I’ve been watching this show since second grade (age 6). It’s influenced a lot of my worldview and inspired a lot of my traits. I wanted to consolidate a list of the most important things I’ve gotten from the show that have also become relevant throughout the years (and as it relates to leadership, tech, etc.).
from luffy:
- Cares about the people around him (genuinely wants the best for them, rekindles their dreams and inspires them (often when his own confidence in himself))
- Relentless in the pursuit of his goal
- Has ridiculously strong self belief and confidence
- Doesn’t take life/things too seriously until he does, usually when something morally wrong happens or his friends are involved
- Has a very strong moral compass that doesn’t get clouded even when he gets more power
- Makes people feel important and needed
- Willing to fail over and over again
- Super curious and joyful
- Extremely altruistic (re: selfish in building, selfless in distribution(?))
- Judges people on their characteristics and values but gives people second chances
- Has a sense of shameless sincerity
I’ve seen these traits very often in certain leaders (irl) I admire.
from usopp:
Usopp was a character I felt unbelievably frustrated by in the beginning. I thought he was too annoying and too much of a coward to be a Straw Hat pirate.
I’ve since realized that he is the every-man in One Piece. His character arc, from someone who feels deeply insecure and experiences massive bouts of imposter syndrome to someone who stands brave, is something almost everyone wants to experience. His pursuit of his dream is to simply become a brave warrior of the sea. And despite his cowardice, he fulfills his dream insofar as he lives each day living up to that dream. To be courageous is to do it even if you’re scared.
I’ve thought a lot about how each of our days builds up who we are. We are the sum of our days. We aren’t our thoughts, our plans, what we put in our google calendar to do the next day. We are the sum of minutes and hours in the present. As long as we live those moments moving toward our goals, dreams, and Personal Legend, we are in the process of fulfilling it. It’s a nice little reassurance that our goals aren’t insurmountable.
from zoro:
Do the hard stuff in silence. Be gritty. Be accountable.
nami and robin:
Stay curious. It’s also important to learn about why things are the way they are, and how they’ve become like this.