Megamind is a great movie – so much fun to watch and many quotable lines. But it is so much more!
C.S Lewis once said that there is “no book really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and far more often – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.” I wholeheartedly agree – especially if we expand his thought to include children’s stories in any form, including movies. I believe that just because a movie is intended for an audience of children, doesn’t mean us adults can’t also find enjoyment, and even life lessons, within the story. Let me illustrate with some life lessons from the DreamWorks movie – Megamind.
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Presentation!
When going head-to-head with another villain, Tighten, Megamind declares that the difference between a regular old villain and a SUPERvillian is presentation. Guess what? He has a point. Another common saying declares “presentation is everything.” If we want to stand out and make an impression, we do well to give some thought to our presentation skills. If opportunities come our way to learn skills such as public speaking or visual design, we should jump at them. We are always going to come across moments when we need to convey information. Learning how to do so effectively, and in an engaging and entertaining manner, is a valuable and sought-after skill – especially in the workplace.
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You have the power to make your own life choices
Megamind is typecast as a villain from a young age. His entire life experience is pushing him towards this seemingly inevitable end. However, he shows us that we are not our circumstances. Just because someone else tries to tell us who or what we should be does not mean that we are locked into that path. We are creatures of free will and we can make our own choices on who we will be and what we will do with our life. Granted, our circumstances may place some obstacles or difficulties in our path, our chosen path may not be easy BUT, no matter what we face, we can always choose who we want to be. As the movie says “Destiny is not the path given to us, but the path we choose for ourselves.”
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Find the person
A key take-away from the movie is that villains are people too. Beneath the evil intentions and destructive actions, they also have hopes and fears, just like us. When we meet a new person, before we make a snap judgement, wouldn’t it be better to start off by seeing their human-ness and striving to find common ground?
Now…I’m off to re-watch Megamind!