The LaLa Land Effect

Her dad brought these UCLA trading cards back from a trip to California.

Something about seeing the stack on the kitchen counter sparked a strange, familiar feeling inside.

And this time, it wasn't just motherly love or mountainous pride in my little girl, Nicole.

I'll call it the LaLa Land effect: that exciting, feel-it-in-the-pit-of-your-stomach, something-big-is-happening-here kind of moment when you start to believe that maybe you're actually going places.

I saw the movie LaLa Land over the weekend.

While I wasn't overly in love with the Emma Stone/Ryan Gossling flick, it did something to my subconsciousness.

The pseudo-musical stimulated some vivid, colorful dreams later that night, following a living room sing-along with my talented BFF and her daughters who saw it too (which I couldn't help but stream on Facebook live unbeknownst to them).

If you're not familiar with the premise, LaLa Land gets you thinking about the Big Dreams we (hopefully) all start out with in life and the different paths it can take you, along with the bold, sometimes humiliating, put-yourself-out-there moves required to make them come true.

And the loneliness. So much loneliness.

LaLa Land captures it well.

But back to Big Dreams.

I'll never forget walking into my dorm room my sophomore year of college, seeing the light blink on my answering machine, pushing play, and hearing that voice with a strong Japanese accent: "Tracy Wing, this is Tokyo Disneyland. We would like you to be Shin-derella in Japan."

Or answering the phone in my bedroom while my toddler sprayed my legs with Windex, as my future general manager offered what would become my first t.v. anchor job.

There is nothing like these life-affirming moments when you're singled out and offered the gig.

So why do so many of us stop dreaming? What is it about being a full-fledged grown up that erodes that ability?

Why can't we remain inspired! Filled with anticipation about what the next day may hold! Hopeful about the oodles of opportunity soon to come knocking at your door!

Can we reignite the flicker, folks?

I want to believe it's still possible.

I dare you to join me in a little experiment.

Let's take one step every day toward making something exciting happen, something to get you ready in case opportunity calls.

Get in a workout to get back to your "fully confident" self.
Set up a coffee date with someone who may connect you to a fellow dream-builder.
Research that grad school.

I don't know about you, but I'm too young to stop dreaming.

Who's with me?