SOMETHING that makes advertising successful on milennials is that they always operate on the ideal: that is the best and highest principle of the matter.
It is the shop that donates the extra pair of shoes that will be the preferred brand. That is the most obvious interpretation. However, the Milennial fixation on the ideal goes deeper than that.
We believe that the ideal is reality, or at least it should be. If it isn’t, we actually believe that it is possible for us to make it so.
They point fingers at our inflated ego, but I like to see it as our determined, unapologetic optimism. We are the generation raised on movies and the dreams of our parents. We are raised on Sesame Street enthusiasm and Batibot politeness. More than this, we grew up thinking that life is when Jasmine takes a magic carpet ride, and when Simba finally takes his rightful place on the food chain.
Our dreams are not in any way less magical.
We want to travel the world, marry the prince, change the world and look good while we’re at it. I will not tell my peers that the world is cruel, because, in fact, the world has been good to the few good people who sought to master their environments.
Therein lies the distinction that separates the weed from the chaff. The question then is, why is your life not like that of the movies?
Let’s take a cue from the protagonists of some of the films that we have seen, and try to distill some meaning into our own lives.
1 Transform yourself. Thousands of movies like Miss Congeniality, Mulan, GI Jane and even White Chicks had to change the habits that they were comfortable with to achieve a certain goal. Sandra Bullock was content with her donuts and surly manner, but she allowed fate to whittle her bad habits away and with grim determination, showed a part of herself that had always been there.
Is there something in you that lies unexpressed? Is there a desire that you are passing off as a whim? The adventure begins when you are willing to take an honest stock at the bad habits that are holding you back and getting the guts to kick them to the curb.
2 Leave your comfort zone. Just imagine if Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk had looked up and said, “It’s too high. I think I will just stay at home. None of the plot line would reach the honor, fame or glory it wanted. The truth is, there is always a seed of desire, of adventure, curiosity, a dream or a fascination that drives all protagonists to their destinies.
Are you being driven to yours? Are you actually moving toward your own special dream? Or are you the Jasmine who says, “I don’t hop on carpets. Good night!”?
3 Never, ever, ever, ever give up. I know you have seen enough movies to know that when the protagonist is at the lowest of the lows, that is when things start to change for the better. This change isn’t really because of what happens to them but, rather, it is their will—barenaked against the conflicts and taunts of the world, that stands to create the change that their hearts desire.
So when your back is against the wall, it is only a part of the story of your life. That is the time you show the world what you are made of. When you feel like you are down and out, know that this is not the end of your life movie. It is still up to you how it ends.
It is then that it is most important to have a clear picture of your dream and know in your heart of hearts that you deserve it.
4 Be loyal to your friends from the start. No one gets far in life alone. Success is always a product of many weaving hands. What would Ariel be without Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle? The people who stand by you when it’s raining, are the people who should be with you in the parade. They are the ones who make you strong, who remind you which way is right, who tell you that you are acting a fool, and lock arms with you in a crowd so you won’t get lost. Do you have friends like these?
They are the ones you should honor to become honorable yourself. Keeping friends is a skill that requires lots of patience, a listening ear, some good times and a lot of bad ones. It means giving your time, and yes, sometimes money, to the people you care about. If you can sacrifice for your friends, they will also be willing to be with you until the end.
5 Do what’s right. All heroes who get a happy ending almost always do so because of their acts of bravery. They stand for what they believe in. They do not let any villain, or obstacle stand in their way. They are adamant in their pursuit, but they will not compromise their beliefs.
They say in the real world, you have to adjust but the people who are talking are part of the vast majority who are not living the dream. The dreamers who become conquerors are the ones that are on top of the world. They stand by their principles, and do what they must in order to stand for the deeper principle of love, fairness, nobility, truth, friendship.
In the end, it is the hero’s journey that is rewarded. You don’t complete a hero’s journey if you compromise. You don’t get to the end as the protagonist if you let the weight of the world bring you down. You have to call on your inner Hercules and go the distance to reach Mount Olympus.
To answer the question, the reason we aren’t living life just like the movies is because we aren’t acting like the protagonist.
If you want to live your dreams, I suggest you get started on your own life, just like the movies.
Maxine Mamba is a freelance creative.
Like her story online via the BusinessMirror Millennials Universe (BMMU) Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Millennial-Universe/435594193285671. Follow BMMU on Twitter via @millennial_U or Instagram (type Millennial Universe).
E-mail comments or story to millennialuniverse@yahoo.com and the editor at dennis.estopace@gmail.com.