Guts, Stamina, Faith
Lessons from Nana
Sometimes, the messages we need to hear come to us in the strangest mediums. We had gotten a piece of negative feedback about our work and were doing a very good job of feeling sorry for ourselves. During our weekly family “Movie Day Night”, we unplugged from work to watch Sing 2. For those unfamiliar with the Sing franchise, it’s the story of an unlikely bunch of animals setting out to produce a world-class musical. One of the main characters, Buster Moon (an ambitious koala voiced by Matthew McConaughey), has developed a musical, only to be promptly rejected by a big stage talent scout. From the movie:
Suki: Ok, Mr. Moon, can I be honest?
Buster Moon: Of course.
Suki: Are you sure? Because most people say that when they don’t really mean it.
Moon: No, please, please. Be as honest as you like.
Suki: You’re not good enough.
Moon: What?
Moon takes the rejection poorly and is lamenting his situation to his mentor, retired famous actress (and black Suffolk sheep), Nana Noodleman:
Buster Moon: What can I say, Nana? I’m a failure.
Nana: Oh, poppycock.
Moon: I was reaching too high.
Nana: Honestly, one negative comment, and it’s all, ‘Woe is me.’
Moon: Nana, come on. She said I’m not good enough. I mean, heck, I’ve just been told that my destiny, all my hopes, and dreams, they all end right here.
Nana: Well, what did you expect? That she would drop to her knees and declare you a genius? Roll out the red carpet for the great Buster Moon!
Moon: She ran me off the road into a canal!
Nana: Well, you’re still in one piece, aren’t you?
Moon: Well, yeah. But…
Nana: Well, anyone who dares set out to follow their dreams is bound to face a lot worse than a dip in the canal. Nevermind what this person you don’t even know said. Do you think you’re good enough?
Moon: Of course, but…
Nana: Then you must fight for what you believe in. Guts, stamina, faith. These are the things you need now. And without them, well, maybe that scout was right. Maybe you’re not good enough.
That is great advice from a black Suffolk sheep. The reality is that anybody doing something interesting will face obstacles. Not everybody will see the vision or be supportive. While it would be nice if everybody just gave us some “atta boys” along the way, that’s not reality. After all, if we’re going to climb Everest, we should expect some cold, dark nights along the way. If we can’t handle that, the harsh truth is that we are probably not good enough to dream big dreams.
Have a great week,
Your Chenmark Team
