I am filled with gratitude for Lady Gaga.  And this is odd because despite her fame she has not been on my Spotify short list, at least not until recently.  I, like many others, fell in love with with her in A Star is Born.  Since then I’ve been interested in learning more about her.  I’ve become VERY familiar with the movie soundtrack, watched a documentary about her on Netflix, listened to more of her music,  and watched some interviews on Youtube.  She intrigues me.  This woman who is known for her wild costuming and theatrics seems so very down to earth.  She appears to be a genuine family focused person and she seems so very gracious.

But why am I thankful for her today?  I am thankful for Lady Gaga because she stood up in front of the world and owned how difficult following a dream is. Here is an excerpt from her Oscar acceptance speech that moved me to tears:

“And if you are at home, and you’re sitting on your couch and you’re watching this right now, all I have to say is that this is hard work. I’ve worked hard for a long time, and it’s not about, you know…it’s not about winning. But what it’s about is not giving up. If you have a dream, fight for it. There’s a discipline for passion. And it’s not about how many times you get rejected or you fall down or you’re beaten up. It’s about how many times you stand up and are brave and you keep on going.”

My little girl grown up is going through a hard time.  That move to the city to follow her dream has not been easy.  In fact it has been discouraging, overwhelming and confusing.  Never did she expect following her dream to be as difficult as it is turning out to be.  Never have I believed so strongly that she is talented enough to make her dreams come true.  But it breaks my heart to see her go through the hard work of making it happen.

I listened to Lady Gaga so passionately articulate how hard she has worked to follow her dream and it was as if she was looking right into that television camera and saying those words to my little girl grown up. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. As my daughter approaches month 6 of her job search she is feeling as if the stars will never align to lead her to that elusive first post-grad position.  She’s not one to give up but I hear the discouragement in her voice each time we talk.  This is hard work.

And so….thank you Lady Gaga.  Thank you for not sugar coating the path to success.  Thank you for encouraging the discouraged and making them feel that they have a kindred spirit in you – a woman who through her hard work and discipline found unbelievable and inspiring success.

Click her to see Lady Gaga’s Oscar Acceptance Speech