Besides having an inspiring soundtrack and being a fictional story based off a real person, The Greatest Showman has a lot of take-aways we can apply to our new year.
The real story of P.T. Barnum may be that he was only out to make money at the expense of others. However, Hugh Jackman’s P.T. Barnum can teach us many lessons and inspire us as we begin 2018.
Lesson 1: It’s never too late to change careers, start a new venture, or take a big risk. As we get older, (or more bluntly put: as we become more afraid to take chances than we were in our early twenties) we begin to think we cannot change the path our career—or our life—is on. Like Barnum, who had two kids, a wife, and rent to pay, the responsibilities we carry can be burdensome. Our obligations can make it seem impossible to take that big risk we have been thinking of. But would P.T. Barnum be credited with inventing the circus if he wasn’t persistent in his pursuit of success? The film depicts the glory of perseverance, resilience, and a thirst to reach your goals.
Lesson 2: There is beauty and diversity in the world that should be celebrated. While this may not have been Barnum’s intention, in the film he is able to create a place where people of all shape, size, gender, and color are accepted. Invite more diversity and less judgement into your life. You may be surprised at the effect.
Lesson 3: Love is love is love. And we should seek more of it in our lives.
As you can tell, I enjoyed the movie and in its inspirational soundtrack. Share your thoughts on the movie or other movies that you have found inspiring in the comment section below.
MacKenzie Wallis Therapy 