While watching "Finding Dory" for the first time, I found myself struck by how many lessons could be taken from Dory. I was even more shocked at how relevant they felt to a stressed college student instead of just a preschooler.

1. It’s okay not to know what you’re doing as long as you don’t freeze.

She doesn’t know what she’s doing. She just does. Dory gets herself out of some ridiculous situations by acting, often without thinking, and almost always without fear. Dory gets herself out of situations despite not really knowing how by acting on instinct. This is an important principle. It's especially relevant as someone who tends to try and think things through for hours before I make a choice or an action. Adopting this trait of Dory's will definitely be something I try and do.

2. Just keep swimming.

Dory keeps going. She carries on when things seem like they’re in her way, She keeps moving when she struggles and she keeps searching for things without giving up. The idea of just keep swimming is one that I have personally adored since rediscovering "Finding Nemo" in high school. Seeing how Dory came to know this saying made it even more of an important one to me.

3. The best things happen by chance. That's life.

The best things in life can be unplanned. I’ve seen this in my own life. That sentiment could be the tagline of the movie.Unplanned, unexpected, seemingly chance moments riddle this movie. While maybe not everything good in life comes through chance, some things do and it's important to let them happen.

4. You can do whatever you put your mind to.

Just like the old adage that “you can do whatever you put your mind to”, this movie tells the audience that anything you truly put effort into seems possible. While I highly doubt in a reality that was not constructed by the Walt Disney Company life would have so many serendipitous successes as Dory had in this movie, I think it’s a good value to carry with you. Not everything is going to work out, but things work out so much more when you genuinely try and put effort and thought into them.