One of my favorite learnings from the last decade came from Remy, a revolutionary thinker who broke boundaries and challenged stereotypes.

I am referring, of course, to Remy the rat from the Pixar animated film Ratatouille.

Ok, so maybe not as scholarly a source as, say, Heraclitus, the pre-Socratic philosopher we mentioned a few weeks ago.

But this little fella left an impression on me as much as anything I have read or seen in the last five years. From him, I heard wisdom that I come back to often.

The storyline went like this:

Remy, a rat with an incredible sense of smell and taste, dreams of becoming a chef. But his father, Django, wants him to stay within the rat community and not risk his life (or their lives) by meddling in human activities. Django thought Remy’s skills were best suited to sniffing out rat poison. Remy had bigger dreams, but it meant charting an unknown and possibly dangerous path on his own.

Halfway through the film, you get to one of my favorite quotes:

"You can't change nature." - Django

“Change is nature.” - Remy

I love that scene.

It’s a simple and beautiful reminder that — whether we like it or not — the world is constantly changing.

We can either stick to our old ways while the world evolves around us — or we can be a part of, and positively influence, that change.

P.S. Remy is also a perfect example of the theme of Resilience. Despite the challenges he faced, he never gave up. With every setback, he learned something and tried again. Resilience is all about bending — not breaking — in the face of challenge. This September, we explore Resilience through our Holstee Membership. Join today to get it delivered →

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