Reboot Your Life!

Superman is dead. Again.

But don’t worry, he’s coming back. Again…

I am not referring to the comic book Superman who was killed off by Doomsday in the 90’s. I am referring to the Superman movie series, which originally gave us four movies:

1. The excellent Superman: The Motion Picture
2. Superman II, one of the best superhero movies ever! (a movie I have previously blogged about in The Ridiculousness that is “Superman II”)
3. The nonsensical stupidity of Superman III (Really, Richard Pryor and a supercomputer? Really??)
4. The unwatchable dreck that was Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

Superman IV was so bad it killed the franchise for many years. Then the series was “rebooted” in 2006 with the disappointing Superman Returns. Sadly, since the movie decided to…um…be kinda boring – which shouldn’t be that surprising since they decided that it would be more fun to watch Superman put out fires and pick up a big rock (yes, calm down fanboys, I know it was a kryptonite rock) – it proved to be a disappointment.

Superman Returns was disappointing enough that the studio is, after only one movie and four years, once again “rebooting” the Superman series.

In movies (and all fiction), rebooting means “to discard much or even all previous continuity in the series and start anew with fresh ideas.” (definition from Wikipedia).

Rebooting is all the rage in Hollywood these days. After three movies and a gazillion dollars worldwide, Marvel is rebooting Spiderman with a new cast, new director, and new story. Every horror movie ever made has been rebooted recently (Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the Thirteenth, the Hills Have Eyes, etc.) Random TV shows from the 70s have been rebooted as slapstick comedies (Charlie’s Angels, Starsky and Hutch, Land of the Lost – seriously, was anyone clamoring for a Sleestack based cornball comedy starring Will Ferrel? Anyone??).

Really? Was anyone clamoring for this one??

The list goes on and on. It won’t be long before we see a Casablanca reboot with Ashton Kutcher and Megan Fox – guest starring Zach Galifinakis as Louie!

When it comes to movies, this practice usually annoys me. It represents a dearth of creativity in what should be one of the most creative industries on Earth (for those who scoff at that, watch Christopher Nolan’s Inception to see what kind of creativity Hollywood is capable of).

However, as much as I loathe the practice of rebooting movies, I thought, “what if a person decided to reboot their life?”

Reboot your life? Why not?

Remember, rebooting means “to discard much or even all previous continuity in the series and start anew with fresh ideas.”

Why can’t you reboot your life? Just discontinue much or even all of your previous continuity and start anew with fresh ideas?

Sounds like an interesting idea to me.

Think about it: you could just stop doing all the things you are currently doing that aren’t serving you, let go of the past, and start over with a clean slate.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is let go of the past and start with a clean slate

Speaking of movies, this week the movie adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love” (a book I have blogged on before in my What’s Your Word? post) is coming out. That bestselling book was about a woman who spent a year rebooting her life. It seemed to work out pretty well for her…

If you feel your life hasn’t gotten a bit stale, or like you’re stuck in a rut, or if you ever feel a gnawing unhappiness, perhaps you need to reboot your life. You don’t need to pack a suitcase, sell everything that’s left, and travel the world for a year. You could do something simple like pick up a new hobby, discontinue a relationship that isn’t serving you, or quit an association that bogs you down. You could also go grandiose and quit a job to start a new business, sell the house and move to a brand new city, or find a way to take a sabbatical and tour the world.

The size of the reboot and the exact method you use are dependent on your means and desires. The important thing is that you do something to get unstuck.

There’s no right answer or step by step system to do it. Here are a few questions to get you started:

• What do you really want to stop doing?
• What do you really want to start doing?
• What excites you?
• What drains you?
• What do you wish you did years ago?
• What will you most regret ot doing if you die before you do it?

Start with those questions and let your mind wander and play. Then ask yourself, “if I was to reboot my life, what would it look lie?” The answer might both surprise and excite you.

***
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About

By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+

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