Joni Page

One minute read

Space movies are great, because space, like life, can be unforgiving. We can learn something about life from space movies.

My favourite two space movies for life lessons are Apollo 13, directed by Ron Howard (1995) and The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott (2015). None of the astronauts die in these movies, a big plus when you’re looking for a psychological lesson about Life!

The plots go like this:

1. People aim to do something amazing. 
2. Something goes wrong.
3. People have to use their best problem-solving skills.
4. More somethings go wrong. And more and more.
5. They work the problems one at a time until they’re all solved.
6. There’s a happy resolution.

Sounds a lot like regular life to me! Number 6 is the outcome we want. So how do they save the astronauts?

1. They decide what’s still working.
2. They collect other resources.
3. They accept the original amazing thing isn’t going to happen. They turn their attention to survival, which is even more amazing.
4. They get clear about the best outcome given the circumstances.
5. They call in experts and support.
6. They change their daily expectation for a short amount of time.
7. They don’t give up.

All these things can apply to regular life situations. If ever you’re stuck in a difficult situation, a space movie might give you some inspiration.