Tip#848: The Power of Acknowledgement, Part 3 – Mental Health in the Workplace - Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter

"I want to help you, I'm just trying to figure out how."
Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter (2014)

I recently attended a very informative panel discussion on mental health in the workplace that inspired me both professionally and personally. Hosted by the HRPA Toronto Chapter the main message was how critical it was now to acknowledge the need to increase awareness and support for mental health. It is already known that mental illness in the workplace is costing businesses billions of dollars per year.

One of the most important, updated stats presented from a recent national survey was 1 in 3 employees have or had a mental health condition. Overall 90% of employees also indicated that managing employee mental wellness is important for employee productivity. The panelists included Dr. Noah Lazar, PhD, Cpsych, Paula Allen, VP Research & Integrative Solutions, Morneau Shepell and Deanna Matzanke, Strategic HR and Diversity Professional and Lawyer.

More details of national survey: Morneau Shepell
See photos: Mental Health Panel discussion

Listening to this presentation inspired me to know that my own motivational speaker topics on increasing resilience in the workplace could be of great service. Also my personal experience with depression, both situation and clinical, could help employers and employees better recognize depression symptoms. My knowledge of empowering movies as personal growth tools can also help transform mindsets blocked by stigma (workplace, societal, cultural and self-stigma). Here is a recent film I'm recommending as my latest tip on acknowledging depression in the workplace.

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter (2014)

The drama film, Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter, is based on real events about a struggling office worker named Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) living in solitude in Tokyo. One day she is inspired to travel to the US in search of a treasure she believes is real that she saw in a VHS video of the film Fargo. This deeply moody and surreal adventure moves at a slow pace and yet captures what depression can be for people in visually artistic scenes. See: movie trailer

Kumiko’s scenes may be disturbing, sad and unsettling especially at work and with other people in her daily life. She is visibly withdrawn, isolated, slow to respond and has difficulty concentrating. And yet when she finds a goal she is passionate about Kumiko becomes focused and driven. I recommend seeing this film even if just for aiding in visually identifying depression symptoms in employees and co-workers.

Watching “movie prescriptions” such as this film or Groundhog Day, A Beautiful Mind and others I’ve recommended (see links below) can help employees and employers recognize common symptoms of depression for themselves or others. Acknowledging these symptoms is an excellent step towards breaking down the stigma of mental illness both personally and in the workplace.

Related Tips:

Tip#326: The Power of Acknowledgement, Part 1 - Groundhog Day 

Tip#838: The Power of Acknowledgement, Part 2 - What Women Want
Tip#848: The Power of Acknowledgement, Part 3 – Mental Health in the Workplace - Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter  
Tip#602: You Are Awesome! Part 1 – Validation (short film)  
Tip#835: You Are Awesome! Part 2 - The Duff 
Tip#889: Random Acts of Kindness – Depression - Seven Pounds
Tip#811: Resilience Resources, Part 4 – Top 15 Movies for Dealing with Depression & Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

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Remember How Movies Can Help You: 
A) Entertain & Escape 
B) Re-energize & Release 
C) Insights, Epiphanies & AHA moments 



Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Motivational Speaker & Resilience Expert
Discover How Movies Inspire Resilience in Your Work & Life!
See website: www.motivatorman.com

© Emmanuel Lopez 2015

Tip#847: Emotional Cinematic Moments, Part 3 - The Age of Adaline

Whether you feel a positive or emotional cinematic moment is good. Getting triggered by something in a movie can be a mirror for learning more about yourself. I recently saw a sneak preview of The Age of Adeline where I was emotionally touched by the story and performances and yet also triggered with some anger over a voice-over narrative (same that’s in the movie trailer).

Even over a week later this distracting narrator was still being discussed with a friend who also agreed that it wasn’t necessary. We both felt this “movie trailer style voice” kept us from fully enjoying the magical elements of the movie. To my surprise I discovered that others preferred the voice-over like the interviewer and director of the film in a clip online (see interview).

Either way what I learned was most important was that I allowed to feel that anger and express it in a constructive way. I didn’t keep the emotion bottled up which is a theme currently in my life I’ve been exploring (see: tip#839). Trapped emotions can eventually lead to painful experiences both physically and mentally. Synchronistically this is also the key theme for the heroine in the film.

