Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Tip#319: Find Your Gumption! – The Holiday


Gumption is defined as demonstrating initiative; aggressiveness; resourcefulness; courage; spunk; guts. If you are looking for more gumption in your career or life then a holiday or a movie hero is what you need for inspiration!

The recent holiday season allowed me to break out of my work mindset and focus on family traditions and enjoy Christmas with friends, great food and energizing conversations. It also allowed me to redefine what I wanted in the New Year.

I had personal and professional goals that I wanted to achieve and knew that to have them come true I needed to begin with activating my positive energy and attitude. And one movie I discovered over the holidays inspired me with a movie heroine who finds her gumption!

The Holiday 2006

The romantic comedy, The Holiday, is definitely for movie lovers because it features characters such as a movie trailer producer, Amanda (Cameron Diaz), a film soundtrack composer, Miles (Jack Black) and a screenplay writer, Arthur (Eli Wallach). So there are many well-known movie references scattered throughout the film.

Iris (Kate Winslet) benefits from all these characters as she escapes heartbreak by trading her home in England with one in L.A. for Christmas time. There she meets Miles who helps re-energize Iris with his love for movie music. And then she meets Arthur who recommends many DVD movies for Iris to watch.

What she later realizes is Arthur was recommending movies with strong female characters. These movie heroines empower Iris because she is able to identify these women as having gumption. She soon makes a personal breakthrough and finally stands her ground and takes action for the life and relationships she truly desires.

"I think what I've got is something slightly resembling gumption."

Watch Your Favourite Movie Heroes

So if you have goals you want to achieve start with empowering your inner energy and attitude. Find your gumption! Take a holiday if you feel that's what it takes to clear your mind. Or watch your favourite movies and become aware of the attitude and strengths of the movie heroes that excite you.

Making positive changes in your career or life means breaking out of your daily routines and habits. Let the power of movies take you to the reality you desire!

Arthur: "Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend."

Iris: "You're so right. You're supposed to be the leading lady of your own life, for god's sake! Arthur, I've been going to a therapist for three years, and she's never explained things to me that well. That was brilliant. Brutal, but brilliant."

Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Motivational Specialist For Professionals
Social Media Consultant
www.motivatorman.com
© Emmanuel Lopez 2010

4 comments:

Head Health Nutter said...

Now that you've defined it, I want gumption, too! :)

I really resonated with what you said: "Making positive changes in your career or life means breaking out of your daily routines and habits."

It's SO true and thanks for reminding us of this, Emmanuel! It's exactly how I lost a pile of weight and stopped smoking. Simply and consciously choosing different behaviour.

I AM the leading lady of my movie and I WILL create my ideal life by doing things that will take me there! AND I'm going to love every second of it.

And... I'm going to watch The Holiday again to help reignite my gumption. ;)

Steph @ LiveLighter.org

Emmanuel Lopez - Motivatorman said...

Hi Steph,

I already know you have loads of gumption! Unleash it today!

Emmanuel
Motivatorman

Anonymous said...

I'm looking for a list of this movies, recomendations please?

Debster said...

yeah, I agree, Irene Dunn was the only movie I remember as recommended for "Iris" to watch.
Would love to recharge my own gumption. :)