I recently purchased the DVD children’s story “The NeverEnding Story.” I absolutely loved this story as a child, but watching it all over again with my 6 year old, I have a totally new spin on the movie, and I highly recommend EVERYONE young and old to watch this AMAZINGLY written story.
You can watch the whole movie online on youtube. Here is the beginning, and the rest of the movie follows in separate increments.
This story is about how a young boy’s imagination becomes a reality. The young boy is actually reading a book, but the book comes to life as he is reading it. As he is reading the book, he becomes a character, a very important factor of the book, which in turn is the reality.
For those of you who haven’t seen this fascinating movie, shame on you, and please waste no time checking it out, but there were several points within in the movie that I was just floored with as I watched this old movie with new adult eyes.
The young boy Atraio is kind of like the main character and a straight warrior. I just had to say that, but he is a beast, in a very good way. But anyway, the movie begins with Atraio being the chosen one to save Fantasia from “The Nothing.” The Nothing is like this darkness that kind of sweeps and wipes lands clear and free, and the people saught refuge in the Empress of the land, but there’s some connection between her and The Nothing and she is very sick, so it all lies upon Atraio’s feet to save Fantasia. No one can give him any advice, just that if he fails, he fails a whole nation. That’s alot of weight upon the shoulders of a little boy.
The first point that I found extremely crucial and heartfelt was when Atraio was traveling through the swamps of saddness with his horse and best friend Artex. Everyone knew that while traveling through the swamps of sadness you can’t allow the sadness to overtake you, or else you will sink and die in the swamp. Kind like with life, and any new venture one might embark upon. There are going to be ups and downs, but you can’t allow the sadness to over take you. Its okay to have a moment to yourself, but don’t dwell in it. Otherwise you’ll find yourself feeling sorry for yourself, and feeling as if you can’t do the thing you aspire to do, and quit. Which in this case would be you sinking in the swamps of your sadness and that thing you want to do, will eventually die and you will give up.
But Artex, the horse, allows the swamps of sadness to get to him and he begins to sink. No matter how hard Atraio tries to plead, tug and pull his friend out of the swamp, Artex had to do it for himself. Again just like in life, we can want all the things in the world for others, but if they don’t want it for themselves, its not going to happen. And so Atraio had his first hard real lesson. After shedding a few tears for his friend, he picked himself up, and continued his mission. And the same with us, we have a goal to achieve, and we must, must, must press on.
The next key scene in the movie was when Atraio was speaking with the shell mountain, which was a big ole turtle alerting them of the terrible nothing coming and asking for help. And the words that came from the big turtle rang clear in my head alot like how people don’t take their future into their own hands in this economy. They said “We don’t even care whether or not we care.” That’s serious. They realize there’s a problem, knows its something they can do about it, but they don’t even care that they don’t care. Sounds like alot of people stuck in dead end jobs, hating what they do, know its something out there better for them, but they just stay in the rut.
The terrible nothing isn’t only headed towards Fantasia, its in our world as well, and its grows stronger everyday. You can keep your job, but you better have something else going on. Something to recession proof your income. There is no security or safety in a job.
The final point I’d like to express is when Atraio meets up with the creature of darkness who is the servant behind the power of the nothing, sent to stop Atraio from saving Fantasia. Atraio learns that all along while he was searching to get beyond the boundaries of Fantasia, Fantasia has no boundaries. Fantasia is the world of human fantasy, that every creature is a piece of the hopes and dreams of mankind. Therefore it has no boundaries, possibilities are endless. But The Nothing started and Fantasia began to die because the people have begun to lose their hopes and have forgotten their dreams. A man once said that a man without a dream is dead. And so Fantasia is dying because The Nothing grows stronger with each and every hope and dream deferred and given up. Before Atraio fights the creature of darkness, the creature tells him that he is helping The Nothing because he wants the power. And in order to get the power he needs the control, and the people who have no hopes and dreams are easy to control, ergo you get the power. I like how Atraio tells the creature that he will not die easily. And that’s how we must be. Willing to fight for our dreams. Willing to fight for our goals. This is your life here. Is it just me or do you feel like I feel that The Terrible Nothing still grows and exists to this day?
Powerful, powerful movie. Watch it and you’ll see lots of great key concepts that can be applied to your life, your family, and your business.
