Anyone with access to the Internet has undoubtedly seen the memes floating around over the past few years poking fun at Leonardo DiCaprio's lack of Oscar wins despite multiple, well-deserved nominations. Maybe it's just me, but every time the Academy Awards rolled around and Leo got nominated for yet another role, I started to feel a deep sense of sympathy for him. I wanted him to win so badly, but with each passing year, the prospects of that happening seemed to become more and more hopeless.
Before the ceremony took place this year, I had a revelation: I felt badly for Leo because, in a way, I could totally relate to him. Honestly, my love life (or lack of one) felt a lot like his history at the Oscars: Just when it seemed like something good was on the horizon, it slipped out of my grasp into the hands of someone else. But this year, it finally happened. After two decades of waiting and hoping, Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Academy Award. "And maybe, just maybe", I thought, "my season of waiting will come to an end soon, too." Here are some little nuggets of hope that those of us who are single can get out of Leo's recent victory:
1. He never stopped working hard, even when many didn't give him the credit he deserved.
Thinking back over the past few years, it's easy to see that Leonardo DiCaprio has given outstanding performances in many different roles that prove his versatility as an actor, yet he wasn't even nominated for some of his most well-known roles. People still quote Jack Dawson's famous line, "I'm the king of the world!", from Titanic almost 20 years after the film was released, but DiCaprio left the Oscars with nothing more than a pat on the back that year. Doesn't trying to navigate the world of relationships feel a lot like that at times? You know that you aren't perfect, but you also recognize that you have a lot of great qualities and a heart full of love to offer to someone, if only they were able to see it.
As we can see with Leo's career, though, he didn't throw in the towel and stop making incredible movies, even when I'm sure he knew that he was just as deserving of an Oscar as those who were nominated and won the awards. If it wasn't for his perseverance, we wouldn't get to enjoy his suave portrayal of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby or get a glimpse into the life of conman Frank Abegnale Jr. in Catch Me If You Can. In the same way, just because people don't see your potential now, it doesn't mean they never will, and it doesn't mean that you are any less valuable, special, or talented.
Your life doesn't start once you get into a relationship; you're already living this one life that you've been given right now. Are you willing to make the most of it regardless of your relationship status? Don't waste seasons of singleness hoping for something better to come along. I promise that there are good things to be found and exhilarating adventures to be had every day if you're willing to look for them.
2. He always had people in his corner who were rooting for him.
As much as people liked to laugh at Leo's stroke of bad luck, his fans never lost hope that one day he would win the award he had always dreamed of. It was obvious by the standing ovation that he received from the entire audience at this year's Academy Awards that his colleagues in the film industry were eager for him to get the recognition for his work that he deserved, too. They didn't rush him off the stage while he was giving his acceptance speech because they wanted him to soak in everything about that moment. Some of the starlets in the audience were even tearing up with joy.
Similarly, don't become so focused on wanting to be in a relationship that you forget about the incredible love and support that you're already getting from your friends and family. Sure, it's amazing to be loved by someone in a romantic way, but having friends that will encourage you and stand by you through the ups and downs of life are just as important.
3. He handled losing and winning like a true professional.
One thing that has always impressed me about Leonardo DiCaprio is his ability to avoid a lot of negative press. This is probably due to the fact that he has never been a sore loser. I have no doubt that he was incredibly disappointed each time that he wasn't chosen to win an Oscar, but instead of lashing out at the other nominees on the red carpet and talking about why he deserved the award more, he handled himself with grace, poise, and the quiet confidence that comes with knowing your value, even when you aren't being praised openly for it. When he finally won an Oscar this year, he didn't gloat or rant about how entitled he was to receive such an honor. Instead, he accepted the award with humility and a heart full of gratitude, knowing that his competition was also incredibly gifted.
As hard as it can be, this is how those of us who are single should treat our friends who are in relationships. Instead of harboring bitterness towards them and talking about how much we deserve to have a special someone in our life, let's be truly happy for them, recognizing all of their great, unique qualities without doubting our own. When the time comes, we'll be able to have our own wonderful relationship knowing that our patience paid off. Our lives are not meant to look the same as anyone else's, so we need to trust that someone else's happiness doesn't mean that we have to be miserable or that we won't have that same kind of happiness later on in our own life.
It's been a long road of wishing, waiting, and hoping for something that seems like it might never come, but don't lose hope. Leonardo DiCaprio's time has finally arrived, and yours will, too. It may take a lot of patience, but your Oscar-worthy moment will happen, and until then, your heart will go on.
