How the Oscars Reminded Me of Why We Go To the Movies (And What it Has To Do With Resilience)
As I was watching the Oscars on Sunday night, I asked myself, "Why do people go to the movies?"
Not everyone enjoys sports or documentaries, but most, if not all people, love going to the movies and I believe curiosity about the story and HOW it affects each one of us, is in the forefront of our minds?
As human beings we are faced with different challenges every day. You may be:
- Seeking to achieve something;
- Struggling to pay the bills every month;
- Struggling with family or health issues;
- Fighting for a cause; or
- Simply looking for love;
The movies bring forth these very same ideas and metaphorically let you know:
1. THERE'S HOPE.
The story drives emotions in you and I believe this quote from Joseph Campbell (consultant to George Lucas - Star Wars) says it all: "We are seeking to feel alive".
2. YOU ARE RESILIENT!
The nominees for best picture this year had a STORY related to conflict, survival and capability - Martian with Matt Damon; Revenant with Leonardo DiCaprio; Spotlight with Mark Ruffalo. These stories not only teach you about your higher self, but they also send you subliminal messages that as a human being, YOU CAN DO IT if you put your mind to whatever you desire.
3. WORRY ISN'T GOING TO HELP, BUT SEEKING A SOLUTION IS GOING TO GET YOU SOMEWHERE.
You'll notice that storylines tend to have a challenge or conflict, but there's always a win at the end. In my book and teachings, I call this Re-program where you move your thoughts to a victor mentality and ask specific questions to get out of a problem or challenge.
4. FAILURES CAN OCCUR BUT DON'T GIVE UP!
All these terrific movies, and even the short films and documentaries, consistently have this simple message throughout the movie - that no matter how bad it gets, keep doing your best. When I do my keynote speeches, I'm always referring to movies as examples because we can all relate to the struggles, to the failures, to the setbacks. But we can also relate the character bouncing back and coming back with new learnings because we have done that too!
What did you learn from the Academy Award nominations about resilience? I know there was a lot of controversy about it this year, but my post is not about the controversy, it's about the story in each of the movies that inspire us and move us.
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