Let Go and Embrace the Unknown
This is the time of year we declare, “New Year, New Me” or we write down a ten-point resolution or intention. You get the gist. These things are fantastic, but statistics do show that by February, the list goes caput. Why is that? The number one reason is that we fail to pick realistic ones. But how do we do that?
Simple. Self-reflection
Self-reflection allows us to realistically examine the old, focus on the new and embrace the future, all with the knowledge that we are not really in control. There’s an African proverb that says, “to get lost is to learn the way.” We have to be open to getting lost in our journey within to truly discover how we want the “New Us” to show up.
One of the most popular movies of the holiday season are the ones that show “the ghost of…” We mainly see Christmas, but there have been some others as well. These are the movies where someone appears and walks the protagonist through what they used to be, where they are now and what will happen in the future if things don’t change. In the end, we find that they acknowledge they can’t change the past, they can do something about the now and hope they end up better for the future.
Let’s take a look at some movies where the characters were able to pivot after a journey of self-reflection.
The Butterfly Effect
The story follows Evan Treborn as he discovers that when he reads his old journals, he can travel back in time and alter some parts of his childhood. Which he does. But there are consequences. It drastically alters the future, thrusting him into many nightmarish alternate realities. Talk about not letting go of the past.
Another honorable mention here is The Flash, a DC comic on Netflix, where any time the main character changes the timeline because “he doesn’t like it”, bad things happen.
Inside Out
This is an animation. The movie features the many emotions we have and how they all play a role in our wiring. The plot follows the emotion “Joy” doing her best to keep the protagonist happy every single day. Which ultimately means Joy has to keep “Sadness” out. This tussle gets them both sucked out of headquarters. Although Joy’s mission was to get in without Sadness, both emotions come to terms with the fact that they both have a role in the protagonist’s life. Classic lesson to lean in and accept but not dwell on unpleasantness. Turn the pain into purpose.
The Ghost of Girlfriend’s Past
In this movie, a chronic bachelor gets an urgent message from the ghost of his late uncle. Get this! It’s delivered through the ghost of his jilted girlfriend.
Is there a movie you’d like to add to the list?
Unoma Nwankwor is a romance novelist passionate about reading, writing, and changing the African narrative through entertainment. She enjoys plantains, pepperoni and a mean java.