The Age of Adaline (2015)

The romantic fantasy film, The Age of Adaline, is about Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) who, in the 1930’s, miraculously remains a youthful 29 years old. The story flashbacks over the years revealing her pains and joys of her condition as well as fascinating and heartful relationships with her daughter (Ellen Burstyn) an old love (Harrison Ford) and a new love (Michiel Huisman). See: movie trailer

Many thought provoking ideas of immortality come up such as how to explain never aging to others and what to do when you fall in love with someone you will outlive. The theme of trapped emotions is demonstrated in that Adaline has kept herself from falling in love because she cannot grow old with another man.

On the other hand an old lover (Harrison Ford) expresses a myriad of emotions when he suddenly sees Adaline again decades later. In a really powerful scene his emotions create a memorable, tense moment (especially for his wife!) and yet shows that it was more important to feel and express his emotions.

Click on image to enlarge

Blake Lively is mesmerizing and luminous as Adaline especially in her thoughtful performance as someone who has accumulated so much worldly knowledge and keen understanding of human behaviour. She also has a stunning, intriguing wardrobe style throughout the film. Harrison, and the actor who plays his youthful self, also gives excellent performances. So next time I see this movie I will focus on these positive emotional moments instead of the narrator and see what happens!

If you see this film please let me know what you think of the narrator voice-over. And if you have a favourite emotional moment either positive or negative please let me know too. Each person will always have a different reaction to a film so remember that it’s all good for learning about yourself!

Related Tips:
Tip#842: Emotional Cinematic Moments, Part 1 - Paul Walker - Fast & Furious 7 
Tip#844: Emotional Cinematic Moments, Part 2 – Netflix’s Daredevil 
Tip#847: Emotional Cinematic Moments, Part 3 - The Age of Adaline 
Tip#164: Increase Your Positive Emotional Energy - Kung Fu Panda 
Tip#248: 7 Positive Emotions That Energize – Stranger Than Fiction
NEED A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER ON RESILIENCE?
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Remember How Movies Can Help You: 
A) Entertain & Escape 
B) Re-energize & Release 
C) Insights, Epiphanies & AHA moments 



Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Motivational Speaker & Resilience Expert
Discover How Movies Inspire Resilience in Your Work & Life!
See website: www.motivatorman.com

© Emmanuel Lopez 2015

Tip#846: Movie For A Rainy Day, Part 2 - Mr. Destiny

Recently it was pouring rain all day and I was definitely feeling the blues. I felt that certain goals weren't happening faster for me in life and work and I was frustrated. I was wishing life were different in so many ways. It was the perfect time to watch an inspiring movie and yet I couldn’t find any titles I resonated with in my collection or online.

This is when I put out a little prayer to the universe to guide me to the perfect film that had the perfect message for me at that moment. And as I listened to the gentle rain falling outside my windows I was led online to a comedy fantasy from the 90’s that I had never seen before. It was the movie prescription I’d been looking for!

Mr. Destiny (1990)

The romantic comedy fantasy, Mr. Destiny, is about business man Larry Burrows (James Belushi) who magically sees what life would be like if he had won an important baseball game as a teenager. This variation of It’s a Wonderful Life was a fun romp into an alternate universe with a cast that included Linda Hamilton, Michael Caine, Jon Lovitz, Courteney Cox and Rene Russo. See: movie trailer

In his alternate life Larry discovers he is extremely wealthy and a key executive at his firm. And although he was surprisingly married to his teenage crush (Renee Russo) he slowly realizes how much he still loved the woman he actually married (Linda Hamilton). The lesson he learned is what was told to him earlier by a magical bartender played by Michael Caine…

“This is your life Larry, learn to enjoy what you’ve got.” 

As corny as this sounded it touched me and brought a little sunshine into my thoughts. The universe heard my prayer and it helped me focus on enjoying what I had at that very moment. I had a warm, cozy home, good people in my life and right next to me I had a bowl of crispy Cadbury milk chocolate mini eggs that tasted really damn good!

If you find yourself having the rainy day blues put out a little prayer to be guided to the perfect movie to lift your spirits! You may be led to a favourite film or to a new one you’d normally not choose. Trust your gut or intuition and you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise!

