FIVE LESSONS I LEARNT FROM MEGAMIND

Isn't it funny that I would be writing about a blue, bald-headed guy from an animated movie? But that's exactly what I would be doing in this post. Megamind voiced over by Will Ferrell happens to be one of those animated superhero action comedy films I have watched for more than six to seven times. The story is about a guy who decides to become a villain and not just any kind of villain but the "baddest" of them all in the place where he lived called Metro City. He possesses unique gifts and abilities but was always treated as an outcast by his peers at school. He grew up in a prison where he was taught that evil was good and good was evil. He tried so hard to please his teachers and friends but every effort was met with rejection which made him feel worse about himself. On the other hand his arch rival, a handsome hunk called Metro Man was treated to much fanfare while Megamind was sent to quiet corner. But the movie ends with Megamind, the much hated villain dedicating a museum that had been built to his honor for defeating a ruthless villain he mistakenly created called Titan. Of course, he also got the girl Roxanne Ritchie too. After all don't they say the good guy gets it all?

Anyway what was Megamind's beginning like and what are the five lessons I learnt from his story? Megamind, a super intelligent extraterrestrial mastermind was born on a dying planet and sent off to earth in a capsule accompanied by his minion when he was barely a few months old. His father and mother remained behind and died with the other inhabitants of their planet during the explosion. But before he was sent off, he heard his father telling him what he was destined for. Unfortunately, all he could remember were the very first lines, "you were destined for...." because his little capsule's door closed up, setting his capsule off at lightning speed on a long journey to earth. It also happened that as he set off to discover his glorious destiny, a little handsome looking baby with great hair did the same too from another planet and they were all headed for the same destination, Earth. This little baby's name was Metro Man and it was on that day that their long lasting rivalry was born.

The 5 key lessons I learned from this...

1. When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is imminent.

I have heard this phrase a countless number of times yet many do not truly understand how potent this statement is to set them free to pursue their calling. Megamind was destined for good not evil. But because he didn't get what his father told him, he spent his teenage years trying to gain acceptance amongst his peers and everyone else to no avail. He tried many times to be good but kept on getting bad results. Every attempt at doing something was met with contempt and at the end of the day because he didn't truly know what his purpose was he began to feel dejected and the next thing he resorted to was full scale evil.

There are many people today who are living the kind of phony lifestyles they have adopted because they felt as if being the guy or girl who didn't conform wasn't the "in thing" anymore. Every guy/girl is losing their virginity so why keep mine. Everybody is shagging around so who cares if I do it too. Hollywood marriages don't last therefore marriage must be old-fashioned. A couple of flings around is good for me. And I can go on and on. Like Megamind we came from a Kingdom above with clear instructions on how to live life down here on planet earth. But we have forgotten all that because we don't spend time with our Bibles which is our manual for living and instead we look to Celebrities, Billionaires, Athletes, TV commercials, Soap Opera's for how to live the abundant life in Christ. Christian Rapper Da Truth says it's like "Looking to Bruce Banner (Hulk) for anger management classes." Megamind misused his gifts and abilities because he didn't know what his purpose was.

2. Don't compete with anybody

Megamind spent his early years trying to out do his rival Metro Man and this was the major reason why he gave up doing good in favor of evil because he really couldn't measure up even though he too was extremely talented. Some people are naturally gifted at certain things. I mean if I try to compete with a Lionel Messi on the soccer pitch today, I will always feel inadequate and untalented meanwhile that isn't the case. God has blessed each and everyone of us with unique gifts and abilities and things that only we alone can do excellently well. Our job here on earth is to find out what those things are and do them to best of our ability. In that way we get to enjoy each others gift rather than trying to compete or out do one another. I love Lionel Messi and I enjoy watching him play soccer. I equally know that there are things I am naturally good at in other areas and everyday I work at becoming excellent at what I do. Never compare yourself with anybody rather work at being the best you year in year out.

3. Take responsibility for your life

Don't play the blame game. It doesn't help in anyway and neither should you adopt a victim mentality. You will be on the same spot till God knows when. I know someone who back in my University days told me the story of her life and lamented why so and so happened to her. I met her 4 years later and I was surprised that she sat me down and told me the same story I mean without missing a beat that she had told me 4 years earlier. What I then figured out was that she had told this story so many times it had become a rhyme to her. Megamind was disappointed about the fact that life had dealt him some very hard blows. Metro Man his arch rival was adopted by a rich family while he was adopted by prisoners. Metro Man went to school with the rich kids while he was brought in every day to school from prison. Metro man was given awards while he was sent to quiet corner. Was this his lot in life? Was he meant to be an underdog? There are certain things you can't change in life like where you were born or the family you were born into and a host of others. But you can determine to a very large extent how your life pans out because tomorrow is always better than yesterday for those who will take care of their today. Don't use excuses to stay in a rut. Get out of that rut and make something meaningful out of your life. Megamind finally got this message and in the end got the girl he loved and a stature of honor to his name.

4. Beware of your closest associates.

One thing you need to be careful about is who you associate with. There are people who have lost lucrative jobs and deals because the people they hung around with gave off a strong negative vibe. Some have even been jailed because their friends committed a crime and they were innocently arrested too since they hung out together a lot. If you know where you are going in life and what you hope to accomplish then begin to choose carefully the people you hang out with. Preferably your closest associates should be people who share the same values with you and who motivate you. Megamind's closest associate was his minion who felt that he was destined to be an evil genius and praised him for being so. The moment he began to realize that Megamind was becoming soft, he rebuked him sharply and told him that evil was all he was good at. He eventually fell out with Megamind and left him because he was becoming good. Doesn't that sound like you? Bad friends never want to see you climb out of the pit. They will either pull you down with them or insult you from afar. Stay away from people who don't add value to your life.

5. Be Real

One of the reasons why Megamind almost lost the love of his life Roxanne Ritchie was because he deceived her into thinking that he was Metro Man's Museum Curator who went by the name of Bernard. He didn't see himself as good enough as he was to attract the beautiful Roxanne. There are many people today who spend their entire lives living like other people. They spend an awful amount of money on designer stuff, hair, makeup and all what not trying to fit into an acceptable social mold or what the media has defined to be the epitome of true success. Just be yourself and people would accept you the way you are. I once heard a man say, "What you compromise to keep, you will eventually lose." And the truth is every lie always need another lie to cover it up. That is why there are no successful liars for one day the hidden truth would eventually be revealed. Let people know who you are and if they accept you that way then good if not they can bounce right along. God's arms are wide open to receive you. When Megamind was discovered, he finally came out with the truth about himself and surprisingly enough the lady loved the real him more than the fake identity he had been carrying along for a while. Some people are paying the price today for the lies they told yesterday or the personalities they adopted just so they could belong to a certain clique or keep up with the joneses. It's not worth it. In the words of John Mason, author of An Enemy Called Average, "You were born an original don't die a copy. "