Prompted by a Founders episode on Eiichiro Oda, my family and I recently started watching One Piece. We are hopelessly hooked.
The characters, their dreams, their backstories, and the adventures they go on are inspiring and entertaining in ways I can’t compare.
One thing that really stands out to me is Luffy’s resolve.
He knows exactly who he is. He’s a pirate. And his dream is crystal clear: find the One Piece and become King of the Pirates. His conviction in who he is and what he wants is contagious. At times, even life-saving.
Setbacks don’t threaten his identity or his dream. If anything, he seems to enjoy the struggle. Every obstacle is another opportunity to demonstrate his resolve.
I think most of us know who we are or at least want to be. Deep down, we know what we dream of doing. Where we get confused is mistaking uncertainty about our next adventure for uncertainty about our dream.
We don’t know which opportunity to pursue, or whether the path we’re on is the right one. And suddenly, we start questioning everything. Luffy doesn’t confuse the two.
He is unwavering in who he is and what his dream is, but flexible in how he gets there. His next adventure is uncertain. And that’s okay. In fact, that’s what makes it an adventure.