This past summer, I unfortunately, received the news that a friend of mine had tragically passed away. There is no real comfort at a time like this when we lack physical touch. This sent me to a dark space, which left me to reassess many things in my life. I was constantly thinking and questioning the meaning of life. What is my purpose? What am I working toward? Who are the people I am surrounding myself with? What are my dreams and aspirations? I began listing things that I wanted to achieve to make me happier.
My answers soon became clearer as soon as I watched Disney and Pixar’s Soul (2020). If you have not seen Soul, you need to watch it immediately! My recommendation is to watch it with no expectations and an open mind.
Soul introduces Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a music teacher living in New York City, who has been dreaming about becoming a jazz musician his whole life. Just as Joe finally gets his big break to work at a famous jazz club, his life is cut short when he has a near-death experience. Suddenly Joe finds himself stuck in the afterlife and gets paired with the “unborn” soul, 22 (Tina Fey).
The story follows the journey of these two characters in the Great Before, where 22 borrows Joe Gardner’s body to experience life on Earth. As she walks the streets of New York, 22 enjoys the simple things life has to offer. This includes the taste of pizza, listening to the performances of artists in the subway stations and watching a helicopter leaf fall from a tree. Joe represents most of us who take our existence and these everyday occurrences for granted. Even though 22 enjoys these simple encounters, Joe thinks she is living a mediocre life.
Toward the end of the film, Joe is hit with the shocking reality that his success does not leave him feeling as fulfilled as he imagined it being. Joe realizes that the spark of the soul is about finding your passion for life and not just about fulfilling a single purpose.
I think Pixar addressed a relevant topic for many people struggling during the pandemic. Especially at a time like this, when we are all sitting at home and anticipating the moment when we finally get to live our lives again. The pandemic has caused our lives to move slower, which makes us feel like we are not experiencing our lives to the fullest. The film encourages its viewers to reflect and appreciate the finer things in life, and practice living in the moment.
This can be a struggle for me, as I’m sure a lot of people can relate. Sometimes I am chasing something in my future and thinking that once I get there, my life will finally begin. After watching Soul, I realized this was the wrong mindset. Purpose isn’t a thing you can grasp. It is the spark you get from life around you and every moment in front of you. A simple step I took was to accompany my family on daily walks. Instead of dwelling on the negatives of the pandemic, I needed to change my attitude and be grateful for the time I wouldn’t have been given to spend with my family. This is my time to enjoy being young and in my 20’s.
A quote from the film that captures this conception, is one about the fish and the ocean. The character Dorothea Williams says: “I heard this story about a fish, he swims up to the older fish and says: ‘I’m trying to find this thing they call the ocean.’ ‘The oceans?’ the older fish says, ‘that’s what you’re in now.’ ‘This’, says the young fish, ‘this is water. What I want is the ocean!’”
The pandemic has also created distance in relationships, which has helped me to highlight the important people in my life. I focused my attention on those who do care to stay connected, instead of putting my time and effort into people who don’t care. My close friends will check in with each other’s mental health, schedule a time to Teleparty or play online games. It’s also the people you surround yourself with that help you stay grounded and focused on your passions.
If you can concentrate more on what makes you happy, content and relaxed right now, then I think you will find more positive moments overall. Things may not be going your way, but with this mindset, I think you might find yourself living a more fulfilled life.