Every once in a while most of us take some time to reflect over our experiences. Whether the experience was good or bad, happy or sad, or simply just a fond memory we like to reminisce over. In these moments we are often able to replay the memories in our mind, and sometimes we think of things we might have said or done different if we had the chance to relive those experiences. In essence, within every experience we have – good or bad, happy or sad, or simply just a fond memory – there are valuable life lessons we are able to pick out and learn from.
In the same way we learn from our own experiences, there are also a bunch of lessons we can extract from movies. I’m not talking about the cliché lessons we find in every rom-com, such as “finding yourself” and what not. I’m talking about actual lessons we learn from the simplest of things, even in kids’ movies.
In my life, children’s movies have taught me so much more than I ever imagined. Every once in a while I think back to a line or a lyric from one of my favorites, and it gets me through what I might be struggling with or it simply just puts a smile on my face and brightens up my day.
THE LION KING – “Oh yes, the past can hurt. But from the way I see it; you can either run from it or learn from it.”
This is such a valuable thing that we all forget. Sure the past can really hurt, but there is ALWAYS something we can learn from it to help shape the future.
PETER PAN – “All you need is faith, trust, and a little pixie dust.”
It pretty much speaks for itself. No matter what life throws at us, this is what we should all route back to. Just have a little faith, especially in your own abilities. Trust yourself in the steps you take.
FINDING NEMO – “When life gets you down, you know what to do? Just keep swimming.”
When life gets us down, there’s nothing better than to just keep going. Get up and dust yourself off; a little determination goes a long way.
TANGLED – “All those days watching from the window, all those years outside looking in; all that time not knowing just how blind I’ve been. And it’s like the fog has lifted, and at last I see the light.”
Think of the fog as your comfort zone. We are so quick to get stuck in our routines that we lose the inner child who loves taking chances. Being stuck in our ways keeps us from amazing things. Every once in a while it’s good to step outside the fog and realize just how blind we’ve been and what we’ve missed out on. Stepping outside of your comfort zone might just be exactly what you need to finally see the light.
While there are loads of lessons we can learn from movies, my all-time favorite will always be from a scene in Mary Poppins:
“In ev’ry job that must be done, there is an element of fun; you find the fun and *snap*! The job’s a game…”
Similarly to the lines Julie Andrews sings, we should think of life and especially the careers we enter. I personally believe in following your passion when it comes to choosing a career, but life has a way of changing plans for you. But, I also believe that in every job there is an element of fun and it is up to us to find the passion and fun in whatever career path we find ourselves in. In some sense, we have to make the job a game. Every bit of fun we create for ourselves will change our attitude and willingness, and will lead to "walking the extra mile"; therefore, will open up multiple doors to success. “Just a spoon full of sugar, makes the medicine go down.”
Maybe you’ve always thought of kid’s movies as annoying or worthless , but do yourself a favor and go watch them again; you might just learn something that’ll change your life…
