Take Aways from the Secret Life of Walter Mitty?
I’m not someone who is able to sit and watch a movie very easily.
Thankfully this weekend, I dug deep for some discipline and curled up on the couch to watch The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
In short, it’s a story about breaking out of routine and seizing opportunities. It explores the gap between imagination and action in a lighthearted yet profound way.
Walter is initially a very structured man and centers his life around his work routine as a photo developer at Life Magazine in New York. He has worked since he was 16, has never left the United States, has a lackluster love life, and seems fairly unfulfilled. He frequently escapes with heroic daydreams. These daydreams are far out from his usual demeanor and daily actions.
His mundane routine is eventually interrupted when a photographic negative needed for the magazine's final cover goes missing. He springs into action and begins traveling the world. There are stunning shots of Iceland, Greenland, and the Himalayas. His journey transforms him from a passive dreamer into an active adventurer. Walter goes from looking cleancut at the beginning of the film to sunkissed, dirty, and full of life by the end of his adventure.
Despite some challenges and setbacks, Walter finally finds the missing negative, returns to New York, and turns it into his management team. The cover is printed, which is a photo of Walter working on photographs for the magazine. It honors his work and his most recent adventure to track down the photograph. A true victory and moment of celebration!
I don’t feel like I’m doing a great job of converting just how powerful and heart warming this moment is in the film, so go watch it for yourself! You won’t regret it!
The film for me served as a metaphor for embracing personal and professional risk. It’s clear that the only way to truly live and grow is to choose courage over routine. It’s to be bold. To live like tomorrow isn’t promised. To loudly give thanks and gratitude to the people we love. To work hard and play equally as hard. To ask for the things and experiences we want. To face setbacks with grace and maturity. To trust the timing and evolution of our lives.
And while we can’t always take grand adventures (like fighting sharks or skateboarding down the rolling hills in Greenland) we can choose to actively see the world and find fulfillment in the authentic, challenging moments of life. I’m taking this lesson and reminder into my week ahead. Thanks for the push and loving reminder Walter.
Thankfully this weekend, I dug deep for some discipline and curled up on the couch to watch The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
In short, it’s a story about breaking out of routine and seizing opportunities. It explores the gap between imagination and action in a lighthearted yet profound way.
Walter is initially a very structured man and centers his life around his work routine as a photo developer at Life Magazine in New York. He has worked since he was 16, has never left the United States, has a lackluster love life, and seems fairly unfulfilled. He frequently escapes with heroic daydreams. These daydreams are far out from his usual demeanor and daily actions.
His mundane routine is eventually interrupted when a photographic negative needed for the magazine's final cover goes missing. He springs into action and begins traveling the world. There are stunning shots of Iceland, Greenland, and the Himalayas. His journey transforms him from a passive dreamer into an active adventurer. Walter goes from looking cleancut at the beginning of the film to sunkissed, dirty, and full of life by the end of his adventure.
Despite some challenges and setbacks, Walter finally finds the missing negative, returns to New York, and turns it into his management team. The cover is printed, which is a photo of Walter working on photographs for the magazine. It honors his work and his most recent adventure to track down the photograph. A true victory and moment of celebration!
I don’t feel like I’m doing a great job of converting just how powerful and heart warming this moment is in the film, so go watch it for yourself! You won’t regret it!
The film for me served as a metaphor for embracing personal and professional risk. It’s clear that the only way to truly live and grow is to choose courage over routine. It’s to be bold. To live like tomorrow isn’t promised. To loudly give thanks and gratitude to the people we love. To work hard and play equally as hard. To ask for the things and experiences we want. To face setbacks with grace and maturity. To trust the timing and evolution of our lives.
And while we can’t always take grand adventures (like fighting sharks or skateboarding down the rolling hills in Greenland) we can choose to actively see the world and find fulfillment in the authentic, challenging moments of life. I’m taking this lesson and reminder into my week ahead. Thanks for the push and loving reminder Walter.