This movie has left an impact so deep on my life, I can never go back to the person I was before. The actuality that now coincides with my beliefs and perspectives towards living with a purpose was found in the heart of this film. It can transform yours, too.
From the beginning I was latched onto the characters, especially when John Keating, portrayed by Robin Williams, arrived. Keating is a professor with the views of students, and he undoubtedly dishonors one of the four pillars of the school...tradition. He shifts the learning environment into a place that is congenial yet punctual, light-hearted yet meaningful, and most of all, a place that is full of encouragement to take ahold of your own life.
As a teenager, it can be hard to find your own voice amidst a world full of noise. That's why watching and understanding the whole storyline behind this movie is important to obtain. The lessons learned from plot A to plot Z are undeniably accurate in our everyday world. A boy struggles with his fear of not being good enough. Another struggles with the anxiety his parents have wrapped around him with their rope. One who doesn't know how to stand up for himself. We all have something, but we have the power to overturn it.
After John Keating preached, "The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?" I had this sensation overcome me. I can create my own stride. My own character. My own story. I can. You shouldn't solely focus on what has happened to you and what is "supposed" to happen for you.
It's difficult to comprehend that we hold the own pencil of our existence, and we are able to make our own choices. But maybe you're not ready yet. Maybe you're struggling with trying too hard, or you merely aren't working hard enough, or you're lacking on the maturity scale. Whatever your case may be, "Dead Poets Society" has a way of making you look beyond the silver lining. You are the only person that knows exactly what you want. It shouldn't be about conforming to the idealistic "rules" of society. Stand on top of a desk, take a look around with a different perspective. Learn to think for yourself.
Try your hardest to not be ordinary. Make mistakes and fail. How will you know where you belong if you don't fail? Put yourself out there; step out of your comfort zone; don't let a single person keep you from pursuing your passion. I know it's nerve-wracking, but what if it turns out to be awe-inspiring? You never really know until you try.
I want to contribute my verse. I hope you do, too.
"Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary."
-John Keating, "Dead Poets Society"
