電影《靈魂急轉彎》影評：The 「spark」 of the soul is to feel the little blessings of each day

Why do human beings live? What is the meaning of living? This is an eternal philosophical proposition. The director gives a clever and heartwarming answer. I boil it down into three points.

The first, life is a school, your need learn to love yourself.

Don’t set your 「spark」 by what other people consider important, only you know what is best for you. Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself to others. It’s because we’re different that each of us is special. I believe this acceptance, this tenderness one has for others, is impossible without an acceptance of self. Some people are born with the belief that they are masters of their own lives. We’re all the sum total of our actions, we become what we do. Don’t make success or failure the criteria by which you live, you’ll be a person worthy of respect, you can move the world by your own efforts. It’s to pursue the meaning or object of one’s own existence.

The second, life is a journey, your need learn to live in today.

Number 22 in the Tarot represents the cycle of life. 「One golden leaf of autumn」 means the end and the beginning of life. We’re all in this world together striving for more or less the same things, often during our search we forget to simple enjoy what life is. We become so caught up in what could have been, what should be, what might be, that many of our days are lost. In fact, no one has a guarantee that he or she will be here tomorrow. Now is the only time we have, and the only time that we have any control over. Practice keeping your attention on the here and now, you efforts will pay great dividends.

The finally, life is a present, we will greet every day with gratitude in our heart.

Many people believe that they’ll be happy once they arrive at some specific goal they set for themselves. However, more often than not, once you arrive 「there」 you’ll still feel dissatisfied. By always chasing after another 「there」, you’re never really appreciating what you already have right 「here」. You should be thankful for and appreciative of what you have and you’re on your path right now. Gratitude fills your heart with the joyful feeling and allows you to fully appreciate everything that arises on your path. As you strive to keep your focus on the present moment, you can experience the full wonder of 「there」.

What we have been living for? Did you find the answer in the movie?