Movies That Motivate | The Adventures of Motivatorman!: 2019

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Tip#1176: Believe in Magic, Part 5 - Frozen 2

I have been using affirmations for years and find that it has been so powerful in helping me stay positive when depression, life, relationships and work issues seem impossible to solve. And the amazing water crystal photography of Dr. Masaru Emoto is a major reason for empowering my belief that saying and thinking positive words to myself help me to persevere!

Dr. Emoto did experiments that involved saying words like ‘love’, ‘thank you’, ‘you fool’ and ‘you make me sick’ to assigned glasses of water and then photographed them when the water was frozen. The water crystals revealed astounding results that mirrored the tone and emotion of the words! And when you remember that our bodies our made up to 60% water you can begin to realize the profound affects of our self-talk and what others say to us.

There is also Dr. Emoto’s rice experiment that many people on YouTube have been replicating at home that is amazing to watch. This involves three jars of equal amounts of cooked rice with the labels: Love, Hate and Ignore. Over a period of a month, you say loving things to the love jar like ‘I love you’ and spiteful, hateful things to the hate jar like ‘you’re stupid’ etc. And you just ignore the third jar.

You put your energy into your words and the genuine emotions must match the words for the experiment to work. You must fully immerse yourself in truly feeling love and hate. There are many video tests you can see on YouTube that will inspire you to be more mindful of the thoughts, words and feelings you have for yourself and for others!

See: Rice Experiment videos on YouTube
Read more: The Rice Experiment

Recently, these rice experiment videos inspired me to look at self-hypnosis and led me to an amazing video from Dan Candell who had a learning disability in 7th grade and used self-hypnosis successfully to get better grades. Dan now teaches self-hypnosis to athletes, business people and students and it has to do with positive affirmations and self-talk. For me this all connects with other techniques I am passionate about like the law of attraction, creative visualization, priming and understanding the reticular activation system (RAS).

See video: Hypnotize Yourself And Achieve Greatness _ Dan Candell

When amazing things happen to me or manifest suddenly in my life I feel like I’ve just experienced genuine magic of the power of our self-talk! And the positive emotional energy I feel when this happens is the key to making these techniques and experiments work. One way of increasing your belief in this magic is seeing movies that touch our imaginations and help us feel positive at the same time!

Frozen 2 (2019)

The computer animated, musical, fantasy film, Frozen 2, follows Elsa, Queen of Arendelle (Idina Menzel), her sister Anna, Princess of Arendelle (Kristen Bell), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Olaf (Josh Gad), and Sven, who embark on a journey to discover the origin of Elsa's magical powers and the mystery of their parents. This colourful film is filled with wonderful moments, hilarious scenes and catchy songs that feature the vocal talents of newcomers Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood, Alfred Molina, Martha Plimpton, Jason Ritter, Rachel Matthews, and Jeremy Sisto.
See: movie trailer
Watch now: Amazon Prime

At its core, this movie is about the journey of finding your origins and true self while embracing one’s gifts, skills and strengths that could be seen as a curse or burden. And it’s told in such a fun, whimsical, musical way to deliver these life lessons to young and old! Each main character has a challenge that they learn to overcome and they have each other for love and support. Olaf is hilarious as he continuously adds humor to any predicament and also shares interesting facts about life such as turtles being able to breathe through their butts!

I really resonated with Elsa because I loved her determination in her self-discovery. I also always felt her magic powers for ice were like the character Iceman from the X-Men films and feel she could easily be an X-Men member! There’s a great scene you can see in the trailer that demonstrates her courage, perseverance and resilience in using her magic powers to overcome a massive obstacle with water. See: movie trailer

The film also introduces the idea that water can hold memories which takes Dr. Emoto experiments to another thought-provoking level. Whether it’s true or not, if this concept or any experiments with water inspires anyone to be a better, stronger person then it has served it’s purpose. That's the magic that can transform your dark situations into light!

Movies can help anyone believe that magic can be real in our lives. They can help us believe that impossible things are possible so long as we stay positive about ourselves. Start with becoming aware of the positive and negative words we think and say to ourselves. And know that they affect our brains and bodies in profound ways. Fill yourself with empowering, shining bright words today and every day!

Happy holidays to all my readers around the world! And wishing you an awesome, thrilling New Year and new decade of 2020!

Related Tips:
Tip#1086: Believe in Magic, Part 4 - Being There
Tip#831: Creative Visualization, Part 1 - Reticular Activating System (RAS) - Focus
Tip#9: Law of Attraction, Part 1 - The Secret

SEE EMMANUEL's:

• Top Movies as Inspirational Learning Tools: www.Movies for Motivation.com

• Award-winning Illustrations: www.EmmanuelLopez.com

• Social Media Consulting Services: www.SocialMediaWingman.com

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation

Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Award-winning Illustrator | Movie Blogger | Speaker | Foodie
Discover Movies As Inspirational Learning Tools!
See website: www.MoviesForMotivation.com

© Emmanuel Lopez 2019

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Tip#1175: The Uplifting Power of Cinema, Part 8 - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

I just watched the last Saturday Night Live show of the decade hosted by Eddie Murphy and it just kept putting a smile on my face! Returning after 35 years since he last performed on the show I loved seeing his beloved characters Mr. Robinson, Buckwheat and Gumby return and seeing Murphy really enjoy himself! And though 2019 is ending I have a wonderful, hopeful feeling inside me as we enter the new decade of 2020!

