First of all–if you haven’t seen the movie “A Star is Born” and plan to–read at your own risk–there are spoilers.
Secondly, for those of you who have–how could you?! How could you NOT prepare me for how this movie would destroy me emotionally. I was literally in the fetal position and completely spent when Super Rockstar and I got home from seeing it. I saw comments on social media from those of you who saw it–that said things like “SO GOOD!”and ” What a great movie!”. That’s nice and all, but what I needed to read was: “So good, but you will feel a wrecking ball sense of loss at the end” or “What a great movie–but be sure to bring a Costco size case of Kleenex!”
So, I have to ask myself –why? Why did this movie “get” to me so much. What was it about the story, the music, the overall experience that resonated so deeply within my soul that it literally rendered me speechless (Super Rockstar and I did not utter a word the whole way home). For me–I think I’ve realized that it’s because the overall theme of the movie is about finding your passion in this world and putting your own voice to it. That means something to me.
One of my favorite lines in the movie is from the main character Jackson Maine played by Bradley Cooper(who knew that he could sing?!):
“Unless you get out there and try to do it, you’ll never know. That’s just the truth. If there’s one reason we’re suppose to be here is to say somethin’ so people wanna hear it. So you gotta grab it and you don’t apologize you don’t worry about why they’re listenin’ or how long they’re gonna be listening for. You just tell em what you wanna say.”
We have all been given a unique “voice” and something to say the day we came into this world. Maybe mine isn’t in the form of singing and song writing –but I have a voice just the same. And only I can say it in a way that is completely different than anyone else. It’s up to me to figure out to how “say” it in a way others want to hear. (On a side note–I spent about 2 days singing the song “Shallow”(great song btw) in some hope that maybe this was a dream I could follow. I sound remarkably like Lady Gaga. That is–if she too sounded like a squawking chicken when she hits the higher registers.)
So often I find that I get intimidated. I see others being successful in areas that I feel like I may want to try. But, my insecure inner voice takes over and whispers “It’s already been done, what in the world makes you think you could do it as well or better?”
Can you imagine if upon seeing the works and success of other great artists that Michelangelo would have decided it was a waste of time to even try his hand at it? We would not have some of the most beautiful art known to the world. Or what if those given the gift of inventing were intimidated by such modern inventions as television and telephones–not having the courage to improve upon things others had been successful at? I’ll tell you–we wouldn’t have the luxury of holding computers more powerful than the one they used to launch men into space sitting in our hands right now.
Whatever our voice is–it’s time to start using it. No one is going to give us permission–so stop waiting for it. And no one can do it for us.
Will we fail? Yes–thousands of times. But, doing what we’re supposed to be doing doesn’t come easily. We have to fight for it, work hard for it and sometimes cry a billion tears over it. But, it’s worth it. No one ever gets to the end of their life and says “You know? I’m really glad I just survived in this life. I laid low, didn’t take any risks and I’m all the happier for it.”
So, maybe my story won’t be similar to Lady Gaga’s character, Ally (who knew she could act?!)–where using my gifts leads to great fame and fortune. That’s ok. But, I want to try every day to not live mindlessly. I want to discover whatever gifts I have been given and use them for good– to be helpful, useful, and make others smile, feel good and be encouraged.
Whatever it is you find your passion in–I hope and pray you will take courage today and go after it. Maybe you have been intimidated thinking that you have nothing unique to offer or what you are passionate about has already been done. The world is a busy and noisy place, but no one–NO ONE–has a voice like yours. Nobody can do that thing like you can. We are missing you. We need you.