My kids recently took me to see the latest Disney release, a tale of small town, country carrot farmer that has a big dream to make a difference and break free from the shackles of the local way of thinking. Of course they laughed at her dreams of being a hero, of changing the world, of leaving for the lights and adventures of ‘big city life’ and her Dad shares his own philosophy on life by stating ‘it’s great to have dreams, just as long as you don’t believe in them too much’. Her rugged determination was present from the start, as she defended her friends from the local bully and whilst taking a few hits, won back the belongings that had been taken and outsmarted her foe. She had a dream, one that changed stereotypes, that broke barriers and that was so compelling to her, she was willing to leave all behind to pursue her goals.
The comparison between our local hero and everyday life is quite stark, except for her being a bunny rabbit of course, but the desire to go after something that is so powerful, so meaningful, that nothing will stand in her way and has been a dream of hers since being young is something that we may experience for ourselves. Think about all those goals that were set at New Year and compare that to how many are still live today or more to the point how many have been achieved. There may be many reasons for this and one may be that those goals were not compelling enough or not meaningful enough, that they were not part of a greater goal that can be shared or experienced by others. Goals that have significant meaning to you, to others, to the world may well be more successful. What’s your compelling dream?
As with most Disney films, our local hero doesn’t always have her own way and goes through a time when she doubts her capability, listens to the negative thoughts of others and lets a couple of setbacks challenge her thinking. She makes mistakes, stretches herself to the limit and even turns her back on her friend, as she tries to ‘go it alone’. For some reason she stops doing the things that have helped her succeed, stops thinking about the long-term goal and doesn’t trust her instincts when they are needed most. We’ve all been there, right? Then she connects back with the place where she feels safe, feels comfortable, feels herself and realises the learns that she needs to make.
What could she have done to avoid this period, to accelerate through the learns and to make the changes that will set her up for success? Now, this is a Disney film, so this will never happen and the rise and fall will always be part of the script but in real life we can share in the experiences of friends and colleagues, look out for the pits falls and learn from the mistakes of others in order to realise our own goals sooner. We can visualise the sights, feelings, thoughts we have of being successful and take stock of how this can help us move forward. We can consider the things to look out for, the questions we need to answer and the scenarios that may be presented to us so that when these events take place, we feel we have already been there before, that we have already experienced them and that we know what to do to win through.
So reach out, talk to people, ask for help, share your stories, visualise your achievement and focus on the compelling goals that you desire and deserve. Be the bunny, strive for the best you can be and learn from others. Go watch the film and make the leap from carrot farmer to commanding officer!
