Movies That Motivate | The Adventures of Motivatorman!: September 2020

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Tip#1215: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 21 – Enola Holmes

This is Day 195 of the COVID-19 quarantine/social distancing here in Toronto, Canada.

I love inspirational quotes! And there are so many from famous people and leaders that have stayed with me over the years. These statements can become powerful affirmations and reminders to help me stay resilient and positive when life appears hopeless.

Here are two examples of quotes I love:

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Albert Einstein

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Gandhi

Movies are also a treasure trove of inspirational quotes spoken by characters we get to know and root for. When I hear something that touches my heart and mind I always feel a surge of feel-good energy flow through me! One of my favourites as a teen was from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back…

“Do or do not. There is no try.”
Yoda

And then as an adult in midlife and dealing with undiagnosed depression a quote from the film Rocky Balboa gave me the strength to persevere…

“Nobody is gonna hit as hard as life, but it ain’t how hard you can hit. It’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. It’s how much you can take, and keep moving forward! That’s how winning is done!”
Rocky Balboa

See more of my collection of movie quotes: Pinterest

Watching movies is one of my favourite methods for rejuvenating my inner strengths and there is one film on Netflix that I found overflowing with inspirational quotes and life lessons!

Enola Holmes (2020)

The mystery, adventure film, Enola Holmes, is about sixteen year old Enola (Millie Bobby Brown), the sister of Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill), searching for her missing mother (Helena Bonham Carter) while helping a runaway lord, Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge). This highly entertaining and inspirational movie features many engaging performances, exciting action sequences and the beautiful scenery of 19th century, London, England.
Watch: movie trailer
Watch/Rent or Buy now:

The character of Enola was fun to watch as she uses her sleuthing skill sets to solve puzzles her mother left for her and even to outsmart her big brother Sherlock! And seeing use her combat skills against larger opponents was thrilling. All of these abilities are thanks to Enola’s mother who trained her since she was a child to become more empowered than others around her. She also provides Enola many inspiring quotes that can apply to anyone such as…

“There are two paths you can take. Yours, or the path others choose for you.”

“You have to make some noise if you want to be heard.”

“There’ll come a time when you have to make a hard choice. And, in that moment, you will discover what mettle you truly have, and what you’re prepared to risk, for what matters.”

“Our future is up to us.”

When life appears hopeless and you feel lost and alone, remember there are inspirational quotes from famous people that can remind you not to give up and just persevere. And there are also movie heroes that will say something that touches your heart and mind and injects you with positive emotional energy! Find a quote today that will lift your spirits and unleash your inner courage to keep moving forward.

Part 11 – The Farmer’s Daughter
Part 12 – Amélie
Part 13 – Hail the Conquering Hero – The Lady Eve
Part 14 – Back To School
Part 15 – Project Power – An American Pickle
Part 16 – The Secret: Dare to Dream
Part 17 – Chadwick Boseman – 42 – Black Panther

Part 18 – Phenomenon
Part 19 – Mulan 2020

Part 20 – Waitress - Labor Day - Michael

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 2020

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Tip#1214: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 20 – Waitress - Labor Day - Michael

This is Day 188 of the COVID-19 quarantine/social distancing here in Toronto, Canada.

Eating well for me falls under two categories: Nutrient Dense Foods and Comfort Foods. Since the pandemic and quarantine started in March 2020 I made it a goal to learn more about nutritious foods for my self and my mother. This led me to the amazing 1930’s research on diet by Dr. Weston Price and carried on by Sally Fallon Morell (see more tip#1196). Since then I’ve enjoyed adding pasture-raised eggs, cod-liver oil, raw sauerkraut, raw unpasteurized cheese and more into my daily diet.

At the same time comfort food was still very important to indulge in once in awhile. The timeless, wonderful smell of bacon and eggs, the mouthwatering taste of butter tarts or even a favourite fast food once in awhile did instant wonders in lifting up my spirits during some dark periods of isolation. Of course the key was finding a balance with these two food categories.

Currently I am enjoying the deliciousness comfort food of pies! I would see brands of home-style pies on sale and that would prompt me into giving it a try. I’ve been enjoying some amazing apple pies and blueberry pies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side (a la mode). The joys of these pie comfort foods are highlighted in three films I watched recently that also had many inspirational life lessons.

