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.