This year also marked cinematic endings to three epic film series. Avengers: Endgame saw the culmination of 21 years of an intricate story line that began with Iron Man movie in 2008. And X-Men: Dark Phoenix also came out in 2019 closing off this series in a film that received harsh and mixed reviews. But I loved it because it had something in common with Avengers: Endgame and that is they both dealt with the pain and affects of depression.

This theme of depression in both films gave viewers important life lessons of the supportive power of family and friends and also the need for hope, resilience, perseverance and indestructible optimism. These films reminded me that during this year of 2019 I also received life-changing help through two group therapy programs at a Toronto hospital. Read more: How To Cope With Depression

My clinical depression and seasonal depression (SAD) symptoms were greatly lowered thanks to the 16 week day treatment program and 10 week mindfulness therapy group program where the guidance from the psychiatrists and social workers helped me rescue my wounded inner child. Most importantly it was the loving support I felt from participants of each group that gave me strength and courage to face the dark sides of myself.

2019 saw the close of the third major film series and it too celebrated the idea of love and support of people during difficult times. It too was a reminder of the power of family.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

The epic space-opera film, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, is the third installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and the final episode of the nine-part "Skywalker saga". It wraps up the trilogy of Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo (Adam Driver) in a final confrontation and battle with Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). The film's ensemble cast also includes Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong'o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran and Billy Dee Williams.
See: movie trailer
Watch now: Amazon Prime

Despite so many negative reviews of this film I was surprised and relieved that I highly enjoyed this final Skywalker chapter. There were so many problems this film had to solve due to the highly divisive chapter of The Last Jedi and the unexpected death of Carrie Fisher. I actually felt that the producers and co-writer and director J.J. Abrams needed a miracle to make this film a success to please its audiences. So as a long time fan since I first saw the very first Star Wars film in 1977 this movie lifted up my happy inner child and thrilled my adult self!

For me some problems I had with The Last Jedi were fixed enough so I could enjoy this cinematic ride that was filled with exciting space battles and other creative challenges and characters our heroes faced. And I thoroughly enjoyed all the many callbacks, characters and references to many of the previous eight chapters that made me so happy to see! And John Williams’s score was as majestic and soul-stirring as ever. Watch for a cameo Williams makes in a cantina scene!

The real bonus of this film is the message of family that shines throughout the story right until the final scene. It’s a message that in whatever appears to be the end of something that family and generations of family will always live on in each of us as long as we keep that memory alive in our thoughts and feelings. I’d like to think that is what the power of The Force is all about too!

Movies can deliver important messages while we are being entertained and taken away from our daily problems and life. They can remind us that we are not alone in our problems and that we each have family, friends and others to support us in dark times. Find a film today to give you comfort that all you need is to find someone to share your burdens with and help you feel loved and supported. And remember this message, The Force will be with you, always!

Happy holidays to all my readers around the world! And wishing you an awesome, thrilling New Year and new decade of 2020!

Related Tips:
Tip#1115: The Uplifting Power of Cinema, Part 7 - A Simple Favor
Tip#1152: Life Lessons in Your Favourite Movies, Part 7 - Anna - Femme Fatale
Tip#1118: Cultivate Supportive Relationships, Part 9 – Alpha
Tip#1114: What Does Family Mean to You? Part 10 - Moonstruck - Unleashed

SEE EMMANUEL's:

• Top Movies as Inspirational Learning Tools: www.Movies for Motivation.com

• Award-winning Illustrations: www.EmmanuelLopez.com

• Social Media Consulting Services: www.SocialMediaWingman.com

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Tip#1174: Great Teamwork Movies, Part 13 – Jumanji: The Next Level

“We can do this. This team can do anything.”
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)

I am so grateful that I’ve received so much personal growth and healing through therapy group programs and any personal development workshop I’ve attended over the years. I’ve learned that a big part of breaking free of many life challenges is in the interactions from the people in these groups. They may start out as strangers but end up providing incredible insights and shared issues we all can relate too. It feels like teamwork!

My 10-week Mindfulness Therapy Group has been a profound help for teaching me essential tools in dealing with chronic triggers of depression. And through repetition I am finally finding the benefits of silent meditation practices that we do up to 35 minutes.

This is what amazing teamwork looks like! The day workshop "Dealing With Hijackers at Professional Events" facilitated by the awesome Tammy Cunningham, Communications & Relationships Expert.

I also recently attended a fantastic full day workshop for learning how to fearlessly face unexpected confrontations called Dealing With Hijackers at Professional Events. The new people I met ended up providing so much support in the challenges I shared with the group. And though this program was targeted towards Leaders or Workshop Facilitators and Coaches it could profoundly benefit anyone in any relationships.

These recent experiences reminded me how the term teamwork can apply to gatherings like group therapy or day workshops. And teamwork was a big theme in a film sequel I just saw that was brimming with examples of excellent teamwork and support!

Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)

The fantasy, adventure, comedy film, Jumanji: The Next Level, continues the story from Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle with the same main characters re-entering the video game for a new challenge. This is another exciting chapter filled with hilarious moments, thrilling action scenes and chock full of important life lessons for young and old. Returning stars include Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Ser'Darius Blain, and Madison Iseman alongside newcomers Awkwafina, Danny Glover, and Danny DeVito.
See: movie trailer
Watch now: Amazon Prime

This film was a lot of fun with some unexpected surprises! There was a standout performance by Awkwafina’s portrayal of two male personalities Spencer (Alex Wolff) and Uncle Eddie (Danny Devito). And, as with the previous film, it instigates many life lessons through the metaphor of a video game. Identifying a person’s strengths and weaknesses and having characters trade these traits can be insightful as well as hilarious! And with these traits they each learn how to work as a team to accomplish each task they come across towards their ultimate goal.

The story also explores having lost one’s self and finding one’s inner passion and courage again. There is also the concept of looking at old age as a gift rather than a curse. Finding new life at any age is celebrated in this film and that it can only be accomplished through the power of teamwork!

So how about you? Have you discovered that answering some challenges in your life can only be accomplished with teamwork? Do you have a handful of trusted people that provide mutual support in tough times either at work or in life? If not then be inspired by movies that demonstrate examples of what amazing team spirit looks like!

Related Tips:
Tip#976: Great Teamwork Movies, Part 12 – Star Trek Beyond

SEE EMMANUEL's:

• Top Movies as Inspirational Learning Tools: www.Movies for Motivation.com

• Award-winning Illustrations: www.EmmanuelLopez.com

• Social Media Consulting Services: www.SocialMediaWingman.com

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation

Sunday, December 08, 2019

Tip#1173: What Are Your Magic Potions & Musical Tonics? - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I recently felt a cold coming on and was determined to get better in time for the live concert screening of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at Meridian Hall (formerly The Sony Centre). It was in a week’s time and I knew I could do it even though a sore throat and sniffles were coming on strong! So I focused on some old fashioned elixirs I drank every day.

These were all plant-based potions you may have grown up with but here’s what I did every couple of hours:

• Fresh lemon juice, raw honey, hot water
• Fresh sliced ginger root, raw honey, hot water
• Oregano oil (4 drops under tongue)
• Airborne Effervescent Tablets (one every 4 to 6 hours)
• Robitussin Cough & Cold Syrup (only one spoonful just before the concert)

With lots of rest I was well enough to enjoy one of the best live concert screenings yet! This is where I also met the talented Yolanda Bruno, violinist for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra who gave an entertaining and informative pre-show discussion with Toronto Film Critic Richard Crouse. A month later she celebrated her music CD launch party and performance for The Wild Swans CD along with Isabelle David on piano.

I was so happy to attend and help celebrate this memorable event! I was so moved by some of the sizzlingly electric selections as well as some beautiful, melodic pieces. The album also features all female composers from different eras drawing stories from novels, fairy tales, Irish folklore and spiritual texts. I was in awe of the unique violin and piano sounds I heard and could also feel the healing sonic energies sooth my seasonal depression symptoms (SAD).

This re-affirmed my belief in music as healing therapy and a magic potion for the soul. And along with the home remedies of plant-based elixirs that quickly helped heal my cold, I laughed when I realized all this was connected to the themes of magic potions that was a big part of the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

The fantasy film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is about Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) in his sixth year at Hogwarts and discovers a mysterious textbook full of unique potions and magic spells, falls in love and attempts to retrieve an important memory from Potions professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent). This exciting chapter is filled with magical moments, humorous scenes and strong dramatic performances by Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon and Alan Rickman.
See: movie trailer
Watch now: Amazon Prime

The live orchestra was, once again, an absolutely thrilling, sensory event and really elevates the cinematic experience! In this sixth chapter, the cast are all now teenagers with fun moments of young love and infatuation that included a love potion hilariously affecting Ron (Rupert Grint). Harry also wins a Liquid Luck potion by using personal notes from the mysterious book. Later on Harry aids Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) in drinking a painful potion to reveal another clue in defeating the evil Voldemort.

I had to smile at the universe during the screening for the irony, coincidences and synchronicity that I had created my own magic potions to heal my cold in order to be well for this awesome live-in-concert screening! And it reminded me that music, especially a live performance, is also a powerful sonic tonic that can move one’s heart and heal a hurting soul.

If you are feeling under the weather, winter blues or seasonal depression then feel some comfort in knowing you can make your own magic potions to heal yourself and listen to warming music that soothes your soul and lifts your spirits sky high! Find the perfect elixirs to magically rejuvenate yourself today!

Related Tips:
Tip#1171: The Power of Art Therapy, Music Therapy & More!
Tip#1011: Movies About Magic – Top 5 Films
Tip#206: Magical Coincidences – The Rainmaker

SEE EMMANUEL's:

• Top Movies as Inspirational Learning Tools: www.Movies for Motivation.com

• Award-winning Illustrations: www.EmmanuelLopez.com

• Social Media Consulting Services: www.SocialMediaWingman.com

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation