Inspiring Life Lessons from the Wonder Woman Movie
This past weekend, me and the family had a movie night. We saw the long-awaited DC Comics movie premiere of Wonder Woman. The movie was an absolutely fantastic display of #girlpower. But more than that, the themes and messages throughout the movie were valuable life and leadership lessons for us today.
Here are some of my favorite quotes and key takeaways from the Wonder Woman movie that we can apply every day as we integrate life and leadership.
“Never let your guard down! You expect the battle to be fair!” – Antiope
Have you ever heard the phrase, life isn’t fair? Yet, we expect fairness, equality, and justice. The truth is that fairness, equality, and justice are things that we have to fight for every day at home, work, and play. We must be vigilant in their pursuit and not let our guards down. When we see or experience things that are unfair, unequal, or unjust, we must raise our voices. Speak out against them at every turn. We must not allow ourselves to become cynical and fall into the belief that life isn’t fair. Life may not be fair but we can live a fair life. We must actively pursue fairness, equality, and justice for ourselves and others. We must demonstrate them in our interactions with others. We must hold others accountable when behaviors do not align with these attributes. If we never let our guard down, we can win the battle for fairness, equality, and justice for everyone.
“You are stronger than you think. Stop doubting yourself.”– Antiope
You may start to see a theme here with quotes from Antiope. She was Diana’s aunt that trained her to be a fierce and fearless warrior. She also helped her realize the fullness of her potential. This quote is so powerful because so many times we limit our own potential with self-doubt. Our negative self-talk or the “gremlins” inside our head are rooted in the thoughts, beliefs, and mindset others have imposed. We must learn to talk back to those voices and say, thank you for sharing but I got this. We are capable. We are strong. We have more capacity than we can fathom but only when we first believe it in our mind.
“If no one else will defend the world, then I must” – Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman
We should never underestimate the power of one. Each of us are endowed with an inner strength, wisdom, resilience, and resolve that allows us to successfully manage the daily challenges we encounter. Each of us has the ability the change our world for the better. An unknown author is quoted as saying, “to the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” When we show up every day, leveraging our natural gifts and talents, sharing ourselves with others, we change the world one person, one interaction at a time.
The Wonder Woman Stance
The Wonder Woman power pose; hands on hips, feet wide apart, shoulders back, staring confidently forward; can boost your self-esteem. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy, in her 2012 TED Talk, talks at length about the posture of confidence. Our body language not only affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Remember, your body language can say a lot about the kind of leader you are. Standing like the Amazon warrior can communicate to others that you are serious, powerful, and in control. Lisa Marshall, in this article shares six body language behaviors that you can use today to exude confidence and feel more powerful. So next time you are addressing an audience or leading a discussion, take a moment to assume the Wonder Woman Stance.
A Role Model For Entrepreneurs
Wonder Woman teaches us some valuable business lessons. One of my key takeaways was that she did not set out to save the world by herself. She had a team to help her accomplish her goals. Similarly, growing a business isn’t easy. As an entrepreneur, if you try to take on everything yourself, it will hurt your company. Focus on building a team of people around you that you can trust and that will help you achieve your goals.
Related: 8 Business lessons every entrepreneur can learn from Wonder Woman
Love, Love, Love
“Love is the answer, who cares what the question is” was the nightly sign-off of a local radio DJ when I was growing up. His signature message encapsulates the overall theme for the movie and for life. Much of the movie is based in and around London during World War I. This had significant resonance with me because in recent days London and other areas of the United Kingdom have experienced terrorist attacks. Who would have guessed that Wonder Woman would provide such profound insight and wisdom into how we can fight against the darkness that plagues humankind. To borrow a phrase, love is the answer! The Beatles told us, All You Need is Love. Bob Marley sang, One Love. It sounds really simple yet it is truly effective. Love is the antithesis of fear and hate which are the root causes of the darkness we experience in this life and world. Love allows us to make good decisions. Love forces us to exercise empathy. Love breeds compassion. Love for the self, helps us live a life of fulfillment. Love for others helps them grow to their fullest potential. Love for the world will ensure we preserve it for future generations. Love is light.
Read More from the Author: HOW TO CREATE LASTING CHANGE THIS NEW YEAR
About the Author:
Demetria Hill Sloan, CLC, ACC is a results-oriented professional life and leadership coach, influential mentor and outspoken motivator. She founded Vantage Point Coaching after a major career transition and deciding to live her passion of helping others achieve their absolute best. She is committed to coaching individuals to achieve higher levels of performance, personal and professional fulfillment
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