On June 17, "Finding Dory" was released in the U.S., and all of the millennials that grew up watching "Finding Nemo" are dying to see it. I had the opportunity to go see "Finding Dory" on its opening day. Here are the life lessons I took away from this amazing Pixar film.
1. There is always another way.
Never give up on your dreams because they are always within your reach if you use your resources wisely. We are constantly told that we should just settle and make the best of what we have. If you are a dreamer, you should also be a believer. Believe in yourself and use your resources wisely — you'll reach all of your dreams if you stay focused.
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2. Family will wait for you.
If you ever have a period of time when you cannot be near your family, that's OK. Your family loves you. They understand that life happens and pulls you in different directions. All they want is for you to remember them and keep them in your heart.
3. Friends can become family.
Speaking of family, friends can become so close that they feel like your family. I've always believed that we have two families—the one you're given and the one you choose. Sometimes certain people can be included in both of those families (I know some of my family members are definitely in my "chosen" family as well as my "given"), but the fact of the matter is that neither family is better than the other. They coexist in your life, and all you can do is make the best of the relationships you form with them.
4. If you're lost, follow what you know until you get out of the dark.
Occasionally, we will find ourselves looking for an answer in life or a path to choose. This is normal. Follow what you know until you find what you're looking for. I recently had a conversation with someone that passed along good advice to me. She told me that life should be viewed as a highway, and we should never continuously be in the left lane driving 100 mph. Everyone needs to take an exit and put their lives back together for a moment. That's perfectly acceptable and healthy. As long as you continue to move forward and follow what you know, you will be perfectly fine.
5. Trust your first instinct.
When you second guess yourself, it usually results in a lot of unneeded stress and bad decisions. Trust your gut and do what you know needs to be done in order to reach your goal. Our first instinct is the correct choice to make more times than we think.
6. Don't tell others what to do.
OK, you can tell people what to do sometimes. If they ask you for advice, please tell them what to do. It's just rude if you ignore that. Also, if you have serious experience with something you notice one of your friends struggling with, help them and give them advice. Other than these two circumstances, you really don't want to tell people what to do—some people don't respond too nicely to being told what they can and cannot do.
7. The best things in life are unplanned.
The best relationships, events or moments in life are the ones that we do not plan on having. Cherish these moments and allow yourself to have free time in your schedule so that these moments can continue to occur in your life. It will make you so much happier.
8. Fish should stay in the ocean.
In "Finding Dory," there is a lot of talk about fish. Shocker. However, do we really treat these animals the way that we should? Watching this film has definitely given me the motivation to look into how I treat my surroundings and the creatures that live there. Fish live in the ocean for a reason. Would you want to be taken from your home and put on display for larger creatures to see? I know that I wouldn't.
9. We have to protect our oceans.
Not only do we need to learn how to respect our fellow animals on the planet but we also need to protect their homes. We know that living in poor conditions leads to extinction, so we must continue to discover new ways to keep our oceans safe for our fish friends.
10. Your parents will always accept you for who you are.
No matter who or what you become in life, your parents have been there for you through the thick and thin. They may not agree with what they call your "choices" in life (even if you don't consider it a choice but your fate), yet they still find a way to love you through it all. You can forget all of the details about your past, but your parents will never let you forget that they love you and are always there for you.
And, last but not least,
11. Just keep swimming.
It still rings true to all of the "Finding Nemo" lovers out there—just keep swimming, and you'll get there someday. Keep your eyes on the prize and never stop swimming.
I hope these lessons I learned from "Finding Dory" encourage you to go see the film. It is truly one of the best Pixar films I've seen to date as well as one of the best sequels ever. Just keep swimming!
