One of my favorite movies growing up was Finding Nemo. The humor and thrill of not knowing whether Marlin finds Nemo made it an instant hit in my book. Yet, looking back now, Finding Nemo also has some amazing life lessons.
1. Parents know best.
As young adults, we tend to avoid listening to our parents' advice, but if Nemo listened to his dad, they would have never taken him away.
2. Don't be afraid to leave your comfort zone.
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When Crush allows Squirt to "fly solo" and swim outside the current, Marlin immediately gets worried, but Squirt comes back into the current just fine.
We shouldn't be afraid to do something that makes us uncomfortable, and our parents shouldn't be afraid to let us do so!
3. Don't be a like Darla.
Darla is the "Fish Killer". Darla killed numerous fish, but her uncle continues giving her more fish. She's a bully. She violently shakes the bag Nemo is in, and she ends up with a giant fish in her hair and dirty water spewing from the drain into her face.
People like Darla never win!
4. Don't judge a book by its cover.
When Marlin first encounters Dory, he hates her. Marlin thinks Dory is annoying and crazy, but as the movie goes on, Dory helps Marlin find his son, and she also teaches him a few things along the way.
5. Find joy in the little things.
After a few rough patches, Marlin feels pretty down and out. He feels hopeless and discouraged he will never find his son, but for a few short seconds, he finds the joy in an unfamiliar light.
6. Think before you speak.
We can all agree we said some things we didn't mean to say. After Nemo tells his dad he hates him, divers take Nemo away from his father, and he thinks he will never see his father again.
You don't want the last thing you ever say to someone to be something you regret.
6. Just keep swimming.
Once again, Marlin feels pretty down on himself, but Dory reminds him to never give up. We should all be more like Dory. We should encourage others and never give up on what we want to achieve.
