Beautiful, Inspirational Lessons From West Side Story

West Side Story touches upon several incredibly important subjects. It’s about so much more than romance, which is why it deserves a watch — and all the awards. Of course, one of the aspects that makes this story so compelling is the beautifully tragic love story between Maria (Rachel Zegler) and Tony (Ansel Elgort). Here are some inspirational lessons from the film that are specifically about love:

Love always involves some level of risk.

The person you vow to spend forever with might not mean the difference between life and death – but there is always some sort of risk associated with falling in love. You’re going to risk letting down your walls. You’re going to risk showing someone the real you, flaws and all. You’re going to risk getting your heart broken. You’re going to risk regretting falling for them in the first place. There’s a chance your love story could end in disaster, but if this person feels like they’re worth the risk, then you’re going to take it. You’re not going to let anything separate you.

You can’t control what your heart wants.

Someone might be perfect for you on paper, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to make you happy in the real world. It doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to meet each other’s needs and expectations. Chemistry can be unexplainable. You might end up falling for someone completely different than you (or your family) expected. You might realize that what you thought you needed was completely different than what you actually wanted. Love is unpredictable. You can’t plan it or control it. You simply have to feel it.

You shouldn’t date someone, just because it’s who your family wants for you.

Even though you care deeply about your family and friends, you can’t let them make major life decisions for you. They don’t get to decide what is right for you. This if your life. This is your body. This is your heart. You get to choose who makes you happy – and it doesn’t matter whether anyone else approves. You can’t sacrifice something (or someone) you want in order to please others. You can’t listen to what others are saying over what your own gut is telling you. You need to do what feels right for you, regardless of what the rest of the world thinks.

You have to trust your loved ones to make the right decisions.

If you disapprove of the person someone you love is dating, you can’t break them apart. Your comments might backfire and push them closer together than ever. Even though you’re interfering because you care, sometimes you need to step back. Trust that your loved ones are going to make the best decision for themselves. Don’t assume that you’re smarter, that you know better, that you can predict their future. As long as they’re not in any danger, let them love who they love. Maybe it’ll be a mistake in the end – but maybe they need to make that mistake and learn that lesson on their own.