22 Life Lessons from Toy Story 3, Part One
The Pixar Animation Studios’ movie, Toy Story 3, has definitely gone out of its way to exemplify inspirational life lessons. This computer-animated movie is a sequel to Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2.
Although there are lots to learn from the first two series as well, Toy Story 3 is one which has stood out with its many beautiful lessons. The lessons which will be discussed below are needed for a life of happiness and, most especially, for a successful relationship-life.
Preamble
Toy Story 3 started with Andy doing a movie simulation with the toys, and this is the usual thing Andy would do with the toys — signifying that those toys are being played with. However, this playtime (or movie simulation, as said) was only a video-record playback; it was not the actual current situation.
Fast forward to the current situation of the movie, Andy has grown up and is 17. He has been admitted to college and was preparing to go already. The situation of the current time with the toys was far from happiness (i.e., far from getting played with). The toys have indeed been neglected for a long period and the next thing the toys were planning was how to get the attention of Andy; they were planning this through a phone call gimmick they’d thought out.
At that present time, some of the toys — their friends — have either been given out or have even gone at their own will (the case with Sarge). Most of the toys that remained were very close to giving up, but only Woody appeared to be stronger and was keeping their morale high by assuring them that everything will be okay.
The subsequent events which would later unfold in the movie are ones that would demonstrate the test of love and that would signify the essence of being patient with true friendship as Woody has been advising the others of Andy’s toys.
Lessons
1. True Friendship
If you ask what true friendship is, I’d say true friendship is when the toys were willing to go into the attic just to keep been there for Andy. Who would want to go to that extreme just to keep being there for their friends these days? The toys just love being there for Andy and so, they were preparing for the attic mode even though Andy wouldn’t be in the attic.
This true friendship was at least demonstrated by all the remaining toys (excluding Sarge) in the initial stage as all of them have prepared for the attic even before they ended up in Sunnyside — Woody being the one who has demonstrated it most even before knowing that Andy would want to take him to college.
Would they continue seeing Andy in the attic? Of course not! However, the fact that they always wanted to be there for him left them enthusiastic and willing, therefore, to move to the attic.
So, why would people give up so easily on their loved ones these days even when there is still lots of time to hope for?
Woody also further demonstrated what true friendship is in another part of the movie when he went back to Sunnyside in other to save his friends. This is indeed friendship.
Also, at the trash can, all the other toys except Barbie — who was held back — went back to save Woody when he was pulled back into the trash can by Lotso. Moreover, Buzz also went back to save Jessie at the trash site. What great demonstration of love these are? These scenes are so amazing and moving; they make the eyes pullulate with tears for the love that was demonstrated by these toys.
2. Recognize and Acknowledge Love and Care Even When They Are Subtle
But through every yard sale, every spring cleaning, Andy held on to us; he must care about us or we wouldn’t be here. — Woody
Woody said this in Andy’s apartment when he was encouraging his mates after they were discouraged about their not been played with by Andy. This shows that he knows what love and care are even when it seems to others that Andy doesn’t care. This is a demonstration of high love.
Sometimes, people may not have the time to check on us but they may still care about us. We need to identify this and give them excuses. We should not be selfish; rather, we should be patient to wait. Such people might be busy or even be going through a hard time, so try to be patient at such times.
Woody further demonstrated a high regard for love when he retorted,
… And someday if we’re lucky Andy may have kids of his own.
What a show of love! Woody was actually willing to even wait for Andy’s children? The question is, who is willing to demonstrate such love today? And then Woody ends, “we’ll always be there for him.”
3. Trust
What on earth would make Woody say, don’t worry Andy is gonna take care of us, I guarantee it?!
Of course, it came from him out of sheer despair but it is incredible to hear him despair on a positive note. Something in Woody kept telling him that Andy is going to take care of them even though he doesn’t know how.
Indeed, Woody, too, was not saying this out of ignorance about Andy. No. He trusted and still trusts Andy and knows that the guy named Andy loves them truly. But things were falling apart and then he doesn’t know what to do, but he still held on to that fact, “… Andy is gonna take care of us.”
4. Avoid Hasty Judgment and Give a Listening Ear
To be a good listener, you must avoid hasty judgments, and to judge excellently, you must lend a listening ear. These are essential lessons in life. Hasty judgment and refusing to listen affected the other toys apart from Woody. This affected them in two instances.
First, they didn’t listen to Woody and denied his argument that Andy was putting them in the attic.
Second, they hastily judge Sunnyside and they thought that Sunnyside would be okay for from simple from its look from the outside.
Those two instances made them go through hell anyway.
The other toys failed to listen to Andy not until Mrs. Potato Head saw with her own eyes that Andy was telling the truth. Why wouldn’t they believe Woody in the first instance? Had they given a listening ear and avoided hasty judgment, they probably wouldn’t have gone through the pain they went through.
To be continued
