Setbacks & failure trigger self-destructive tendencies in the best of us.

These emotional reactions, hardwired out of our basic need for safety, can feel uncontrollable.

Luckily, a fish called Nemo can help us conquer this primal instinct.

Enter the hero’s journey...

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1/ Act 1: Ordinary World.

First, we meet our hero & learn about their life - we establish the status quo. Our hero, capable of so much more, is content with the ordinary.

All of this is a prelude to the hero’s journey.

With Nemo & Marlin, we get a glimpse of life on the reef.

2/ Belief Systems.

These are mostly subconscious behaviors, often learned early in life, to keep us safe.

Conscious or not, we hold onto these beliefs dearly; even as they no longer serve us.

For Marlin, he must never let his son Nemo leave the reef. If he does, Nemo will die!

3/ Challenge Beliefs.

At some point we tire of the status quo. Our belief systems have kept us safe, but life is boring so we begin to test them.

On a dare, Nemo swims cautiously off the reef, until being scolded by Marlin. Still, he’s left the reef &, miraculously, didn’t die.

4/ Emboldened by this realization, Nemo swims further out defying his dad & the self-limiting belief.

At once, bravado turns to terror. Marlin watches helplessly as Nemo is taken by scuba divers.

In life, the reef is our comfort zone - stepping outside it leaves us vulnerable.