By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter
What movies inspire you?
I have several, and often, while I am exercising on my stationary bike, I select one for the DVD player. Watching this colorful, poetic, emotionally stimulating and musically evocative story really helps me get through that grueling 2-mile workout.
My goal during workout is to sweat profusely, raise my heart rate and beat my last ‘race’ time. As well, I’ve been aspiring to lose weight, and slowly but surely I’ve lost about 9 lbs, but this has been over a period of months.
You won’t see me on The Biggest Loser shedding 10 lbs. in one-week’s time, but you will see me watching the show, cheering on my favorite contestants. That’s because the show is another that inspires me toward my goals.
Most of the films that move me involve struggle, pain, sadness, initiative, humility, tenacity, hard work, hope, laughter, love and passion. Most of the DVDs that I choose offer happy endings, because, though life is wrought with pain, it is the happy, contented moments that I aspire to and ‘live for.’
If you are in job search or are seriously considering a career change; if you are in the throes of wrenching transformation but are bound by fears and discontent that can paralyze action, then move away from the bad news that peppers the television (remember, it’s the bad news that sells ads, not the abundance of good news that is there, at arms length).
Though change is never as simple as a good movie, a transporting, energizing and inspiring movie CAN be a healing salve. Through its uplifting story, a well-written dialogue helps motivate you and sustain through the change needed to get to your state of happy.
Here are a few of my favorite movies and compelling lines from those movies. I would love to hear what movies and lines have enkindled new hope, emboldening you to take action to move YOU and YOUR career goals forward!
Shall We Dance?
“Be that alive.”
“The rumba is the vertical expression of a horizontal wish. You have to hold her, like the skin on her thigh is your reason for living. Let her go, like your heart’s being ripped from your chest. Throw her back, like you’re going to have your way with her right here on the dance floor. And then finish, like she’s ruined you for life. ”
~~~
The Pursuit of Happyness
“You got a dream… You gotta protect it. People can’t do somethin’ themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want somethin’, go get it. Period. ”
“The important thing about that freedom train, is it’s got to climb mountains. We ALL have to climb mountains, you know. Mountains that go way up high, and mountains that go deep and low. Yes, we know what those mountains are here at Glide. We sing about them.”
~~~
Dan In Real Life
“Love is messy.”
~~~
Bridget Jones’s Diary
“I don’t think you’re an idiot at all. I mean, there are elements of the ridiculous about you. Your mother’s pretty interesting. And you really are an appallingly bad public speaker. And, um, you tend to let whatever’s in your head come out of your mouth without much consideration of the consequences… But the thing is, um, what I’m trying to say, very inarticulately, is that, um, in fact, perhaps despite appearances, I like you, very much. Just as you are. ”
~~~
Cold Mountain
“They call this war a cloud over the land. But they made the weather and then they stand in the rain and say ‘Shit, it’s raining!'”
~~~
As Good As It Gets
“I might be the only person on the face of the earth that knows you’re the greatest woman on earth. I might be the only one who appreciates how amazing you are in every single thing that you do, and how you are with Spencer, ‘Spence,’ and in every single thought that you have, and how you say what you mean, and how you almost always mean something that’s all about being straight and good. I think most people miss that about you, and I watch them, wondering how they can watch you bring their food, and clear their tables and never get that they just met the greatest woman alive. And the fact that I get it makes me feel good, about me. “
I think we need a movie night, Jacqui! 🙂
I often jot down lines from the movies I watch, books I read and the people I speak with. Then, of course, is that walk in nature that sows the seeds of another blog post or the theme for a newsletter.
Inspiration is everywhere – if you are ready to act.
Marianna,
I would love a movie night with you!
“Sowing the seeds” for future writing <– excellently put.
Have a great evening,
Jacqui