When Life Tells You to Go Left, Go Right

Here we are, another 90s-movie-inspired Motivation Monday post. I like these posts, though. Gives me reasons/excuses to indulge my childhood memories. What do y’all think?

When I got home from work this past Friday night, I was in the mood to make a cup of tea and satisfy my inner six-year-old. Everyone needs to do that sometimes. So I turned on Anastasia. Remember that (marginally historically accurate) animated movie, about the famous Russian duchess? I still love that movie. No shame at all. And it’s NOT a Disney movie! It’s 21st Century Fox!

If you don’t remember, refresh your brain. I promise you’ll remember it, though. Hard to forget a movie so wonderful and inspiring.

In the beginning, when 18-year-old Anya leaves the orphanage, the orphanage owner, Comrade Phlegmenkoff–what a name, right?— tells her to go left at the fork in the road to get to her new job at the fish factory. But Anya doesn’t want to go left.

“‘Go left,’ she said. Well I know what’s to the left. I’ll be Anya the orphan forever. But if I go right…”

There will be times when we comes to forks in life, physically and metaphorically (but mostly metaphorically). The fork may be deciding between two jobs, or making a choice to stay in a certain place or move somewhere new, or. The decision may be easy and not require a lot of thinking or consideration. In those cases, you’ll know which direction to take.

When life tells you to go left, go right. Click To Tweet

But other times, the decision will be harder. There will be more factors involved, more possible outcomes to consider. Sometimes your brain will tell you one thing, and your heart will tell you another. Reason says go left, passion says go right.

Not all cases are matters of brain vs. heart, though. Sometimes the brain gives two really compelling and convincing reasons for each possible outcome. And then we have to reason with ourselves until we come to some conclusion and decision. Alas, here we are, wondering what each choice will bring us, what will happen, what could happen and beyond. We’ll probably think we’re crazy, at some point in the process.

“Send me a sign! A hint! Anything!”

And then that hint comes, and we’re like…

Don’t you hate when your brain says one thing, and your heart says the complete opposite? And why can’t every sign in life come in the form of an adorable gray puppy? Kidding.

So what do we do in these situations? Cue Anya.

When life tells you to go left, go right. Have faith that a sign will show up and give some direction. Sometimes you have to listen to your heart and take a risk to find where you’re meant to be. Put your foot down and go in the direction you feel is right. You never know where you’ll go or what (or who) you’ll find on your way. No one knows where the road will go until taking the first steps on it.

“One step at a time, one hope then another, who knows where this road may go…”

Anya found her family, and her love, because she listened to her heart and went to St. Petersburg.

Anastasia knew what she was talking about: listen to your heart. Click To Tweet

As a finishing note, let’s remember that this fabulous love song was used in the credits for this movie. I will forever love this song, and it’ll probably be played at my wedding. I’m only half kidding. Seriously, the soundtrack for this film was on point.

What’s your favorite 90s movie? What’s the best life lesson(s) to learn from our favorite movies?