Waitress (2007)

The romantic comedy, drama film, Waitress, is about waitress Jenna (Keri Russell) trapped in an abusive marriage, a dead-end job and facing an unwanted pregnancy but finds joy in baking her pies and in an affair with her doctor (Nathon Fillion). The wonderful supporting cast includes Andy Griffith, Cheryl Hines, Jeremy Sisto and writer/director Adrienne Shelly.
Watch: movie trailer
Watch/Rent or Buy now: Amazon Prime

This film is about passion: passion for love, sex and for the blissfulness of pies! Jenna shows that she can transform her stress and hurt by allowing her mental state to inspire original, delicious pie creations. She gives them fun names like "I Hate My Husband Pie", "Pregnant, Miserable, Self-Pitying Loser Pie" and “Naughty Pumpkin Pie”. She also demonstrates amazing resilience in her abusive marriage and finds the courage to rise above all her problems. And each of the characters deliver wonderful life lessons in between all the delicious scenes of homemade pies!

Labor Day (2013)

The romantic, thriller, drama film, Labor Day, is about depressed single mom Adele (Kate Winslet) and her young son Henry (Gattlin Griffith) who offer a wounded, escaped convict Frank (Josh Brolin) a hideout in their homes and unexpectedly changes their lives deeply.
Watch: movie trailer
Watch/Rent or Buy now: Amazon Prime

This is a very unusual love story that features two epic foodie scenes that include the making of chilli and a peach pie. These delicious dishes are initiated by Frank who surprises Adele and Henry with his cooking and thoughtful deeds. This includes making numerous repairs to their home and giving each other the little things in life they were missing. It’s a beautiful story of how unexpected, frightening situations can lead to incredible happiness and how food can bring family together.

Michael (1996)

The fantasy, comedy film, Michael, is about how an angel living on Earth named Michael (John Travolta) who helps mend the wounded hearts of three reporters Frank (William Hurt), Dorothy (Andie MacDowell) and Huey (Robert Pastorelli).
Watch: movie trailer
Watch/Rent or Buy now: Amazon Prime

This entertaining movie celebrates the little joys of life through the eyes of Michael such as the intoxicating aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and the uplifting taste of homemade pies. In a wonderful, unlimited pie scene at a restaurant, everyone at the table shares why pie is a passion for them. Dorothy then shares her passion for pies by singing a song she wrote that touches Frank’s heart.

Eating nutrient dense foods are excellent for your body and mind. While eating comfort foods feeds your spirit. They may not be nutritious but can bring back happy childhood memories and instantly transport you to a blissful state of mind with heartfelt aromas, tastes and the sight of delicious meals. Feed your soul today with one of these happy memories! And if fresh homemade pie is one of them then give yourself permission to indulge in a delicious slice a la mode!

Part 18 – Phenomenon
Part 19 – Mulan 2020

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, September 13, 2020

Tip#1213: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 19 – Mulan 2020

This is Day 181 of the COVID-19 quarantine/social distancing here in Toronto, Canada.

I believe one of the hidden benefits of the past six months of quarantine was the chance for every person to use personal quiet time to reflect deeply on the life they are living. It was, and still is, a chance to see if we are living by our personal values and principles and be the best, true person we can be.

For me it’s been a chance to put closure and healing after 10 years since the devastating collapse of my life, losing my home and illustration business. It was also the same year of getting caught in the G20 Queen and Spadina kettling incident here in Toronto. I was able to reflect on how far I’d come in rebuilding my life and learning to manage my mental health after the double diagnosis of clinical depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). My true, courageous, resilient self came shining through!

I recently discovered that a close friend also shared a 10 year healing journey with breast cancer. She told me that this year she’s felt heartfelt closure on her illness with reconstructive surgery. This made her feel like a phoenix rising! This touched my heart and I too felt like a phoenix having been reborn from my old self. This immediately reminded me of the phoenix theme in the live action film, Mulan which I quickly recommended to my friend to watch!

Mulan (2020)

The action drama film, Mulan, is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1998 animated film of the same name and is about a young Chinese maiden, Hua Mulan (Liu Yifei) disguising herself as a male warrior in order to save her ailing father, Tzi Ma (Hua Zhou) and battle northern invaders in China. This epic movie is filled with a fantastic supporting cast that includes Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Ron Yuan, Gong Li, Rosalind Chao and Jet Li.
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This movie is more serious than the animated version and with no songs throughout (except during end credits). Yet the story is still very empowering for women and inspirational. There are exciting battle scenes as well as many heartfelt interactions with Mulan’s family and with her comrades in training. And throughout her journey is a magical phoenix guiding her from high above.

