I cannot tell you how much inspiration I have gotten from that little blue angelfish, Dory, in the movie Finding Nemo. Remember her?
She was a kind and beautiful spirit inside a fish’s body and had the unfortunate (or was it her saving grace?) affliction of having no short-term memory. As a result, she greeted everything, everyone, and every moment, anew—with wonder and an open heart and mind.
Maybe her appeal is that her character is the voice of Ellen Degeneres. Maybe the attraction is envy—to have the ability to not know what I now know. Or maybe it’s because so many days I feel mean, impatient, and harsh in my response to the world around me, and I aspire to be more like Dory: kind, open, and always willing to assume the best of everyone.
I don’t know, and I guess it doesn’t matter. All I know is that Dory and her “just keep swimming” little ditty is what I reach for when I’m most exhausted, overwhelmed, or full of despair.
Just keep swimming gets me out of bed when my hope reserves are low. Just keep swimming insists there is good in the world and invites me to look for it. Just keep swimming keeps me moving, even when I don’t know who I am or where I’m going. Just keep swimming is how I do me when all feels lost.
Dory is my muse, my patroness, and spirit animal. Just. Keep. Swimming.
Want to know what these daily verses are all about for me? Read here to learn what inspired this practice on my birthday post, November 1st.
