What Elle Woods Can Teach Us About Success

I know, I know. What can the character in Legally Blonde who obsesses over hideous pink paraphernalia and a sleazy boyfriend teach us about success? Shockingly enough, there are some serious lessons to be learned from this badass blonde.

Believe in yourself.

Elle, a stereotypical sorority Barbie, gets into Harvard Law. How? Simple. She believes she can. Yeah, she puts in the work; but without an avid faith in herself, she wouldn’t have made it past the first section of the LSAT review book (trust me).

The choice is ours. We can be our own worst enemy or our very best friend. The villain or the hero. We tend to forget that this is a choice and sabotage ourselves by thinking negative, doubtful or worrisome thoughts.

“I’m not good enough,” seems to be the underlying culprit. The truth is that we are powerful beyond measure. The belief we have in ourselves determines our fate. When I start to doubt myself, I remember Elle’s response to Warner, her snaky ex-boyfriend, when he questioned her acceptance into Harvard.

“What? Like it’s hard?”

I repeat this phrase like a mantra until I can’t help but laugh at myself for taking life so seriously.

Embrace your authenticity.

I’m not big on pink. Or carrying around a hairless creature in a giant purse. But, Elle somehow makes it work because she’s comfortable in her own skin. It isn’t hard to sift out those who are genuine from those who aren’t. And, let’s face it, confidence is attractive.

If we don’t embrace our quirks, who will? If we don’t allow ourselves to explore what we like, how will we ever figure out what our passions are, what our purpose is or how we like our coffee?
Forget who everyone else says you should be. Forget the inner critic. Be you. When you’re the scented resume in a stack of Times New Roman, people want to pick you up.

Don’t let “Negative Nancy” stop you.

…Even if she isn’t completely unfortunate looking. I forgot the name of Warner’s fiancé, but it’s really not important because her negative attitude brings down the mood. There are always going to be people who judge, criticize and belittle us. Don’t let someone else’s opinion tear you down. This is a projection of their own fear. People are people. We all get scared, lost and confused. If someone is audacious enough to demean another person, or invite them to wear a costume to a non-themed party, chances are they aren’t very nice to themselves either. So, don’t worry about it.

Make self-care a priority.

Elle is constantly pampering herself. I mean, let’s be real, her manicurist is her BFF. She can handle stress and chaos because she knows how to treat herself after a setback or a heart break. She shows up for herself. Even if it means being cheered up with a little “bend and snap.”

This is the key, the secret and, really, the essence of life. Loving ourselves past our flaws, insecurities, doubts and fears is a radical act. Showing ourselves we care by taking the time out to do what we love, especially when we feel totally “blah,” is even more important.

You don’t always need a spa day to rejuvenate. Spending time in nature, belting out a ballad in the shower or cooking a healthy meal are all valid ways to nourish the soul. Show up for you—whatever that means. Do something you enjoy. Not because you should, but because you want to. We need love and nourishment to survive. We tend to forget, however, that we need it the most from ourselves.

No matter how ambitious the goal, you are enough to accomplish it. Everyone deserves to stand on stage and squeal, “We did it!” So, go pull an Elle and do it.