The Transformational Magic of Movies

“Movies can correct, inspire, and guide us to believe beyond our everyday.”

By Andrea Ferguson, MS

The Greatest Showman- Come Alive!

As you’re sitting down at the edge of your seat to read this page turner (page scroller?), you’re probably asking yourself, “where in the heck is she going to take this? Perhaps, forget all sensible notions and join the circus? Or that Barnum guy left his family behind all in the name of fame and money. What can I actually learn from this movie apart from a few good songs and dance numbers? “ Also, I completely realize this is Hollywood’s version of P.T. Barnum's story and there is much more to this movie than a single blog post can cover. Now that we got that out of the way…

Let’s dive right into 3 easy steps to transform your life and “Come Alive”!

1. Allow Yourself to Dream.

In the beginning of the movie, we meet a young Barnum and Charity (his future wife). Barnum and Charity grew up in two completely different walks of life, Barnum being the son of a tailor and Charity being the daughter of high society businessman. Although their upbringings could not have been more different, both children found themselves wanting more in life. They both had “A Million Dreams”.

Although Hollywood paints the highly romanticized picture that you will find your soulmate to share all of your hopes and dreams with… we non- Hollywood-ers must remain more realistic. That being said, I want to encourage you to find your people. This may be your significant other, best friend, trusted mentor, or a wise counselor.

Whomever it may be, share your dreams with them, and speak them into existence. Invite said trusted person(s) into your world, to encourage you, to hold you accountable, and to keep you grounded. You may even be surprised to find they share a similar dream or know someone else who does!

2. Chase Your Dream.

Now that we have allowed ourselves to dream and have found our people, it’s time to chase those dreams. Dreams really do come true with hard work and perseverance!

First, we must accept that our dreams will not play out perfectly, just as we imagined. That’s not real life. You’ll notice in Barnum’s story, he was a young man with endless dreams, but first he chose to join the railroad in order to get himself out of poverty.

This was a necessary step in the journey of chasing his dreams. I am sure after plenty of long days on the railroad, Barnum felt like quitting. However like Barnum, we must remember that just because something doesn’t come easy, doesn’t mean it’s not meant to be (too many negatives, but you get the point).

The good things in life are worth fighting for. Our dreams are worth fighting for!

3. Mistakes Will be Made.

Don’t be surprised when your dreams start becoming a reality, this is where the real fun begins!

In Barnum’s story, we see him overcome much adversity and accomplish exactly what he set out to do… yet he keeps going. All for the sake of what? More fame and money?

Barnum’s desire for more (fill in the blank for what your “more” is), almost costs him every dream he worked so hard for. However after Barnum’s public fall from fame, he is met with a choice whether to throw in the towel or preserver. After standing in in the rubble and looking around at the destruction, Barnum literally has nothing left to give and decides to throw in the towel.

However, his partner helps him to remember what “all this was for” (cue music). This reaffirms the necessity of not only finding your people, but also keeping them close.

That’s a Wrap.

So here we are at the end of this highly educational and motivational blog and you may be asking yourself, “Ok but still, how the heck do I do this? How do I learn to dream? How am I supposed to keep myself grounded”?!

The most simple and straightforward answer I can offer you is to surround yourself with wise counsel.

Surround yourself with people who know a thing or two more than you. Surround yourself with people who will go to bat for you. Surround yourself with people who want the best for you.

And perhaps the most important point to drive home is to surround yourself with people who will stand in the rubble with you, call you out in the areas in which you have fallen short, yet encourage you to keep chasing your dreams. We were built for connection, relationships, and community. That’s what makes us human. That’s how we know we are ALIVE!

And lastly if anyone hasn’t told you lately/ever, not only do you deserve to dream, but you also deserve for your wildest dreams to come true. You are deserving!

P.S. Watch the movie. If not, at least listen to the soundtrack!

Andrea Ferguson has a Masters in Counseling from Mississippi College and is currently accruing hours for full LPC licensure. She resides in Jackson, Mississippi while also leading workshops for BPO, Intl.

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