It is not often, supremely rare in fact, that your ex-boyfriend is dating Lady Gaga.
That is exactly the situation Lindsay Crouse found herself in when Parker Group CEO and Harvard graduate Michael Polansky started dating the “A Star is Born” actress. Crouse penned an op-ed for the New York Times revealing how she has handled this knowledge.
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“A popular song from back then described being ‘caught in a bad romance,’” Crouse said when describing her seven year on-and-off relationship with Polansky. “If you’ve ever googled an ex’s new partner (be honest) you’ve probably played a certain game with yourself. You’re either just curious — which is healthy of you — or you want to know how you compare.”
“Ideally the ex’s life didn’t improve too much without you? In this case, though, that’s all upended. How do you compare yourself with Lady Gaga?,” Crouse continued. “Lady Gaga is amazing. Comparing yourself with her is incredibly motivational, and I recommend you try it, regardless of how you relate to who’s dating her.”
What Crouse learned, ultimately, is to take inspiration from the extraordinary life Gaga leads.
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“The point is, Lady Gaga is living the ambitious life that we keep saying women should embrace,” Crouse said. “A quote I remember reading from her, probably on Instagram, says, ‘Don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be exactly who you are… It’s so easy as you get older to find the best in who you’ve become, to make the most of it.”
“And maybe even to get a little complacent about it,” she concluded. “But if Lady Gaga can do what she wants, and even expand on what she wants, why not me, too? Why not let being “exactly who I am” mean trying to be the best I could be? Lady Gaga continues to challenge herself, to try new things, to thrive.”
