In my last article, I shared five lessons I took away from the adorable Dreamworks movie, Turbo. In this article I’ll detail five more lessons, all extremely important for you as an authorpreneur. Now let’s get started!
1. Make the Most of Today
As Turbo is preparing the day before the Indy 500 race, his pessimistic brother Chet fearfully asks him, “What if you wake up tomorrow, and your power is gone?” And Turbo replies, “Then I better make the most of today.”
The Lesson:
None of us is guaranteed a tomorrow. Being active on social media makes it even more mindful as there seems to be news every day of someone getting sick, in the hospital, and yes, even dying. It’s tragic and it reminds me of one of my clients, an amazing man named Kin Wah Tang.
Kin Wah was a cancer survivor who was re-diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and given about three months to live. His dying wish was to see his book edited, as he knew he would probably not see it published. His daughter came to us and we quickly whipped up a mock cover and edited his manuscript. Less than two weeks later, she presented him with a printout of his cover and interior text marked up in red from the edits.
He smiled bigger than he had in years. And then, that night, he died.
Kin Wah didn’t live anywhere near the three months his doctors estimated. He held his dream in his hands and left this world, not knowing if his legacy would ever be published and available to inspire others.
Don’t wait until the last minute to see your dream come true. Get your book published and spread your message to your audience. Leave your legacy while you can. You have a unique voice and someone needs to hear what you have to say!
2. The Truth of Heroes
In the course of Turbo’s adventure to race in the Indianapolis 500, he gets to meet the current champion, his hero, Guy Gagne. Then he learns an extremely hard lesson: sometimes heros aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Gagne seems encouraging at first, then when he sees Turbo as a threat to his championship, he plays dirty… For the sake of not giving away too much, let’s just say it’s a very climactic moment.
The Lesson:
As writers, entrepreneurs, and people in general, we tend to elevate others above ourselves. We admire, and even sometimes worship them. I personally had a coach who I loved. I worked with her and practically put her on a pedestal. Then later she turned her back on me and gave several other people credit for something I did. I was hurt, and I realized in that moment, even people I admire are human. We’re all the same—no one is better than anyone else, and no one should be treated like they are.
Be careful who you admire, who you learn from and who you let into your inner circle. You may set someone up so high they’re liable to fall. No one is meant to stand above anyone else. As Captain America said in The Avengers, “The last time I was in Germany and I saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing.”
And be careful as you become successful and others begin to elevate you, as they naturally will do. Own your greatness, individuality and who you are, and at the same time hold them up. See the greatness in them and help them see it in themselves.
3. Be You
Partway through the race, Turbo and the other drivers stop to get geared up with their pit crews. The humans try to fix Turbo up, who’s by now extremely weary, and his snail friends who know what’s best for him jump in and take over. They give him a pep talk and ask him if he’s a human. He answers with a confused, “No.” Then they ask him, “Then why are you acting like one?”
The Lesson:
Turbo had to see that he’s a snail, not a human. Sure, he’s a snail with a remarkable gift, and he’s still a snail. The game is changed as he taps into the realization of who he really is and what makes him “tick” as an individual and a unique creature. And that allows him to keep going, be re-energized and push ahead toward his goal.
It’s time for you to quit trying to be like someone else. You may admire someone to the point of picking up some of their qualities and characteristics. You may dye your hair a certain color because someone you’ve elevated on that pedestal (see #7 above) has that color. Too many people never grow out of peer pressure and still succumb to being like others around them, even as adults.
YOU ARE UNIQUE! You are made to shine! So shine on, and be refreshed and rejuvenated on your authorpreneurial journey!
4. What’s in You is Enough
At the climactic point of the movie, we see poor little Turbo with a broken shell, and a pile-up of race cars behind him on the track. There’s smoke, fire, damaged cars, parts of wheels and everything else that goes with a big automobile mess. And Turbo is a mere few feet to the finish line… which wouldn’t be much to a racecar driver, but to a snail it could seem like miles.
Turbo has to be reminded that he can still crawl. He hasn’t lost total mobility, even if he’s lost his super-speed power. And when he’s reminded, he presses on toward that finish line.
The Lesson:
You may think you need to attend another workshop or class or research another fact in order to finish your book. The fact is, while many times these activities are necessary to writing, they can also easily cross that gray line into the black point-of-no-return of procrastination. When you get stuck, remember that what’s in you is enough to keep going. You are good enough!
5. Inspire Others
At the end of the race while Turbo struggles with his lack of a super power and the realization he’s so close, yet so far from finishing the race, his brother Chet sees him and gets inspired. Chet, the play-it-safe, take-no-risks, mediocre brother suddenly gets a glint in his eye and faces all his fears, even crows, to encourage his brother Turbo.
The Lesson:
Just as Turbo’s dedication and persistence in defying his brother’s wishes to stay home in the garden to pursue his impossible dream eventually inspired his mediocre brother to see possibilities, so you can inspire others by being consistently persistent and dedicated to your dream.
No matter what, don’t give up. Keep going. Don’t listen to the naysayers who say you should be doing other things and stop pursuing your dream.
Overall the message of Turbo can be summed up in this statement: Never give up and keep believing in the impossible.
Walt Disney said it best, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”
Next time you’re faced with an “impossible” task in your book or business, remember what Disney said. Remember Turbo. And re-energize yourself to live on the edge of possibility!
Have you seen Turbo? Have you experienced moments filled with endless possibility? Share your story in the comments below!
