is the person you achieve them with.
Sometimes, our relationships encourage us to take certain steps to make goals. Without Sebastian, it's highly unlikely that Mia would've gone to the audition that made her the movie star she had always aspired to become. However, we see their relationship dwindle when Mia gains success; while some may say it's upsetting to see Mia with a husband that is not Ryan Gosling, I believe it's realistic and touching. People come and go throughout our lives. Some may stay for one season, others for many. It's important to remember the impact they put on our lives, even if they don't stay forever.
5. Don't regret things from the past; instead, appreciate the moment itself.
I feel like "living in the moment" is a saying that is thrown out at people quite frequently, but it's true! We should never regret anything from the past because at one point those things were what we wanted. The past helps us grow and succeed as we move forward. Nothing is wasted if it has impacted us in some way, and we should never look back into our lives and feel regret. Mia and Sebastian both carried out their dreams and lived their lives with spontaneity, happiness, and love, and I feel that we should all do the same.
