I've always loved Pirates of the Caribbean. When I was growing up, I used to hope I'd find a man who loved me the way Will loves Elizabeth, but their love story was never my favorite part of the movie. As you can probably discern, the thing I liked best about this movie was its most vibrant character, Captain Jack Sparrow. I loved his sarcasm, his ingenuity, his charm, and even his fashion sense (you have to admit, the stylists, makeup artists, and costume designers who created his look did an AMAZING job). Although he is best known as a smart-mouthed consumer of rum, Sparrow does occasionally make a good point and say some wise, thought-provoking things. Here are some of the lessons we can learn from watching him.
1. How we respond to a situation says a lot about who we are. We can plan things down to the last detail and be prepared for certain situations, but sometimes things just go wrong. Maybe your car breaks down on the side of the road during your much-needed vacation. Maybe you are planning a surprise party for your significant other's birthday but he/she has to work late that night. Maybe the cook at a fast food restaurant forgot to put pickles on your sandwich (or you forgot to ask for them). Our reactions to these events reveal where our values lie and what our true nature is. If we allow every bump in the road to upset us and bring us down, we will be miserable...and we will only have ourselves to blame.
2. Don't do something dangerous just to get attention. In fact, let's just avoid the dangerous stuff altogether unless it's necessary to do otherwise. I don't care how cool you think it would be to prove to your friends that you're 'fearless'. I promise you, it won't seem that cool after you or someone you care about gets hurt.
If you have done something awesome-yet-dangerous by mistake and your friends saw you, just remember that you are not invincible (even if they make you feel that way).
3. Remember to give yourself credit where credit is due. It can be so easy to credit others but discredit yourself. Don't do that. You have a lot to offer this world, but if you don't believe in yourself it will be hard to get other people to believe in you. With that said, it's okay to be confident and to show that confidence to other people. It's also okay to ask someone to give you proper credit for your accomplishments (but please be polite, even if the other person isn't).
3. Enjoy the little things. Did you just make the best-looking pancake of your pancake making career? Did you find a dollar in the pocket of an old jean jacket that you forgot about? Did you re-discover your love of blowing bubbles after playing with your niece? Allow yourself to enjoy these little moments and you will find that you have so many reasons to be happy. Also, it's kind of fun to have a reason to celebrate, even if that reason is that you got extra fortune cookies with your Chinese food.
4. Learn to read the people you spend your time with. If you know your friends and loved ones well, you should be able to tell when they're angry, upset, or just need a hug. Showing them that you know something is wrong lets them know that you pay attention and you care. That may just be exactly what they need.
5. Money is not all that matters. A lot of people subscribe to the idea that cash is king, but that is simply not true. So many things matter more than wealth, such as your health and your loved ones. Treasure the things that truly matter, because chasing after money will only leave you feeling empty.
6. God is always there, and He will take care of you. Okay, so there's no official Jack Sparrow quote to go along with this message, but this photo sums things up pretty nicely.
