The summer is a great time for catching up on movies. This past week I went to see the new release of Wonder Woman (2017) and I was inspired in a way I least expected. As educators, we have a lot to learn from her.
I’ve always been a fan of Wonder Woman since I was a child. As much as I loved her ability to save the day back in the 1970s, I have a deeper and more profound respect and admiration for the Wonder Woman of the 21st century, who has taught me more about identity and mission than anyone else.
Lessons Wonder Woman Taught Me: (Spoiler Alert – This discusses scenes from the movie.)
1. Discover who you truly are.
Diana knew as a child, she was the daughter of the Queen of the Amazons. Her mother shaped her from clay and Zeus had brought her to life. Diana grew up knowing that the Amazon’s protective mission was to destroy Ares when he returned. Trained as a warrior against her mother’s wishes, she was prepared to respond at a moment’s notice. As the plot unfolds, Diana wishes to leave the island to carry out her mission to find and kill Ares but her mother does not want her to go.
Queen Hippolyta: If you choose to leave, you may never return.
Diana: Who will I be if I stay?
Diana knows deep down that if she does not carry out her mission, she would betray the person she was created to be. With her identity intact, she leaves the island to find and destroy Ares. In the pursuit of her mission, facing what seem like insurmountable challenges will reveal to her more of her identity. In fact, it will be in the midst of her greatest challenge, that she will fully discover her true identity, which will in turn, further shape her mission.
I have to remember part of the journey of life is the process of discovering who I am and who I was created to be. The distinct set of traits, gifts, talents, skills, knowledge, relationships, etc. that makes us each unique. As I grow and face challenges and setbacks, they present me with opportunities to discover more of my true identity. The question is, do I take those opportunities or do I squander them?
2. Declare your identity until you believe it.
Diana owned her identity and declared it freely. She was so clear about her identity, that in one scene when she is asked by General Erich Ludendorff, “What are you?” She responds with her identity. “I am Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons.” Shortly after this declaration of her identity, she is so confident in her ability to complete her mission that she speaks the truth about what is going to happen next, before she sees the outcome.
Wonder Woman never doubted who she was. She found her strength and her courage grounded in her identity. I, on the other hand, in moments of fear and insecurity, doubt who I am and what I am capable of accomplishing. Sometimes I have to declare what is true about my identity until I believe it. Speaking the truth out loud about who I am (and Whose I am) drowns out the lies I believe about myself and helps me to grow into my identity.
3. Clarify your mission.
Diana, always crystal clear about her mission, knew exactly what she had to accomplish and went after it with a singlemindedness, grit, and determination hard to match. Nothing could stand in her way. In the face of an impossible situation, with Allied forces in trenches unable to advance against the Germans, Diana does what no other had been able to do for almost a year.
Steve Trevor: This is no man’s land, Diana! It means no man can cross it, alright? . . . This is not something you can cross. It’s not possible.
Diana Prince: So . . .what? So we do nothing?
Steve Trevor: No, we are doing something! We are! We just . . . we can’t save everyone in this war. This is not what we came here to do.
Diana Prince: No. But it’s what I’m going to do.
On the heels of that statement, she climbed out of the trench and stepped into “no man’s land.” Across the burned out field, she advanced into the direct line of fire, without hesitation. Riveted in my seat and glued to the screen, I was in awe at her strength and courage.
In the pursuit of my mission, I often lack the singlemindedness, grit, and determination that Wonder Woman models. I have to ask myself, Am I crystal clear about my mission? Does my mission flow from my identity or am I trying to accomplish my mission without knowing who I truly am? Mission flows from identity and not the other way around. Diana is clear about her identity. Grounded in that, she unwaveringly pursues her mission.
4. Run to the front lines of the battle.
To complete her mission, Diana asks to be taken to the front lines of the war. Not somewhere protected far away from fighting. She wanted to go where the fighting was the heaviest. On the front lines!! She could not get there quick enough. Waiting was not an option. In the face of protest, she tenaciously held firm until she was taken to the front lines.
I want to be so grounded in my identity and mission, I never hesitate or back away from what I feel called to do because of fear. I want the courage that compels me to run to the front lines of battle where I can make the most difference in the lives of those I am called to serve. Not because I have no fear, but because I advance in the face of fear.
5. Sometimes you have to adjust your mission.
In the closing scenes of the movie, Diana’s greatest challenge forces her to surface her true identity. Realizing who she truly is, the daughter of Zeus, Wonder Woman is faced with a choice—to complete her mission and destroy Ares or to restore peace on earth by destroying mankind. Although tempted by the easy way out, she knew herself too well. She could not—would not—betray her identity or her mission.
With a laser-like focus, she turned and destroyed Ares. With her mission complete, her newly found understanding of herself and her experience of the complexity of mankind gave shape to her new mission.
Once she experienced the light and darkness of the world she was trying to save, her conclusion is “I used to want to save the world. To end war and bring peace to mankind. . . . Now I know. Only love can save this world. So I stay. I fight, and I give . . . for the world I know can be. This is my mission, now. Forever.”
Wonder Woman’s identity shaped her mission and her mission called forth her identity. She models for me what it looks like to not fight the interplay of identity and mission. I will face challenges that will surface more of my true identity, and in turn, this greater understanding of who I am will require me to adjust my mission.
As educators, when people ask us to tell them something about ourselves, we almost always respond with what we do, not with who we are. I wonder when the last time was that we gave much thought to our identity and mission. Could we describe ourselves without referencing our job? Do we have the courage to declare who we are without hiding behind what we do? Are we crystal clear about our mission—why we are here?
Our identity and our personal mission are much larger than our job. To be true to ourselves, our personal mission must align with our job. If not, our identity and one of the missions will suffer. You will either sacrifice your own mission for the sake of your job, denying who you are, or you will sacrifice your job for the sake of your own mission, which not only impacts the organization but also calls into question your own personal and professional identity.
I don’t usually recommend movies to people, but if you haven’t seen Wonder Woman, you might want to consider it. Learn the lessons Wonder Woman has to offer and never forget your identity always precedes your mission.