During challenging times when I have lost faith in the people of this world I often think on what Mr Roger’s mother would tell him to do during disasters. “ Look for the helpers. You can always find people who are helping.” This quote helps me to shift my focus off of all the horrible adult behaviors that surround us to beautiful people truly making a difference in this world.
Another activity that also always helps is watching inspirational movies. We all know watching stories of human beings doing good things and overcoming horrific obstacles can bring us to a point of elevation.
However, what if the movies you find inspirational do not necessarily fall within the category of goodness, kindness, courage or compassion? How do we make sense of what that means about our values?
First off, you are not alone. This happens more often than many people are willing to admit. How do I know this? Because I am one of those oddballs that is sometimes inspired by movies that don’t always fit into the inspirational category.
Real Life Example
“I just ADORE P.S. I Love you!! It will make you cry buckets of tears and it is just so inspiring!” I say practically foaming with excitement at the mouth.
Head tilted, eyes squinting and a huge question mark plastered all over their face, “Um…ok.”
If I had a dime for every time this scenario has unfolded! I have had so many people over the years think that I am, shall we say, a bit off because I find this crying ugly tears movie encouraging and heartbreakingly uplifting. Let me explain further…
Holly, the main character, despite having gone through one of the more gut wrenching experiences that many of us fear, (loosing your mate to death) finds her passion in life. She becomes a shoe designer. I find this comforting that despite facing tragedy, there is still hope.
Also, the love story of Holly and her husband Gerry is just so sweet. Even after death, his love is still with her. That brings me so much reassurance that if we loose someone, whether to death or other reasons, the love can still remain.
Lastly, I love that this movie normalizes grief. Our society today seems to do everything possible to avoid going through one of the most normal human experiences, grief. To grieve is to be human. There is no getting around it. We can try to shove grief down into the deep recesses of our being, but it will always make its way back up 10 times stronger than it was before.
How To Gain Personal Insight from the Non-Inspirational Movies You Love
Evaluating the reasons behind why you love a movie can not only be incredibly revealing about what is important to you, you may be blown away by the wisdom and clarity you are holding in your heart.
To help you on this path of self discovery as it pertains to your favorite movies, here are questions to help you dig deeper.
Questions to Help You Dig Deeper
- Which one of the characters do you identify most with? What are the elements of that characters personality you see yourself in?
- What are the top 3 emotions that this movie evokes in you?
- What do you love about the main character? What do you hate about the main character?
- What do you love about the villain in the movie (yes, believe it or not, this question can be revealing)? What do you hate about the villain?
- Do you feel that the wisdom that the guide imparts to the main character is good advice? If no, what should the guide have shared instead?
- What was the most fulfilling element of this movie for you?
- Did this movie spark curiosity about a particular subject and why do you think it sparked that curiosity?
- What overall feelings does this movie evoke in you? Examples, does it bring joy, hope, feelings of not being alone, etc.
- Evaluating your thoughts and feelings about this movie, what does it reveal about your values or more specifically, what you care about in life?
More Resources
This website is a baby site, but I promise to have a list of more “inspirational” movies for you in the near future. In the meantime, this is a good list of 25 Inspirational Movies.
Also, have you ever struggled to find journal with thought provoking questions that helps you better understand yourself? Look no further, a Journal for Self Discovery starts you on the path to a deep and meaningful relationship with yourself. With 100 thoughtful questions that will immediately start to bring you clarity into what is most important to you.
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