Today was one of those very very very very interesting days. I had back to back meetings – no, not project meetings, but meetings with people that gave me so much reassurance! I realized I have people who are there for me – people who have my back, for me to succeed. And I have the support I need, all I need to do now is put my head down and focus. I then ended up going to the movies with a friend (after such a long time!), and we watched Poor Things, starring Emma Stone & Mark Ruffalo. It was such an interesting movie – despite its seemingly raunchy nature, there were a dozen or more easter eggs hidden between scenes. More than anything, the story depicted an evolution of a naive, innocent, blank canvas of a child entering the real world, exposed to its beauties and brutal realities. It demonstrated that you really have the ability to choose your destiny, and so much of it depends on your outlook. And so much, I’m realizing, of your outlook is based on your nature. But simultaneously, it’s a choice. It can also be reflective of people you surround yourself with. And who you do is a choice.
The movie brought forth such an array of interesting delicacies for thought:
- Polite Society constrains us: In the movie, Emma Stone’s child of a brain has difficulty assimilating into the civil world, what with all its rules and postulations. But with all these rules, it seems we all voluntarily or involuntarily gave up our freedom to be ourselves. To express ourselves, without giving it a second thought. Being ourselves without the need for validation.
- Exploration is the bane of our existence: The key for the protagonist exploring her life outside Frankenstein’s kingdom, is exploration. The willingness to go beyond what one knows and simply look outside. See what the world has to offer before settling down. Before taking a pause. Having an open mind about it all and absorbing all the sights. Exploration is the door to an array of worlds.
- Leaving what doesn’t serve you anymore: The movie explores themes of toxic/abusive relationships, and the idea that you have to stay in them out of love. Out of hope for better. But sometimes, it doesn’t get better – it only gets worse. And once you come to realize that you stay in things because they either add value to you, serve you in capacity or help you learn something about yourself, you come to the conclusion that the best way to move forward is to leave behind what you’ve outgrown. And outgrowing things, people and places is a part of life. Without outgrowing, there would be no progress.
- Pleasure is all but one part of life: The movie also explores themes of gratification – sexual pleasure being a prominent idea. The main character, slowly but surely, realizes there are different forms of pleasures in life, not just the evolutionary one we’re most prone to. There’s worldly pleasures, academic ones, and ones that make you think about the world through a different lens. For me, I’m excited to learn more about different perspectives and the way that people work. I’m excited to learn more about other cultures, and exploring other interests/passions about myself.
- Go forth fearlessly: One of my favorite parts of the film, is how the director demonstrated the fearlessness of women. The way we have the power to drive our destiny, write our way through, demolish all barriers, should we want to. We’re no less than men. We need to firmly, and aptly rid the notion that we are any less worthy – we’re not. We’re just as capable, if not more. We have a voice. Time to use it. It doesn’t matter if it’s implemented or not – time to use our voices and guide the way. For so long, we’ve been oppressed into thinking we can’t under the patriarchal system – and the only way out is to ultimately beat it. Strong women create strong women. And strong women all start somewhere. The switch needs to flip, and there is a dire need to change our mindset.
- Fight, not flight: There are several moments in the film, where the protagonist is faced with brutal, if not death-like situations. Instead of letting the anxiety and anticipation gobble her up, she chooses to fight. Walk straight into the hole of fire and make it out. Knowing she needs to fight, and there’s no other option, she portrays an unconventional gravitas. It’s an important message for all of us – running gets us nowhere. Fighting makes us progress.
“She grows and learns before our eyes—discovering her body first, and then her mind. Poor Things is a story about a woman who develops by chasing her own interests and desires without having those tamped down, hampered, or abashed by society.“ This is it. That is the point – this is the plot!!!! We need to unapologetically chase our interests and desires without external prejudice. Without being hampered by the external world. That all doesn’t matter on our journey – who we are on the inside is the point of it all!! Is the meaning of our lives to fully explore who we are? To discover all our passions? How else would we know ourselves fully? This life is to truly try everything to figure out what matters to us. Not someone else. There’s only one you!
Overall, after discussing it with a friend, we realized how big of a statement the movie made, and how much through it all, one can learn something from truly everything we encounter. We just need to be open. Stay open. Stay present. Stay here, in this moment. You won’t get it again.
And another random thought – something a partner on the team brought up was the idea of never “half-assing” anything, that woke something up in me. I have a tendency to just get things done for the sake of it, instead of properly. And I think that’s important. Quality is king. Brand is king. Reputation matter. And all our connected. At my level, it’s important to get the quality perfected before being able to move on. So time to work on that.