5 quotes from 1980’s movies that say a great deal about life, business and strategy today
I was a child of the 1970s and 1980s. A seemingly simple time. This was a time pre the Internet, Facebook and even mobile phones. But, somehow we survived, and in many ways much in life and business remains the same.
Recently I pondered a few 1980’s movie quotes that, on reflection, at least partly shaped the man I am today. The movies memorised with my brother and sister pre Netflix, iTunes and YouTube.
“Sometimes you gotta say ‘What the Fuck,’ make your move. Every now and then, saying ‘What the Fuck,’ brings freedom. Freedom brings opportunity, opportunity makes your future.”
Lesson: Procrastination in life and business due to fear of the unknown is the single biggest impediment to unlocking exciting opportunities.
Year: 1983
Movie: Risky Business
“I don’t get it.”
Lesson: Too often strategy just repeats the status quo, is riddled with confirmation bias and lacks the child-like beginners mind to innovate.
Year: 1988
Movie: Big
“Wait! Don’t I get a last request?”
Lesson: Even when you ponder “all is lost” if you think quick, and say and do the right thing, that pending disaster can quickly turn to a triumph.
Year: 1985
Movie: Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
“So, I tell them I’m a pro jock, and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama, himself. Twelfth son of the Lama. The flowing robes, the grace, bald… striking. So, I’m on the first tee with him. I give him the driver. He hauls off and whacks one — big hitter, the Lama — long, into a ten-thousand foot crevasse, right at the base of this glacier. Do you know what the Lama says? Gunga galunga… gunga, gunga-lagunga. So we finish the eighteenth and he’s gonna stiff me. And I say, “Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know.” And he says, “Oh, uh, there won’t be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.” So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.”
Lesson: In life and business it is important to value what you have to sell, yet often payment beyond money can be more rewarding.
Year: 1980
Movie: CaddyShack
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”
Lesson: While life might seem infinite, the reality is opportunities in life and business often only raise their head briefly — look around, embrace it!
Year: 1986
Movie: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Hope you enjoyed my light hearted post. Please have a nice day. 🙂
(Originally published on: July 22, 2016)
