Limitless Monday – Lessons From Zombie Apocalypse Film 28 Days Later

Limitless Monday – Lessons from the film 28 Days Later

Imagine waking up after 6 months in a coma. You suddenly realize you are all alone. As I watched 28 Days Later, I fantasized about the first thing I would do when I realized I could finally walk again and that all I owned in the world was the blue skimpy hospital gown I was wearing.

My first move, I concluded, would be to head down to Bond Street, one of the main shopping streets in London, and help myself to an assortment of clothes from top designer stores, including combat boots, a few expensive watches, and two warm coats. After that I would take a walk to find a penthouse in an expensive area of London preferably with a panoramic view of the city. At this stage of my fantasy I hadn’t discovered there were zombies everywhere. That would have changed my priorities a little.

Next I began to think about the harsh reality of the situation, the main one being, my family and friends would have all perished. My new life would be devoid of both human connection and love.

There would be no need to chase cash, status, and possessions. No requirement to impress the opposite sex. The only priority would be survival. You are on your own. That penthouse and designer wardrobe would soon lose its significance. Finding a sustainable food supply, staying strong and alert would be your priorities now.

This kind of thinking makes you realize how far removed we are from our original basic survival instincts.

A few years back, I went on something called the Hoffman Process. It was a week’s course of self discovery with the purpose of helping attendees overcome past traumas. Phones and alcohol were forbidden; they even forbade exercise. When the group met for the first time, what was most noticeable were the intense egos in the room. All successful, wealthy people with something to prove.

At the end of the week the egos had completely disappeared. We had all seen each other in the raw, crying, angry, revealing all our hidden secrets. It took about a week for my ego to return. That first week after the course was probably one of my calmest on record. No road rage, no screaming at incompetent employees, and an even better connection with my children and romantic partner at the time.

The few survivors from a zombie apocalypse would also lose their egos. They would no longer be concerned with money, fame, or the number of houses they owned. Another great equalizer and one we are more likely to experience compared to being the sole survivor in a zombie invasion is prison. While there is an ego when the new inmate enters, that soon disappears. Your status in the outside world is worth nothing. You are on your own surrounded by people who are only concerned with themselves, much like zombies.

Advertisement

Maintaining an ego is not a bad thing in a competitive world. But it robs you of connecting to the authentic you. If you are constantly hiding behind an ego, you begin to believe that is who you are. Ego covers up the cracks, hides the weaknesses, and inhibits growth. You end up making decisions based on your ego. These are the worst kinds of decisions.

The lesson here is to manage your ego; don’t let it rule you. Make decisions based on the authentic you. These decisions will have the greatest positive impact on your future. The ego is for presentational purposes only. It’s a false image. The real you will eventually emerge in challenging times. The ego won’t help you then. That’s why you must build from the inside.

Happy Monday!

Banner Image: Apocalypse. Image Credit – Nelli Chaitanya