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How far will you go?……………………… My top 9 lessons picked up from the “Moana” movie

First published: 14th July 2017

Wanaaa! Wanaaa! That is my toddler shouting for the umpteenth time to watch Moana. Not again! (eyes rolling and muttering under my breath which she doesn’t give a hoot about unsurprisingly :)). My household watched it the first time and my oh my! we loved it! (from the animation to the sound tracks)………….. but now we watch it almost everyday before bedtime and worse, more than once a day like its been prescribed by her paediatrician. The funny thing is that although she has memorized most parts of the movie she still pays attention like it’s her first time. Kids!

I then made up my mind one morning that, “if I am forced to keep watching Moana why not pick something from it” (similar to creating your own fun in a less fun environment) instead of rolling my eyes and saying to myself, “Not again!”.

I realized watching it repeatedly made me notice that I failed to take note of certain scenes even after the 2nd time, 3rd time and the count goes on. My husband confessed the same thing to me which drives me to my first point.

  1. We shouldn’t overlook anything just because we already have knowledge of it
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Pay attention to everything like it’s your first! Credits: https://giphy.com/gifs/disney-moana-bebe-3o7btOcFl7mUjQs7ss

In our daily lives and even at work we tend to commit this error. From writing exams, reviewing business contracts, conversing with people, even listening to people etc we might feel that we already know the circumstance or details, so why waste time? But note that it is easy to overlook a major detail the first time plus one minor detail may still have a major impact on any decision taken. Instead, approach every task or assignment like it’s the first time just like my daughter’s attention every time she watches Moana.

2. As parents let’s encourage our kids to explore and not restrict them excessively

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Credits: https://giphy.com/gifs/disneymoana-disney-moana-3o6Ztor9XxwVdm1S4U

You would notice how Moana’s grandmother was the person who believed in her and her capabilities and eventually she also got the needed push from her mother. Her father because of fear and in the name of love and protection would have prevented Moana from achieving such a commendable feat. As parents, it is not easy but let’s try not to let fear or past failures push us to limit our kids. The same applies to team leaders and superiors, let’s not limit our followers and subordinates.

3. Communication is key!

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Credits: https://giphy.com/gifs/disneymoana-disney-animation-moana-d31wpPeX6NXGUBYA

At work and home the risk of miscommunicating tends to be high. Are you able to communicate your intentions clearly across or do you keep the basis of your decisions to yourself? Most people are not gifted with mind-reading so to get others to understand where you are coming from you have to explain yourself, communicate! Moana did not understand why her dad was against her sailing across the reef until her mother told her the reason and she understood. Simple! No long things.

4. Sometimes you have to look to your past to prepare for the future

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The turning point! Credits: http://aminoapps.com/page/disney/4351103/lets-talk-about-wayfinding-part-ii

Moana got a better understanding of why she was so drawn and attached to the ocean waters after the history of her ancestors as voyagers was made known to her by her grandmother. She was at the verge of giving up on her quest and this spurred her on plus the urging from her Grandmother. We become better people when we look to the past to learn from our mistakes, gain strength from tough experiences and also get a better understanding of who we are. Sometimes we need mentors and coaches to guide us and give us the needed push.

5. Don’t hasten to draw conclusions or judge others

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Credits: http://imgur.com/gallery/TuCUq

Looking at Maui, it’s very easy to conclude that he stole the eye of tafiti just to show off his strength as a demigod. We realise later that he did it to help the humans who on the other hand were blaming him for their misfortune. Like I said earlier on, communication is very key! His actions were stemmed from love discovering he had human parents, who abandoned him. He was brought up by the gods and he wanted appreciation and affection from humans. In my opinion his approach wasn’t the best.

6. It’s ok when things don’t go as planned, just DON’T GIVE UP!

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Get back up each time you fail in life. Credits: https://giphy.com/disneymoana

Failing at the first or second attempt does not mean you are a failure. In fact most of the renowned people such as Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba encountered many failures but look at what he has achieved now. Moana tried on several attempts to cross the reef at the cost of losing her life but she still persevered! Actually giving up is a clear sign that you are a failure. She seemed to gain strength with every failure.

7. You don’t need all the skills before starting anything

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Credits: https://giphy.com/gifs/disneymoana-disney-moana-3o6ZtnhpNNswosRrmE

Every experienced and skilled person started out as a novice, so no need to fret unnecessarily. Believe in yourself , be disciplined, have the right attitude and be ready to learn. Moana set out as a self-taught sailor with no idea of how to read the stars and find her way but in the end she came back to her village as an experienced voyager, mind you her parents didn’t even teach her of all of those skills. Important point am driving at is to grow yourself as an individual and not be dependent on others to do so for you.

8. Everyone has a purpose, never underestimate anyone

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Credits: http://makeagif.com/gif/moana-chicken-fail-fGSqSo

I am sure the first name that would come to mind would be, Hayhay (the daftest chicken). Various scenes display the different levels of Hayhay’s daftness. Moana could have left it to drown but held on to it at the expense of slowing her down and even risking her own life. I would have given up on the chicken a long time ago like the old man suggested in the movie (should we roast the chicken?). In the end guess who saves the eye of tafiti when Moana was under attack by the human fire (can’t recall the name), HAYHAY!!! People’s strengths lie in different areas so present them with different challenges until they excel. Don’t give up on them just yet.

9. It might take a while to convince others, your actions however can hasten the rate

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Credits: https://tenor.com/view/moana-maui-amazing-encourage-gif-7629331

Do you remember Maui’s impression of Moana the first time? He thought she was smitten with him and he autographed her oar. He didn’t believe Moana could get far on her quest until he she started taking on daring quests without batting an eyelid like jumping into the cave among others. He later developed respect for her. Words may take you to the top of the ladder but your actions and attitude will determine whether you will stay up and soar or fall down.

Like Moana, how far are you willing to go in life?

If there are any lessons that I might have missed, just drop a comment and share your thoughts.

Also looking out for interesting animations similar to Moana with music and all, feel free to recommend any you know and don’t forget to share.

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