When you write posts every week sometimes you find yourself getting a little creative with ideas. I sat here this morning thinking about one of my favorite movies, and while I don’t think it was written to teach life lessons, if you think about it…there are quite a few in there.
It starts with a young boy that has a lifelong dream…he wants to “go fast”…drive a race car (I think you know the movie by now). He puts himself in a situation to work around cars and when the opportunity presented itself he got in that car and became a successful driver. Now, his greed to win and competitiveness ultimately led to a tragic car crash that nearly cost him his career, everything he had earned and his family. However, his mentor got him to go back to his roots, what got him to be successful in the first place and he got back in the car. Now, he didn’t end up winning his comeback race, but he proved to himself that he could do it again, and celebrated his best friends victory with him.
Again, probably not the angle this movie was written to take, but man, I believe there are some powerful messages in there: 1) If you have a dream to do something, go for it, 2) Get your foot in the door, might not be the exact job you want at first, but do your best at the job you are in today and when the opportunity arises, jump at it and give it everything you’ve got, 3) Don’t forget about your teammates and friends…YOU do not have to be first all the time. When you do win be humble but even more, push your friends to win and when they do, celebrate their victories with them, 4) Don’t forget what got you there, don’t forget about your roots. When all else seems to fail, go back and think about what got you to succeed in the first place. Reach out for help, a friend, family or a mentor…let them help you.
I hope you enjoyed that today…I did! Next time you watch Talladega Nights…maybe you’ll see these lessons…and if you aren’t already smiling maybe you will. Have a great day!
Deliberate Development 