Related Tips:
Tip#457: Movie For A Rainy Day, Part 1 – Megamind
Tip#846: Movie For A Rainy Day, Part 2 - Mr. Destiny

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Remember How Movies Can Help You: 
A) Entertain & Escape 
B) Re-energize & Release 
C) Insights, Epiphanies & AHA moments 



Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Motivational Speaker & Resilience Expert
Discover How Movies Inspire Resilience in Your Work & Life!
See website: www.motivatorman.com

© Emmanuel Lopez 2015

Tip#845: See Life As An Adventure, Part 6 – The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet

“The amazing thing about water drops is that they always take the path of least resistance. For humans it is exactly the opposite.” 
The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013)

As mentioned in tip#839 I’ve been inspired to learn more about trapped emotions from Dr. Bradley Nelson’s book The Emotion Code. It not only prompted me to look more deeply into my own trapped emotions holding me back in life and work but also in my favourite movie heroes like Pleasantville starring Tobey Maguire.

The Emotion Code is just one of many self-help related books I’ve read over the years on what has become a long journey to better understanding the ups and downs of my life. In the end I am always reminded to be thankful for what I have and to embrace the excitement of my specific path. And when I feel depressed I have good friends and uplifting cinematic role models reminding me to see life as an adventure. Better yet is to always see life through the eyes of a child!

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013)

The adventure film, The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet, is about a 10-year-old prodigy named T.S. Spivet (Kyle Catlett) who wins a prize from the Smithsonian museum and decides to travel alone on a freight train from his ranch in Montana to Washington D.C. This gorgeously photographed movie was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet who also made the visually sumptuous French film Amélie. Every scene is a work of art with breathtaking vistas and highly imaginative sequences throughout! See: movie trailer

The movie is also about the trapped emotions amongst T.S.’s family due to his twin brother’s accidental death. His mother (Helena Bonham Carter) and father (Callum Keith Rennie) do not speak of this tragedy causing him emotional pain. So T.S.’s cross country journey is his way of dealing with guilt and grief.

Choosing to see life as an adventure may be a difficult task when you are feeling down and in emotional pain. But it is possible when you can remember to let cinematic role models show you the way out of the darkness and focus on the beauty and gifts already around you!

Related Tips:
Tip#655: See Life As An Adventure, Part 1 - Kon-Tiki
Tip#667: See Life As An Adventure, Part 2 – 4 Movie Tips
Tip#670: See Life As An Adventure, Part 3 – The Forbidden Kingdom
Tip#704: See Life As An Adventure, Part 4 - The Book Thief
Tip#826: See Life As An Adventure, Part 5 - Water for Elephants
Tip#845: See Life As An Adventure, Part 6 – The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet

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Remember How Movies Can Help You: 
A) Entertain & Escape 
B) Re-energize & Release 
C) Insights, Epiphanies & AHA moments

 

Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Motivational Speaker & Resilience Expert
Discover How Movies Inspire Resilience in Your Work & Life!
See website: www.motivatorman.com

© Emmanuel Lopez 2015

Tip#844: Emotional Cinematic Moments, Part 2 – Netflix’s Daredevil

I was recently blown away at how fantastic and unique Netflix’s Daredevil web series was! I’m not a big fan of the comic book character so I originally wanted to watch it to see what Daredevil’s costume looked like. I was unexpectedly drawn into a compelling, visceral drama that was told over 13 one-hour episodes. It felt like the grandest, most realistic superhero movie ever made!

I believe every person has a life story just as grand once you look back introspectively and review the ups and downs. Each person would have many emotional cinematic-like moments they’ll always remember. This month is the 5th year anniversary of my financial collapse and when I lost my home and most of my possessions. It’s amazing to look back now at the pain I endured and overcame. So I am brimming with emotional cinematic-like moments!

So much has happened since then and this blog has been documenting snippets of my long journey and rise back up. This blog has also evolved to start including web series that feel like one big movie like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt which I featured in Tip#833. So I am continuing this evolution with Netflix’s Daredevil series and the story of a hero's rise above his own pain and challenges.

