Emma Stone had just took the entertainment world by storm. Winning the Best Actress for the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award and the BAFTA Award with one single role, making her one of the most acclaimed actress in Hollywood recently, accompanied by all the fame and glory one could possibly imagine. There is no doubt that she is one of the most talented actress in this generation, but most of us might have been oblivion to her hard effort in order to own this status.
Like most of us, we all had that distant and fuzzy dream when we were still a naive little kid. Some thought of being a chef, some wants to be an astronaut. For Emma Stone, it was acting. Born in Arizona, she was attracted to acting since the age of four, and took years of voice classes for theatre. Usually at this point reality hits. A lot of us would have got persuaded by our parents or realise the cruel fact of our society that childhood dreams stands no place before reality. But she is different. She did not give in. Here are some things that we can all learn from her strong character.
Perseverance is the key to success
Similar to her character Mia in La La Land, her path to success was never smooth. After she moved to California, she attempted numerous auditions throughout the years, but it was not until 2007 that she first received recognition from the public with her role in the comedy Superbad. It took her five years to get the first taste of achievement in her acting career, but still she kept going, never once went astray with her goal. This is the mental strength that keep her fighting for the best she could get.
Education does not equal to the value of a person
Emma debut as an actress when she was 11. She decided to drop out of high school and persuaded her parents with a PowerPoint to move to California in order to pursue her career in acting at the age of 15. She enrolled in online high school courses instead and did not attend college. She once said that “Just because I don’t have a college degree doesn’t mean I am not smart! “. This rings particularly true as she reigns as one of the most well-known actress in the world. In a world filled with standardised test it is common that people will judge others according to their education level or even link it to your level of success. Emma Stone proved that to be wrong. Don’t let societal assumptions and stigma be your constraint. A talented person will not need to prove themselves with certificates.
There are no obstacles that you can’t overcome
Emma Stone recently told that suffers from anxiety and panic attacks in her childhood. “When I was about seven, I was convinced the house was burning down. I could sense it. Not a hallucination, just a tightening in my chest, feeling I couldn’t breathe, like the world was going to end. There were some flare-ups like that, but my anxiety was constant.” she said. It was later through therapy and performing that she got over with it. “You have to be present in improv, and that’s the antithesis of anxiety.” Everyone will encounter obstacles in their life, and a lot of people gave up their passion and dreams because of these obstacles. They thought it was unachievable. But the only thing that actually make it unachievable is losing faith in yourself. Most of the issues are just temporary set-backs. Face it, and get the better of it. That is how you become one step closer to success.
In La La Land Mia sang “Here’s to the ones who dream, Foolish, as they may seem”. Emma Stone herself was this fool. And this fool, holding the little golden man in her hands, prove to the world that there is nothing wrong for being a dreamer.
You live once and life is wonderful, so eat the damn red velvet cupcake. — Emma Stone
Life is short, and the world is your oyster. Live your life and don’t let things bound you from getting the best out of it.
Featured photo credit: Elle UK via elleuk.com
