Growing up, I have been blessed to have such a great support system of family and friends who have guided and helped me through whatever obstacles that have come up throughout my life. I should also note that along with the people that are closest to me, so many fictional characters have always provided me with a little comfort and inspiration along the way as well. Now that I have acquired (what I would like to think as) an exemplary knowledge of cinema, I feel like I have learned so much from a variety of characters from some of the most popular movies of the last 30 years or so. With that being said, there are so many sound pieces of movie advice I have gotten from these human fabrications that have either supported or redefined guidance passed on to me by actual people and I feel like they quite worthy of noting.
1. "Get busy living, or get busy dying." —Andy Dufresne, "The Shawshank Redemption"
In my experience, there are two ways to deal with times of sadness, failure, heartache, what have you: you can either dwell in it while seeing no point in living, or dust yourself off and continue to keep moving forward. I'm not saying climbing out of whatever low point in your life is easy, but Andy's words are a great reminder that it is better to see life's struggles as opportunities and not simply as means to an end.
2. "A real loser is so afraid of winning he doesn't even try." —Grandpa, "Little Miss Sunshine"
Seeing as how I am currently ending my junior year in college, Grandpa is making more sense, and I'll tell you why. For me right now, the end of my educational journey draws near, and with that, the end of internship and student involvement opportunities. I, like many others, am often hesitant to apply for certain positions or memberships for fear of rejection, but the way I'm seeing it more and more, is that the risk involved with improving myself will always be worth it because at least I will have made the effort to do so.
3. "If somebody doesn't believe in me, I can't believe in them." —Andie, "Pretty in Pink"
The meaning and/or significance of this quote can vary from person to person but will still be true no matter what sentiments you attach to it. For me, I have interpreted Andie's words as advice for determining the validity of whatever friendships or relationships I encounter throughout my life. If your friend, boyfriend, etc. doesn't give you or your feelings and/or ideas the time of day, then there is no reason to do that for them. The best bonds are formed from mutual respect and support and if any relationship you are a part of is one sided, it's best to end it.
4. "You guys have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it OK for guys to call you sluts and whores." —Ms. Norbury
OK, first of all, I'm a 20 year old girl, and if you expected not to find something from "Mean Girls" in here then I think your naiveté is adorable. Anyway, I digress... If this were said for the first time today, it would still be accurate. It is 2016, and more and more people (THANKFULLY) are realizing that slut-shaming is a real problem and the crazy part is, women are some of the worst offenders! The sooner women stop humiliating each other, the sooner society as a whole will learn to respect whatever we decide to do with our bodies.
5. "We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all." —Andrew, "The Breakfast Club"
This is advice that pretty much anyone wishes they could go back and remind their 14-year-old selves of. Journeying through the awkwardness that was my teenage years, there were always certain cliques in school that made being a teenager look so easy. Perfect hair, perfect makeup, perfect outfits, perfect grades, you name it. At the time, I felt those people probably didn't have a care in the world. I was wrong. Now, more than ever, I realize everyone has or currently is struggling in some way, and just because their struggles are not visible, it doesn't make them any less valid.
6. "You can be too old for a lot of things, but you're never too old to be afraid." —Marley, "Home Alone"
The older we get, it becomes increasingly common to look down upon our fear and dismiss those feelings because we need to "toughen up." However, no matter how old you get, life is always going to find a way to scare you, and it's OK to be scared. There is no handbook or set design to your life, there's no way to ever know where it'll take you and it's normal to fear its uncertainty.
7. "Just because she likes the same bizzaro crap you do doesn't mean she's your soul mate." —Rachel, "500 Days of Summer"
It's funny, because we continue to fall into this trap with each new romantic interest. In fact, similar interests are usually one of the main reasons we start to like someone. Unfortunately, one's "soul mate" cannot be determined by two people's mutual adoration for whatever movie, show or music genre. I don't think anyone can reduce compatibility into something so quantified, and as such, romantic relationships should grow from something deeper than that.
8. "Don't let anyone ever make you feel like you don't deserve what you want. Go for it." —Patrick, "10 Things I Hate About You"
This dreamboat's advice can pertain to pretty much anything you can think of; from participating in sports, to just voicing your opinion in class. Don't stay away from athletic activities just because your physique isn't normally associated with them. Don't stay quiet in class because some people snicker at your ideas. There will always be people in this life who will make you feel like your ambitions are too big for your abilities, and those people are only wrong if you make the effort to PROVE THEM WRONG.
9. "I gave you life so you could live it." —Maria, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"
Although at times they can be overbearing and even a little critical, our parents just want the best for us. When people become parents, they (normally) want their kid's lives to be better than their own, and that's what Maria wanted for Toula. No matter what, our happiness is all they want for us and it would be a shame to go through life not appreciating what it took to give it to us.
10. "The best thing you can do is to find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person is still going to think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person worth sticking with." —Mac, "Juno"
NO EXPLANATION NEEDED. I JUST LOVE IT.
