Tip#1: Movies Inspire Connections - Pleasantville

Sharing your passion for a favourite movie can help you make unexpected connections. Wherever you are someone overhearing another talk about a movie they love can draw them together like magnets. All you have to do is express yourself.

This magnetic connection happened to me after giving my dream come true presentation, 'How Movies Can Change Your Life' at the Royal Ontario Museum (see intro). From the packed auditorium a woman approached and thanked me for amazing insights she experienced from seeing my Pleasantvillefilm clip.

Pleasantville (1998)

The fantasy drama Pleasantvillestars Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon and is about two modern day teens who get magically sucked into a classic 50's TV show called, Pleasantville. To their surprise they physically transformed and blended in as black and white characters.

Over time they begin to influence the TV show characters into expressing their true inner feelings and passions. In doing so they begin to turn full colour one by one. The clip I showed was an emotional moment of the 50's father character turning full colour after being helped by Maguire’s character to express his inner feelings of love for his wife. This film has so many life lessons about transforming your reality and being true to yourself.

The woman who approached me explained the clip was a powerful mirror for her relationship with her unexpressive ex-husband and the main cause of their recent divorce. This scene brought her comfort knowing she was not alone in having been married to someone unable to articulate their feelings. I remember putting in a lot of thought into choosing that particular scene and though there were over 150 attendees that evening this one woman's story and epiphany made it all worthwhile.

Sharing my passion for this movie helped me make a connection with someone who made a meaningful connection within herself. Expressing one's interests brings colour and brightness to an otherwise black and white world. Keep that in mind about all the activities you love. Remember, your personal interests have value to someone somewhere.

You can also be inspiring to others without even trying. So don't be afraid to share your own inner feelings about something you care about deeply. Cultivate juicy dialogues! Sharing your thoughts and feelings is the glue of engaging communications. It's how meaningful bonds start and solid relationships build upon.

Emmanuel Lopez
www.motivatorman.com
© Emmanuel Lopez 2006