Four More “Elf” Life Lessons
To date, our post “Four ‘Elf’ Life Lessons” is the most-read blog we’ve written. Now that the holiday season is here and we can comfortably re-watch “Elf” without it being weird (although, you can watch “Elf” any time of year with no judgement from us), we thought we’d revisit this idea and post four more life lessons from our favorite elf.
1) Find where you fit. “See, Buddy, you're not a cotton-headed ninny muggins. You're just special.”
Buddy struggles to fit in at the North Pole due to both his height and sub-elf speed assembling toys. Although he has some wins (he’s the only one that can change the smoke detector batteries!), he feels lost and like he doesn’t belong. Fast-forward to his time in New York, when he single-handedly transforms the toy department at Gimble’s with Christmas decorations in a single night with seemingly super-human abilities. He was still the same person but found a niche that his exact experience and talent allowed him to fill. Find where your specific talents fit. What do you love? What are you good at? Don’t be afraid to guess wrong or to keep looking until you find it. Remember, human history’s most impressive accomplishments happened when someone’s skills met the right opportunity. If Einstein had been talked into playing professional basketball instead of pursuing science, we all would have missed out on some amazing discoveries.
2) Tell Your Story. ““Elves love to tell stories. I bet you didn’t know that about elves.”
In the movie, Buddy’s story is what saves the day. He shares his journey and people respond to his authenticity. Ultimately, the book about his travels saves his dad’s career and becomes a best-seller. It may not become a best-selling children’s book, but sharing your story invites the listener to emotionally (and sometimes financially) invest in your success. We have an entire blog about this, but there is no substitute for your story. No one else can tell it, and there’s no better way to communicate who you are and where you’re going than to tell people where you’re coming from.
3) Be Resourceful. “Uh, oh, my gosh. You actually made that? Where did you get all the wood?”
What do you want? What do you have? These two questions are foundational to resourcefulness. Buddy teaches us an important lesson here about how to go after what we want. You want a Christmas tree? Chop a tree down from a local park. You want a rocking horse? Disassemble your estranged father’s wooden entertainment center. Obviously, we’re kidding about the specifics here, but the principle is a good one. Leverage what you have to get what you want (and keep in mind that we all deserve good things). This is something we help institutions realize every day. Start by identifying your mission, then evaluate what unique attributes, skills, or talents you have at your disposal to help you achieve it. Sometimes you’ll have to zoom out or ask for another’s perspective to help you see your resources clearly. It’s a worthy exercise, though, because if you don’t know what you already have, you certainly aren’t going to understand how to get where you want to go.
4) Speak the Truth to Power. "You stink. You smell like beef and cheese! You don't smell like Santa!"
We are all biologically programed for self-preservation. We don’t like to wade into potentially alienating or risky situations. When there is an established pecking order or power dynamic, even when we disagree with the decisions being made, it’s much easier to follow the beaten path that’s been laid out for us. Our favorite elf, however, has no concept of this notion. It is, perhaps, his most endearing quality. Repeatedly, in situations that would make those of us who are confrontation-averse feel anxious (and a little nauseous), he boldly speaks up and refuses to be brushed aside. This is probably the hardest lesson to translate from a light-hearted family movie into real life, but it may also be the most important. At the end of the day, you are accountable, first and foremost, to yourself. We all have experiences where we’ve messed this up, and we can probably agree that it doesn’t feel great to live with regret, but each day we have a new opportunity to live as our most authentic selves. Don’t look back in 10, 20, or 30 years and wish you had said or done something different. There’s only one you on this planet—only one person who sees things in the weird, unique, and amazing way that you do. Don’t shut that person up. Be bold and say what you think, especially when someone in the pecking order above you needs to hear it.
*Bonus* 5) The Original Ray’s Pizza is on 11th. “There are, like, 30 Ray's Pizzas. They all claim to be the original, but the real one's on 11th."
But we all know Chicago deep-dish is where it’s at (lookin’ at you, Pequod’s Pizza). We said what we said.
All of us here at EduCred Services wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season. May your cups of coffee be the world’s best, may your snowballs always find their targets, and may your spaghetti be covered in maple syrup.
Happy Holidays!
