Four actual life lessons that I’ve gained from the Ghostbusters:
It’s never too late to start over: Ever feel like you’re ‘behind’ everyone else’s milestones? Or your life should be planned by a certain age? The Ghostbusters are grown adults who are still figuring things out! They also transformed an intimidating setback (losing their academic jobs) into an opportunity to pursue something better.
Stay intellectually curious and keep learning: The Ghostbusters are highly educated and have professional experience. Yet they don’t pretend to know everything—in fact, quite the opposite. They go to the library. They pour over reference materials. They look beyond obvious answers and learn from each other.
Take calculated risks: You can’t succeed if you never try! The Ghostbusters’ gadgets aren’t real, but the spirit behind designing them is. Even after you prepare as much as possible, you may have to send a creation into the world while feeling uncertain about it. The Ghostbusters didn’t know if the proton packs would stop Slimer, but they tried it. They didn’t know if crossing the proton streams would work on Gozer, but trying to save the world seemed better than doing nothing.
You need the right people around you: The Ghostbusters are buddies who find fame and success while having a blast together. Wouldn’t it be cool be your own boss? Spend your days fighting ghosts and eating Cheez-its with your besties in a sweet firehouse? (Those questions are rhetorical…) As valuable as friendship is, the Ghostbusters also needed to hire the right outsiders to complete the company. Bottom line, you can’t achieve your goals without the right team on your side.
