If you haven’t seen Pixar’s wonderful “Inside Out” yet, please do so! It’s brilliant on its own, but even more so when one is a SoulCollage® enthusiast. The animated action takes place mostly in the mind of 11-year- old Riley where Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Fear (Bill Hader), and Anger (Lewis Black) struggle individually and in concert/conflict to maintain her well-being and eventually, peace of mind. The concepts are wonderful, such as the essence of core memories, the subconscious (“where they take all the troublemakers”), the “dangers” of abstract thoughts (they look like a Picasso and disintegrate easily), and the power of our darkest fears (which for Riley, includes broccoli).
The moral of the film is quite simply that all of our parts (emotions, in this story) must be honored, and that they're most helpful as a collaborative team. And although Joy must learn to back down and allow Sadness to be present, the team is in agreement that Joy is their best bet when a leader is needed. (There's a recurring refrain of "Joy would know what to do.") This is a wonderful message indeed, that the balanced pursuit of happiness is a good thing, and that life is best when Joy is functioning as an inclusive leader. Even in our deepest sorrows, we want Joy to be pulling things her direction eventually. Perhaps Joy carries hope more strongly than the other characters, not only for Riley, but for her neurological command center colleagues.
I am particularly excited about these perspectives and lessons, as they overlap substantially with my SoulCollage® Card Games, which focus on embracing and integrating the whole deck and thus, all of our parts.
So, during the month of July, I’ve decided to explore the 5 core emotions of Inside Out in my own SoulCollage® deck. I will begin with Joy. My plan is to find a card(s) that represents each emotion and to hear what they have to say. I suspect I’ll also find define new cards that I’ve yet to make. I’ll also do some reflection on the film’s messages and larger themes.
When I’ve done all five, I will work with them in dialogues to understand their group dynamics and possibilities as a team. This should be fun, and revealing! I hope you’ll enjoy my musings and share some of your own.
Stay tuned! I'll share it all here.
The moral of the film is quite simply that all of our parts (emotions, in this story) must be honored, and that they're most helpful as a collaborative team. And although Joy must learn to back down and allow Sadness to be present, the team is in agreement that Joy is their best bet when a leader is needed. (There's a recurring refrain of "Joy would know what to do.") This is a wonderful message indeed, that the balanced pursuit of happiness is a good thing, and that life is best when Joy is functioning as an inclusive leader. Even in our deepest sorrows, we want Joy to be pulling things her direction eventually. Perhaps Joy carries hope more strongly than the other characters, not only for Riley, but for her neurological command center colleagues.
I am particularly excited about these perspectives and lessons, as they overlap substantially with my SoulCollage® Card Games, which focus on embracing and integrating the whole deck and thus, all of our parts.
So, during the month of July, I’ve decided to explore the 5 core emotions of Inside Out in my own SoulCollage® deck. I will begin with Joy. My plan is to find a card(s) that represents each emotion and to hear what they have to say. I suspect I’ll also find define new cards that I’ve yet to make. I’ll also do some reflection on the film’s messages and larger themes.
When I’ve done all five, I will work with them in dialogues to understand their group dynamics and possibilities as a team. This should be fun, and revealing! I hope you’ll enjoy my musings and share some of your own.
Stay tuned! I'll share it all here.
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