Who does not know the lead actor for Titanic, Romeo and Juliet, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Inception? Leonardo DiCaprio is a famous and successful actor, film producer, and also an environmental activist.
Here are 5 great life lessons of what you can learn from this successful film star.
1. Love What You Do
Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most successful actors in the Hollywood and filming industry. And one of the main reasons is that he loves what he does. He once said, “I just really love doing what I do. I know every career is fleeting and there will be time periods when I don’t get the opportunities that I’m getting right now, so I’m taking advantage of them.”
Despite being a successful actor, he is also a film producer and has worked with many reputable directors including James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and Quentin Tarantino. Leo understands that the financial gains and fame are just part of the process. Losing an Oscar did not stop him from finding or making the next big and remarkable movie. He loves doing it and it is his passion that drives him into perfecting his act.
In whatever you are trying to achieve in life, you must love what you do. Most people give up or quit because they do not love what they do. And when the passion is there, you will be willing to do it even if there are no rewards. And this is what makes all the difference.
2. It is Alright to Fail
Many see Leonardo DiCaprio as a successful movie actor, but little did people know that he has gone through many failures in his career. There have been numerous times that he expected to win the Oscar but never did. He can complain as much as he wants, but he chooses to focus on finding the next big role.
You may have faced similar situations in your life. Perhaps, you entered a competition and lost, or maybe you set a goal, work hard, but did not achieve the result you desire. While it is true that failure stings and hurts, but to be successful, you have to learn from Leo and question why you have not succeeded yet and look for ways to improve and do things differently.
Rather than throwing your tantrum and complaining, choose to take charge of your life and understand that failure is an inevitable part of success. It is alright to fail because your failures can serve as your stepping stones to success.
3. Do Something that Impacts Others
When it comes to being successful, a lot of people equate it with money and fame, but not Leonardo DiCaprio. He believes that success is about doing something that impacts others. When he was on stage for winning his Oscar, he took away the limelight from himself as he received the award to highlight the potential threats and environmental issues the world is facing today. He says, “You can either be a vain movie star, or you can try to shed some light on different aspects of the human condition.”
Leo truly understands that he has the chance to raise awareness through his position and address his concerns about the current environmental issues. He wanted to impact the world and he believed that he should be doing something to impact others and make the world a better place.
He is considered the first actor who has put fame to meaningful use by bringing public awareness to environmental and humanitarian concerns by utilizing the media projects and campaigns. He has also created the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and gave $3 million grant to Oceana, an advocacy group working for the world’s oceans.
You can do the same. Success is not all about money, awards, fame, or power, it is the ability to improve the lives of others in the world and to serve the society for a better and bigger cause.
4. Stop Being too Comfortable
When you watch movies from Leo, you will see that he is one of the most versatile and adaptable actors in the world. He can act as the bad guy, the aggressive businessman, or the romantic lad and truly bring out the role of the characters. One of the reasons for this is because he chooses to not stay too long in his comfort zone.
Leo is someone who works extremely hard to outperform his own limit. His success at the Oscars is a culmination of many hours, days, weeks, months, and even years of practice and hard work to do better than before.
Today, Leonardo DiCaprio is very successful in the movie industry. He can choose to rest in his comfort zone if he wanted to. However, he did otherwise and chooses to outdo himself by accepting more challenging films and acting roles.
This is what you must learn from Leo as well. Choose to get out of your comfort zone so that you can improve and become better at what you do. When you put yourself in an unfamiliar situation, you may feel scary and uncertain, but it also positions you for more opportunities than you would be exposed to.
5. Understand that Success is a Journey
Leonardo understands that success is a journey and not a destination. He started acting since age 19 and he has been active in his acting career for over 20 years. There are many movies he has acted in, some have been very successful and some have flopped. This is pretty much the way of life.
Success will not come to you overnight no matter how talented or hard work you are. Success is a constant series of wins and losses. Sometimes you will win and sometimes you do not. It is not a destination, but a journey where you wake up each day, face the challenges and do it all over again.
When you understand that success is a journey and this is how life works, you will be able to face challenges with an open heart and treat failures as a feedback because you will never know what is waiting for you in the future. Thus, learn this life lesson from Leonardo and constantly work on your dreams each and every day. Do not give up and keep challenging and improving yourself. One day, you will discover that your life is a journey that is worth taking.
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