Movies & Mindset

What movies littered your youth?

 

Mine were mostly martial arts flicks, and a classic amount of anime films to supplement a long running series.

 

Each of the characters was lean, powerful, fast and had an indomitable will.

 

I attribute a lot of how I grew to these.

 

This is also one of the major reasons on a personal note I’ve always preferred the leaner look of a fighter as opposed to the bulkier action hero of the 80’s.

 

I had never really given much thought to this.

 

Yet recently I was given cause to sit and reflect, thus these answers were found, answers that I wan’t even really aware I needed to know, yet in discovering them it has helped put some much needed perspective to life again.

 

In every one of these stories there was the classic structure.

 

– Call to action

– Suffer defeat at the hands of the enemy

– Mentor appears

– 80’s training montage

– Death, rebirth, atonement etc

– Returning to challenge the enemy

– Victory

– Lesson learned

– Peaceful times are embraced and enjoyed

– An ominous shadow of something worse is in the distance, so be prepared for a stronger enemy next time

– Set up franchise for sequels and £££££

 

Not the exact heroes journey, however you get the point.

 

Funny thing is you can look at your own life and apply this to it, well not exactly this, more the actual heroes journey.

 

To normal folk we tend to have this happen.

 

– Life is stable

– Struggle appears

– Most fold like a piece of origami

– Live in suffering

 

When struggle appears a lot of us will not want to tackle it head on, it’s easier to push it away, or to simply pretend nothing is happening and bury ones head in the sand.

 

While both are viable options, neither lead anywhere good.

 

There is no worth while lesson without struggle, and there is no struggle without pain, loss and sacrifice (usually of your innocence).

 

Yet once this is weathered and overcome the knowledge and experienced gained makes you much stronger, if you are to embrace it.

 

This was something I learned from all those movies and anime shows over the years.

 

Struggle is real, progress is slow, success is fleeting before another enemy appears and you have to repeat it all over again.

 

That is life.

 

However that is also what makes life worth living.

 

Wouldn’t you agree?

 

Enjoy,

Ross