Seeing Mulan finally unleash her true gifts, strengths and leadership reflects the core values and principals repeated throughout the film that include: Loyal, Brave and True. And in the end the importance of Family is also highlighted.

There are times in our lives when we are forced into choosing to hide our true selves. And then there will be times when we know this part of our selves is needed to let go of the past and start living life to the fullest. This is when we are reborn again! Find films to help inspire you. Find the cinematic role models that will fuel your courage to unleash your inner phoenix!

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, September 06, 2020

Tip#1212: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 18 – Phenomenon

This is Day 174 of the COVID-19 quarantine/social distancing here in Toronto, Canada.

I had a good week with my mental health thanks to my continued daily practice of positive mindset programing with my reticular activating system (RAS) which I’ve written about before (see Tip#1210 and Tip#831). And some cool, exciting results have been manifesting in my life!

Finding Serene Nature Trails

For example, one goal was to revitalize in nature but somewhere new and within Toronto. I defined this goal, wrote it down and looked at this goal every day several times a day. Soon I came across a Twitter post by BlogTO about the serene Taylor Creek Trails along with a photo that excited me. Within a week I enjoyed a 9K walk on this new trail with a friend on a beautiful, sunny day! I felt so rejuvenated and re-energized by the quiet green of the forest and soothing sounds breezing through the trees and of the trickling, clear creek streams.

The Healthiest Canned Fish

Another example was about wanting to find the healthiest canned fish. This time I googled “healthy canned fish” and came across many articles that I read which was, in itself, a another process that programs the RAS to find even more information. Top of the list was sardines (considered a superfood) so when I started looking at canned sardines in supermarkets like No Frills, Metro and Sobeys that continued to program my RAS. Engaging your RAS is just like using Google but for your brain!

This led me to being attracted to sardine packaging I really liked by Club de Millionnaires and discovering a type of sardine I’d never heard about called Brisling. I researched it and learned it only lives in clean, icy waters like the Norwegian fjords and contain more nutrients than regular sardines. And they are so delicious I could just eat them out of the can! Read details of health benefits on my Instagram post: Brisling Sardines

All this was just exciting confirmation that the reticular activating system is real and further proof for myself that the power of our mind and brain is a marvel to experience. And when I see films that are classified as fantasy or science fiction I just know that this a perfect tool to feed our imagination for new possibilities in our own lives. Here’s an example of a wonderful film and cinematic role model from the mid 90’s!

Phenomenon (1996)

The fantasy, romantic film, Phenomenon, is about a small-town man named George Malley (John Travolta) who is inexplicably transformed into a genius with telekinetic powers. With a fantastic soundtrack of songs, this entertaining story features many memorable scenes and performances from the whole cast including Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, Robert Duvall, and Jeffrey DeMunn.
Watch: movie trailer
Watch/Rent or Buy now: Amazon Prime Video

I’ve always enjoyed this film when it was first released and over the decades it’s become a marker in my own life of how much I’ve achieved in learning to use the power of my brain. There are so many scenes I’ve loved like of George learning new languages at hyper speed and strategizing how to solve problems quickly and efficiently for his garden and for his friend’s love life.

I also loved how he used his sensitivity to the energies of the earth to predict earthquakes and find a lost, sick boy through telepathic powers. And then there’s a brilliant scene of George experiencing overwhelming anxieties and used the soothing power of nature’s breezes through trees to calm himself down. This scene just mirrors what anyone can do to alleviate stress. The whole movie itself can be an inspirational reflection and reminder of our inner strengths and potential.

Fantasy or science fiction films have the ability to inspire us to become more than what we are. They also have cinematic role models to reflect our inner ability to reprogram our beliefs and brains for manifesting solutions for seemingly impossible problems. Find a film today to start revitalizing your brain power and experience new marvels in your life right now!

Tip#1202: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 8 – Paris Can Wait
Tip#1203: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 9 – The Client
Tip#1204: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 10 – The Old Guard
Tip#1205: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 11 – The Farmer’s Daughter

Tip#1206: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 12 – Amélie
Tip#1207: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 13 – Hail the Conquering Hero – The Lady Eve
Tip#1208: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 14 – Back To School

Tip#1209: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 15 – Project Power – An American Pickle

Tip#1210: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 16 – The Secret: Dare to Dream
Tip#1211: The Recipe For Resilience, Perseverance & Indestructible Optimism, Part 17 – Chadwick Boseman – 42 – Black Panther

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