And the Winner Is...

How many people expected Colin Firth to stutter during his acceptance speech?During the Oscars on Sunday evening Colin Firth won best actor for his role as the stuttering younger brother who became King George VI in “The King’s Speech”.There were many insights that can be drawn from this movie but I will focus on just two. The first is less about the movie and more about how we are “wired”. We have an amazing capacity to attune to others through what I will call our “mirror neurons”.Much has already been written in the area of social intelligence but suffice it to say, it is this capacity to connect with others and imagine ourselves in their shoes that generates the powerful impact that movies have on us. It is why we often forget that the actor is just acting and does not actually possess the character traits or attributes of the person being portrayed in the film. The second is the notion that we have the capacity to change. The King’s Speech resonates with its viewers because it resonates with our own struggles to overcome obstacles and our own internal mental models that condition us to believe we are inadequate. The truth is the Winner Is….YOU. Every time you choose to connect in a meaningful way with others, every time you choose to see possibilities not problems you are on the path to success.