Monsters University - the best movie for overcoming setbacks

BarbaraJatmfp

I have a piggy bank that looks like Mike from Monsters University and it is one of my favorites in my collection. In Monsters Inc, Sully is the successful one, the Scarer of the Month for almost a year straight. But in Monsters University, you see that it is Mike who is the most successful of the two.

You've probably seen the movie: Mike goes on a school trip to the Scare Factory where he has a personal encounter with a scarer in action. He decides that he wants to be a scarer when he grows up. But Mike doesn't grow up to be scary, and it's an uphill battle for him to get to the scare floor.

Isn't this like us in our weight-loss efforts?

- Mike's best efforts to be scary weren't ever going to make him a scarer. My best efforts to be size-two-thin are never going to get me there.

- Sully was naturally scary. I have friends who can eat whatever they want and aren't five pounds overweight. Worst of all, other friends can gain five pounds, diet for two days, and lose it. One friend is 89 years old and weighs what he did when he graduated high school: 150.

- Mike set a goal: to be a scarer. His plan was to attend Monsters University, graduate from it, and become the best scarer ever. He didn't grow up to be physically scary and when he got expelled from Monsters University, that kind of ended his lifelong plan. But he didn't give up. He got Sully to go to the Scare Factory to work in the mail room. He and Sully set records for delivering the mail, so they got a better job at the Scare Factory, and he and Sully set records for that job, too. They had three or four jobs before they finally got to the scare floor, and in each one of those jobs, they excelled to be the best. And Mike and Sully became the best Scare Team. But when I gain weight or eat too much, I'm ready to throw in the towel and say "It's too hard".

I'm like Mike: I didn't grow up to be physically thin. I will never see size 2. Mike didn't give up and wallow in his short roundness. He made a new goal and achieved it. And he got there by making and achieving other goals that got him closer to his ultimate goal.

I am going to pretend to be Mike. My final goal is to be 198, which isn't going to happen this year. Or even in the next year. So what are my intermediate goals to achieve which will get me closer? and by what date?

Mike's most important behavior was that he didn't give up when he had setbacks. He could have when he didn't grow up scary. And he sure had a good excuse to give up when he was expelled. So when I gain weight, or fall off the wagon, or don't track, I am going to BE Mike, and find a way to get around that adversity.

Because I am going to succeed.

I am going to be Mike.

Sira125

You BE Mike!