As most of us already know, Dory is the wide-eyed, blue tang fish who suffers from memory loss about every 10 seconds or so.
At times, when I’m going about my day, I sort of feel like Dory… thinking to myself, what was I about to do next? I realize however, this is more an issue of multi-tasking and getting pulled from one task into the next, rather than memory loss. Thankfully, this is the exception and not the rule.
In the movie, the one thing Dory can remember is that she somehow became separated from her parents as a child. With help from her friends Nemo and Marlin, Dory embarks on an epic adventure to find them.
Her journey brings her to the Marine Life Institute, a conservatory that houses diverse ocean species. Dory now knows that her family reunion will only happen if she can save mom and dad from captivity.
As incredibly entertaining as this movie presented itself to be, I found there were some key takeaways that we could possibly all stand to be reminded of.
Lesson 1: There is no place like home. In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it’s ‘easy to forget’ the importance and value of balancing life and work. Many people work 10-14 hours everyday without ever giving it a second thought, leaving very little on the table for quality time at home.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating we all should just stop working, but what I am saying is that by prioritizing your day, getting those big rocks out of the way first and maybe even asking for a little help, every now and then, you can begin to achieve some balance. Making your personal life just as important and relevant as your work life.
Lesson 2: We all need a little help. I used to think that I had super powers, just like the infamous character, Superwoman and that I could do it all! But what I found is that, life certainly became easier when I began to “strengthen my strengths and outsource my weaknesses.”
Dory relies on Nemo and Marlin to help her find her way home, but what begins to happen in the underlying story is that Nemo and Marlin both become better and stronger as a result of having to lean on and trust one another.
Lesson 3: Trust your internal compass. Often times throughout the movie, several of the characters have to make split second decisions that could impact the outcome of Dory finding her parents.
Just like these characters, we too, have to make daily decisions that have an immediate and long-term impact on our own life as well as lives of others.
These choices should be made more with your heart or internal compass rather than just with your head. I’m not saying, we shouldn’t rely on analytics and data to help with key decisions, but what I am saying, is that sometimes, all the data in the world, can’t compare to a ‘knowing’ that you are doing the right thing for the right reasons.
Lesson 4: Just keep swimming. At the end of the day, beginning of the day and middle of the day, it’s imperative to remember that we must keep moving forward and never give up.
Dory’s infamous words and song, “Just Keep Swimming,” rings true in each and every circumstance in life!
If we can hold this near and dear to our hearts, in both the easy times and tough moments, I believe we can overcome any circumstance.
Finally, I’d like to thank my friend and colleague, Kelley Johnson who inspired me to create this message. Some time ago, Kelley created a great post titled, “5 Inclusion and Diversity Lessons from Disney’s Zootopia.”
