This past month has been rather challenging for me. Lately it just seems like I can’t catch a break. Recently, I received some really disappointing news that shook me a little only because I had so much confidence and faith that I would be successful in it. Unfortunately, that was not the case. It was another closed door. In my disappointment, I started to sob out of frustration. I was dealing with all types of emotions at one time. Anger, confusion, disappointment, and defeat. It felt like this past month had become a pattern of getting knocked down, just to get back up to get knocked down quickly again! At this point I was pretty much frustrated and over it. Quite frankly, I was too tired of getting back up. I felt defeated and discouraged. I reached out to a few friends to share my thoughts and they provided me with some great insights. I also leaned to my husband for comfort as he encouraged me to keep pressing on and to continue to move forward despite the many closed doors. All the advices and encouragements were great at the moment, however it was short lived and didn’t provide me with what I needed to get me out of the funk I was in. As I tried to find peace about it, strangely enough a song from one of my all time favorite animated movie kept replaying in my mind. Ironically, just a few days earlier I had a conversation about the same song with my cousin. It seemed silly at first, and I didn’t pay much attention to it until I realized that my spirit was trying to comfort me. It seemed too simplistic, silly, and innocent. Yet it was exactly what I needed to lift my spirit up at the moment. The song by Dory from Finding Nemo kept playing over and over again in my heart. It was a metaphorical message of moving forward and pressing on despite the setbacks of life!
Many of you probably don’t understand the connection. Perhaps explaining it a little further will give you greater sense of what I mean. A little background of the movie, in Finding Nemo, Marlin the Clown Fish lost his son Nemo. During his search for his son, Marlin meets Dory the Blue Tang Fish with short term memory problems and a very ditsy personality. Dory who seems unreliable convinces Marlin that she can assist him with finding his son Nemo. Nonetheless, hesitantly Marlin agrees to take her with him on the journey. Along the way, Marlin and Dory lands a clue located on a pair of swimming goggles that could possibly lead them to finding his son Nemo. Along the way, a few mishaps occur. However, somehow Dory accidently drops the goggles which ends up falling into a dark pit-like abyss. Marlin, in an effort to catch it before it falls even deeper swims hastily to retrieve the goggles, but is unsuccessful. In desperation Marlin begins to lash out at Dory and loses all hope of finding his son. He becomes angry, frustrated, and feels defeated. Dory who tends to be a little scatteredbrained at times is unsure as to why Marlin is so angry with her, but nonetheless decides to encourage Marlin anyway by telling him this message. “When life gets you down, you know whatcha gotta do?…Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming!” Ultimately, the duo swims into the abyss, retrieves the goggles, and finally reunites with Nemo. Sounds corny, but stay with me! For a moment I had an attitude like Marlin. I felt defeated and thought maybe I should just stick to what I know best, which is classroom teaching. I allowed my life’s circumstances, setbacks, and disappointments to get me down. As silly and simple the song is, it reiterated the message that I needed to continue to move forward inch by inch until I’ve reached a level of success in what I’m pursuing. No matter what, just keep swimming. Are there possiblities of falling or failing? Absolutely, but that will not deter me from moving forward!
Of all the songs and messages of hope I’ve heard over the years and even internalized, this song for some reason was the one that came forth as a source and reminder that life inevitably will get you down, however when it happens, always remember to move forward and continue to press on. The message seems so simple but this was what I needed. Setbacks and disappointments are apart of life. It doesn’t define you or deem you a failure or whatever negative thoughts we tend to entertain. When disappointments and setbacks happen, just keep swimming! It’ll get better! I promise!
Image from google image
