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Meryl Streep is often considered one of the best actors of all time. She has won 3 Academy Awards but nominated for a record total of 21, 8 Golden Globes and nominated for 31, and also won a Tony Award and many others.
Some of her most notable roles include Sophie's Choice, Kramer vs. Kramer, The Devil Wears Prada, Julie & Julia, and much much more. She'll appear next in Netflix film The Laundromat. She's a stupendous talent and beloved by many. So how did she become so successful? Well, luckily for us, Meryl Streep follows certain rules to maintain that level of success in her life. Here are the top 10!
Express yourself.
Don't let other people tell you how to live your life or try to control anything about you. We should all celebrate what makes us unique.
You should feel free to celebrate what makes you special and different, and express it in whatever way you choose, whether that be through the clothes you wear or the music you listen to. Meryl Streep understands the value of being able to express yourself as an individual. Try to stand apart from the crowd and never be afraid to speak your mind.
Try to live a zen and peaceful life.
In the craziness of everyday life and the hustle and bustle of the world at large, it can be easy to get caught up in the moment or lose focus. Streep regularly takes time for herself to recharge.
She enjoys meditation and zen practices that keep her grounded when things get a little too chaotic. You can imagine with a career as impressive as hers, it's important to take moments where you can slow down and allow yourself some time to rest and relax.
Find what makes you passionate and stick with it.
Once you learn what you're passionate about, it's important to stick with it. Sometimes people don't find true success until later in life but the key thing is that you never give up.
You need to give your passion everything you have if you hope to achieve success. It won't be easy all the time, but Meryl Streep has starred in countless films because she never gave up. She has earned her illustrious career and you can too as long as you persist.
Learn from your mistakes and challenges.
We all fail and stumble. That's part of life. No matter how hard you try, there will be times when your best isn't good enough or you make an unexpected mistake. While it is certainly discouraging, keep in mind that it happens to everyone.
Even people as accomplished and seemingly perfect as Meryl Streep has her bad days and her failures. The worst thing you can do is let your failures define you and your passion. Get up and try again. Fix your mistakes. Learn from them. They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be kind and empathetic to those around you.
It's more of a rule of thumb than just one of Meryl Streep's rules but there is a reason the actress is known for being so kind and generous by essentially everyone who has ever worked with her. She knows how important it is to give back to the communities around her.
She takes part in philanthropic efforts and she always does her best to practice empathy, to stop and listen to those around her. That is something the entire world could use more of. Take the time to reach out to those in need and listen to them. Sometimes that's all someone needs.
Don't be afraid to have fun and be silly.
If you've ever watched an interview with Meryl Streep you've probably noticed she's quite funny and charming in real life. Despite the characters she might play on-screen, Streep is quite funny and she knows how to let loose and have a good time.
Try not to get too caught up in what's going on in your life that you can't have fun sometimes. It's okay to take a few days off from your work from time to time and go out with friends or recognize that life is short and it's important to make memories you can keep with you.
Celebrate your achievements.
Celebrate your victories! No matter how small. A victory is a victory. Don't cut down your achievements or be too hard on yourself. So what if you come in third place instead of first? It's better than not placing at all, right?
Celebrate your wins, even the tiny ones. It's a good way to reward yourself and keep your spirits up. Plus every win counts as more experience. You'll learn what your strengths are and where you can focus, plus figure out areas of your expertise you might need more work on.
Keep a tight-knit circle of friends you trust.
It's better to have a few close friends you trust deeply than a large network of people who barely know you at all. As you get older, you'll begin to figure out the people you want to keep in your life and those who you would be better off without.
Even celebrities deal with this. Meryl Streep has a few close friends who are willing to protect her name. Of course, she has a large number of admirers too but there's a difference between people who just know your name and reputation and those who genuinely care about you.
Dedicate yourself to your work.
If you truly want to achieve success in your chosen field, it will take a great deal of hard work. You need to be prepared to give it your maximum effort and truly dedicate yourself to working at it every day.
Building skills and progressing in a field isn't an easy task. If it was, then everyone would be super successful. You can get there but persistence is key. Keeping yourself accountable for deadlines and promises you make yourself is also important.
Laugh often, especially at yourself.
Finally, at the end of the day, you need to be able to laugh at yourself. Don't take yourself too seriously! If someone as refined and respected as Meryl Streep can poke fun at herself and her films, then there's no reason us average folk can't, right?
It's hard sometimes because you want to try and be serious and focus on your career but it'll even help you relax sometimes if you lessen the pressure.