The much-awaited sequel to 2003’s Finding Nemo is here. Finding Dory opens this week and if the turnout at the recent advance screening at SM Megamall is any indication, we can hope that Andrew Stanton’s latest animated film to do just as well as (or even better, perhaps?) its predecessor.
And like other Pixar animated movies, we can expect Finding Dory to be heartwarming and funny. I’m pretty sure kids of all ages will fall in love with this endearing forgetful fish. Most importantly, we can all  learn important life lessons like the following:
Family is everything
Family means a lot of things for different people. But only one thing is certain: you’ll do anything for your family. Anything. Even if it means risking your comfort zone and going to unknown (and potentially dangerous) territories.
These are people you can’t live without. Those who you’re willing to share your ups and downs. Those who your heart longs for. Those whose triumphs make you feel victorious.
And they don’t have to be related to you by blood. They can be your friends, office mates, or people in an organization you belong to. Look at Marlin and Dory. They’re from different species yet consider each other family.
The heart always remembers
What the mind forgets, the heart remembers. No matter what the circumstances are, your truth will always come out. And that’s because your heart will tell you what to do.
Follow it. Ditch logic and take a chance by listening to your heart.
During tough situations and you can’t seem to find the most logical answer, take a deep breath and listen to your heart. The answer is there. It will tell you what to do. Don’t stress too much by forcing your mind to come up with the answer. Let your heart do it. It will feel right. You will know that it’s right.
Dory may be the most unfortunate creature in the ocean because of her memory loss. How is she going to make it through the vast unknown when she can’t even remember stuff from a few minutes ago? Finding her way seems like a hopeless cause but where her mind fails her the heart reciprocates.
But she can’t do it alone, of course.
Friends make even the toughest journeys memorable
Life’s triumphs and losses must always be shared with friends.
Pals make life more colorful. They give us a reason to persevere. They motivate us when we want to throw in the towel. They can also make us do foolish things and take wrong turns but that’s okay because they’re the same ones who are going to get us out of trouble.
It’s impossible to live without friends. They’re like the thumb. Cut it off and you lose a significant percentage of your grip. Without friends, you won’t be able to hang on to life.
13 years ago, Dory helped Marlin find Nemo. Now, the father-and-son tandem has do the same for their forgetful friend.
Use your heart as a compass
Plans don’t always turn out the way we want to and, most of the time, we’ll find ourselves lost in a sea of difficult people and circumstances. For these times, the best way to navigate is to use your heart as a compass.
You’ll never go wrong when you follow your heart. Sure, it may take you to unwanted places at times but, eventually, it will bring you to where you need to be.
With only the intense desire to find her long lost parents, Dory sets out on a journey without much of a lead but with her heart as a guide.
In the movie, she and her friends will be faced with challenges and while they may be too daunting, tapping into their inner GPS will prove to be very effective.
Always believe
Dory, by default, shouldn’t be able to do much because she has problems remembering stuff. Because of that, searching for her parents without anything to go on will be very difficult. But girl’s got fire.
She doesn’t know how but she is firm on the belief that she can find her parents, even with her memory problems.
In all things, believe in these three letters: Y.O.U.
No one can make it happen but you. Have faith.
Find faith and faith will help you find your way.
When you believe in yourself, it doesn’t matter what others think or say. Affirming belief in yourself will activate every single cell in your body will function with one goal: to complete your mission.
Have faith in others
But your mission will not be successful without the help of others–friends and even complete strangers.
Others play a part in your journey and you have to let them in. Have faith that they have the ability to make things easier for you. They can contribute to your success by sharing the stuff they know. Or it could be as simple as keeping you motivated.
Trust that there are others who will want to help.
To find his lost son, Marlin decided to put his faith on a fish with short-term memory loss. His gamble paid off. Six months later, Dory has to do the same to find her family.
You can’t do everything. Open yourself to others and be surprised at what they can do for you.
Finding Dory opens in theaters on June 16th.
