In mid 2016, the animated Disney movie Finding Dory came to the movie theaters. When thinking back to the adorable fish named Dory I can’t help but think of her saying “just keep swimming, swimming, swimming” over and over. There are some key points we can take back from this lesson from Dory and her view on life to just keep swimming.
5 Lessons We Can Learn From Dory
1. Trust In Yourself
We often times doubt ourselves and over think which can lead to trouble or failure. Trust your gut, and when you feel prompted to do something do it. Trust in yourself that you can do it. Dory trusted her gut and feelings to help her escape all the troubles she faced and we should do the same
2. Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone And Take A Chance
We need to be like Dory who was willing to face the unknown to help find Nemo and later to find her parents. We must be willing to go outside our comfort zone and take on an adventure, which will require some risk. Without some risk we will never get the reward. In all of Dory’s adventures she didn’t know what was coming next or what trouble she’d encounter but she took the chance and did it. Take an adventure and go beyond your comfort zone.
3. Let Go Of Worries
Worrying will not solve any problem. Dory’s parents always worried about their little Dory, who was memory impaired and how she would survive the world on her own. When she was all alone, she ended up growing and surviving. Even though we may depend on others at times, we need to let go of our worries and figure things out. No matter what, we can do anything alone as long as we are happy with ourselves and let go of our worries. As my mother always said, “worrying about something will not help anything”
4. Weaknesses Do Not Define Who You Are
Within the Nemo and Dory movies, we find many characters that define themselves through overcoming weaknesses. From the memory loss of Dory, birth defect of Nemo, to the damaged fin of Gill, they all defined who they were from how they overcame what the world would define as a weakness. Remember do not let your weakness define who you are, let your overcoming of your weaknesses define you.
5. Remember Those Who Matter To You
Dory kept searching until she found her parents. Marlin told her that it was impossible to find her loves ones and others told her that her parents were gone. Do not stop fighting for those that matter in our lives. Do not give up on trying to make things work when they get hard. Remember those who truly love you and care for you.
When times get rough, don’t give up. When we’re doubted, when we’re put down, or when we fail, look at the positive and push for success. Be like Dory – she kept swimming even when she was afraid, confused, scared, or hurt. It will get better as long as you keep swimming and keep a positive attitude. Do the one thing we probably have the most trouble doing: just keep swimming.