Daredevil (2015)

The web television series, Daredevil, is about a blind lawyer named Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) who fights crime by night. Centred in Hell’s Kitchen in New York City, Matt’s main adversary is crime lord Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). This highly engaging, gritty series includes excellent characters and performances such as Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) and Vanessa Marianna (Ayelet Zurer). See: trailer

What surprised me about this series is how grounded it is in its realism so it doesn’t feel like a superhero movie. Much of the stories are focused on the psychology of each character’s personalities, beliefs and behavior. So when the action scenes happen I felt so invested in the moment. For example one scene in the 2nd episode is a 5 minute one-take of one of the greatest fight scenes I’ve ever seen. It was so riveting and beautiful in its choreography that I was practically holding my breath!

I highly recommend not to binge-watch this series as each episode has many thought-provoking moments worth absorbing. The first scene that introduces Fisk is so quietly powerful that it says so much about this sad and violent character. And when I finally saw Daredevil’s costume it was another emotional cinematic moment that was exhilarating! Check out this series and let me know what you thought!

Related Tips:
Tip#842: Emotional Cinematic Moments, Part 1 - Paul Walker - Fast & Furious 7 
Tip#844: Emotional Cinematic Moments, Part 2 – Netflix’s Daredevil 
Tip#847: Emotional Cinematic Moments, Part 3 - The Age of Adaline 
Tip#164: Increase Your Positive Emotional Energy - Kung Fu Panda

NEED A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER ON RESILIENCE?
For your workplace, AGM, Conference or special event...
Contact Motivatorman now! See topics: Click here

Remember How Movies Can Help You: 
A) Entertain & Escape 
B) Re-energize & Release 
C) Insights, Epiphanies & AHA moments 



Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Motivational Speaker & Resilience Expert
Discover How Movies Inspire Resilience in Your Work & Life!
See website: www.motivatorman.com

© Emmanuel Lopez 2015

Tip#843: Great Teamwork Movies, Part 5 - Galaxy Quest

I saw an amazing video of a colony of ants transforming themselves into a chain to pull a dead millipede. It was a fantastic demonstration of teamwork on a mass level! This is the type of video I would have everyone in the workplace watch to inspire them that any goal is achievable when every person does their part. Even if the goal seems overwhelming it can be done!

See video: ant chain

Galaxy Quest (1999)

The science fiction action comedy film, Galaxy Quest, is about what happens when actors of a popular TV series called Galaxy Quest are recruited by real aliens to help them against an alien warlord. This film parodies the 60’s TV show Star Trek as well as real-life experiences of the actors from that show. This hilarious and highly entertaining film features Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell and Daryl Mitchell playing the actors of the crew of the starship Protector. See: movie trailer

The challenges seem overwhelming for each of the actors when they are faced with individual tasks their TV show roles were experts in. Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) slips into a leadership role easily as Cmdr. Taggart while also learning to be less egotistical and acknowledge and respect those around him. Others like Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub) who plays Tech Sgt. Chen is immersed in fear when called upon in a crisis situation. But through the encouragement of the Cmdr. and the rest of the crew (plus a love interest!) Kwan finds the confidence to do his job and succeed.

Inspirational Themes:
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Power of acknowledgement
• Finding inner strengths, courage & confidence
• Develop your expertise and skill sets
• Inspiration & learning from TV shows & movies

Some projects, goals and dreams may seem impossible at first. Just remember the power of teamwork and the impossible becomes possible! Remember the video of tiny ants that, together, can move and transport massive objects! And be inspired by cinematic role models that show how affective team spirit can be when each person does their part!

Related Tips:

Tip#477: Great Teamwork Movies Part 1 – X-Men: First Class – Kung Fu Panda 2

Tip#478: Great Teamwork Movies Part 2 – Red Cliff

Tip#540: Great Teamwork Movies Part 3 – The Avengers

Tip#780: Great Teamwork Movies Part 4 - Hercules

Tip#843: Great Teamwork Movies, Part 5 - Galaxy Quest

Tip#849: Great Teamwork Movies, Part 6 - Invictus
Tip#851: Great Teamwork Movies, Part 7 – Avengers: Age of Ultron
Tip#954: Great Teamwork Movies, Part 8 - Captain America: Civil War
NEED A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER ON RESILIENCE?
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Remember How Movies Can Help You: 
A) Entertain & Escape 
B) Re-energize & Release 
C) Insights, Epiphanies & AHA moments 



Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Motivational Speaker & Resilience Expert
Discover How Movies Inspire Resilience in Your Work & Life!
See website: www.motivatorman.com

© Emmanuel Lopez 2015