Overcome your "Django voice" , aka your Limiting Beliefs

Who watched Ratatouille, Pixar’s animated film from 2007? I did, probably three times, and personally, I adore it. I loved it because it struck a chord with me deeply, and I’m wondering if you too have felt a connection with Remy’s character at all.

Remy is the odd one out in his family and colony: he’s labelled as the different one, the one who doesn’t do things as they should be done based on society's expectations.

While the other rats enjoy eating rubbish and discarded food, Remy carefully selects fresh herbs and quality ingredients, displaying his distinct taste and preferences.

Remy's culinary skills distinguish him from the other rats. Instead of scavenging for food, he's more interested in creating gourmet dishes, which sharply contrasts with the colony's behaviour.

He is also fascinated by cookbooks, and his desire to read and learn about cooking shows his intellectual curiosity, contrasting with the colony's focus on survival and basic instincts.

By revealing his true nature, passions, and interests, which are at odds with the community standards, he’s seen as the outsider, the one who's weird, who simply doesn't fit in.

The "Django Voice"

Interestingly, the head of the colony is Django, Remy’s father.

He plays an essential role in the story, representing the concept of limiting beliefs:

Limiting beliefs are deeply ingrained ideas, perceptions, or thoughts that may hinder us from reaching our full potential.

Notice how Django tells Remy some seriously limiting sentences every time Remy tries to follow his nature, his inner self and talents to try something different:

“We're thieves, and stealing is what we do best."

“You are responsible for your family now."

“You can't change nature."

Can you see how these sentences can be applied to our own situations:

“Following my passion is irresponsible; I need a stable job."

“I’m too old/too young to…”

“I will never be able to…” “

"That's just who I am, I can't / I will never be anything else..”

It almost feels harsh the way Django communicates this to his son. However, although often counterproductive, limiting beliefs serve a purpose in our lives: they are actually not intentionally harmful; rather, they develop as a way for our minds to make sense of our experiences and shield us from potential threats.

These limiting beliefs may hold a message for us. If we listen attentively to what they are attempting to communicate, we may uncover that they are seeking to convey:

• Safety and Comfort: Limiting beliefs can create a sense of familiarity and comfort by keeping us within our perceived comfort zones. They prevent us from taking risks that might expose us to uncertainty or discomfort.

• Predictability: These beliefs provide a certain level of predictability in a world that can sometimes be unpredictable. By holding onto familiar beliefs, we can avoid the anxiety and uncertainty of the unknown.

• Self-Preservation: Limiting beliefs often emerge as a way to protect our self-esteem and identity. They act as a defence mechanism to shield us from potential failures or setbacks that might threaten our self-worth.

• Sense of Control: Limiting beliefs offer a sense of control over our environment. By adhering to these beliefs, we feel like we're maintaining a certain level of control over our lives.

• Social Acceptance: Beliefs that align with societal norms or the expectations of others can provide a sense of belonging and acceptance within a community or group.

• Simplicity: Limiting beliefs simplify our decision-making process. They provide shortcuts for navigating complex situations by narrowing down our choices based on preconceived notions.

• Preservation of Identity: These beliefs can be tied to our self-identity and the roles we perceive ourselves to have. They help us maintain consistency in how we view ourselves and our place in the world.

Django is ultimately attempting to protect Remy.

Trust in the Unknown

However, Remy feels and knows deep down that there is more to this. His intuition and instincts are ringing like alarm bells.

This is not what I’m meant to be; this is not what I should be doing. There must be another way.

Even though he had no clear picture or plan of how his very own ideal life would look, he just feels that he doesn’t belong to the family and community’s modus operandi, beliefs, and customs.

His set of talents and unique strengths were fighting from within to be seen, heard, and applied.

As they were clashing with those talents that the “familiar” family and society were expecting and imposing on him, he resulted in constantly failing everyone’s expectations. His inner energy flow was blocked... Until the crisis hit: he’s separated from his family and colony and enters the unknown, the unfamiliar. It’s now a blank slate for Remy.

Have you ever experienced this kind of crisis? This may translate to real-life situations such as when you realise you may have prioritised someone else’s agenda, put yourself, your desires, your values, your intuition, your true nature on the side, and you’re now in a position where you feel the need to change.

From that moment onwards, he starts facing a number of setbacks. Paradoxically, however, these new obstacles that are realistically more life-threatening than those he encountered in his own familiar colony and family seem to be way more surmountable than the ones he faced at home. Why? Because these are his challenges, in line with the new life he is creating for himself. Remy is applying his own organic strategies to solve the problems he finds on the way.

By being in the unknown, Remy utilises his creativity. He’s connecting to his own profound being, and for the first time, he learns to trust himself.

He is now experiencing a new self.

Remy has discovered a way to finally do what he has always wanted: he can showcase his culinary skills and impress anyone who's eating his dishes.

Self-doubt coping mechanisms

However, he feels that he cannot yet reveal himself for who he truly is.

Even though he has started to mature in his self-trust, he's not yet fully confident about his uniqueness and fears the judgment of others. After all, Remy is on a journey. So, he partners with Linguini, conceals himself under his chef hat, and directs all of his actions in the kitchen.

Linguini may represent those behaviours that we may exhibit when we are not fully confident in ourselves, such as:

• procrastination,

• constant need for validation,

• perfectionism,

• comparison,

• deflecting responsibilities,

• overworking

• ... and so on.

His limiting beliefs return in the form of his father's determination to prove to him that he will never become a great chef. He shows him humans wanting to poison rats, displaying rat corpses, and once again Remy loses connection with himself. This may occur for us when we are journeying towards the best version of ourselves, and we encounter initial setbacks that discourage us.

Acceptance & Embrace

But, don't forget that Remy is on a journey, resolute in staying on his path of self-development. He has displayed vulnerability and openness and just like magic, things once again take a turn for the better.

This second main crisis proves to be a great opportunity for Remy, as finally he finds the courage to accept who he really is, with his immense determination and talents, as well as to embrace and acknowledge the voice of his father who’s been trying to protect him all along: he is indeed a Rat, and he’s an exquisite chef too!

Remy becomes who he wants to be by ultimately accepting and embracing his true self, through openness, vulnerability, self-awareness, a focus on his goal, finding the courage to trust himself, and especially by acknowledging his limiting beliefs to ultimately overcome them.

Overall, this wonderful movie is a metaphor for overcoming our deepest and most entrenched limiting beliefs. Remy's journey to becoming a chef involves challenging Django's voice, building trust in himself, navigating the unknown by leveraging his creativity, and increasing his self-awareness.

If you feel like Remy right now, seeking to overcome the Django voice to become the best version of yourself, I'd love to walk this journey with you. Book your first free call with me today and let's start exploring your ultimate goals.