Keep Moving Forward

I recently watched Meet the Robinsons, a Disney movie released in 2007. The central theme of Meet the Robinsons is the catchphrase of the futuristic and quirky Robinson family, “Keep moving forward!” I found this an especially enriching, relatable theme.

Meet the Robinsons centers on an ingenious twelve-year-old orphan boy named Lewis in search of his past and a new home. Throughout the course of the movie, Lewis struggles finding a family willing to adopt him in spite of his eccentric, homemade inventions. After coming across the Robinsons, Lewis quickly finds acceptance among them once they see his knack for creative invention. Even after demonstrating one of his inventions to the Robinsons, which ends in failure, Lewis finds consolation from the family’s utterance of, “Keep moving forward!” After all, the futuristic utopia the Robinsons inhabit did not come into existence without inquisitive, curious minds willing to learn from their mistakes.

Meet the Robinsons reminded me a lot about myself and the transformative change I underwent around 2019-2020. During those two years, I came to realize the cynical outlook I had was not helping me or my interpersonal relationships. In fact, it left me cold and alone. With the help of a counselor, I was able to identify and work out the kinks in my behavior that were holding me back. Many of those kinks centered around negativity and my inclination to dwell on the past. Unfortunately, dwelling on negative past events caused me to miss the good in the then-present. Since then, I have rectified the aspects of my behavior that held me back and am a happier, more productive individual because of it.

Do you have any behaviors you feel may be holding you back from increased success or happiness? Although it is often difficult to work on oneself, do you believe that revising your mindset and approach to relationships, at least in certain situations, could benefit you and those around you?