The Inner Monologue

Ah, Swordfish—the early 2000s cinematic masterpiece that gave us cyberterrorism, Halle Berry’s questionable bangs, and the most motivational car chase scene in history. Let’s set the scene: Hugh Jackman, a hacker with the charisma of a guy who just realized he left his coffee on the roof of his car, is riding shotgun in John Travolta’s absurdly expensive supercar while being chased by armed goons.

Then comes the moment of truth. They switch seats so Travolta—sporting a villainous goatee and the energy of a man who has never doubted himself—can lean out the window and shoot at their pursuers. Jackman, gripping the wheel like it might bite him, panics: “I can’t drive this!”

And what does Travolta, our chaotic life coach, reply?

“Learn!”

Not “It’s okay, we’ll pull over!” Not “Here’s a quick tutorial!” Just—Learn. And you know what? He’s right.

The Swordfish School of Personal Growth

We’ve all been Hugh Jackman in that moment. Staring at a task, a job, a responsibility, or even just an IKEA instruction manual, paralyzed by the sheer terror of not knowing how. But Travolta’s philosophy is simple: If you don’t know how to do something, and failure means certain death (or at least extreme embarrassment), then learn on the damn fly.

• New job you’re underqualified for? Learn.
• Need to fix your Wi-Fi but have the tech skills of a potato? Learn.
• Suddenly responsible for driving a million-dollar supercar while a maniac fires an Uzi out the window? For God’s sake, LEARN.

Motivation is the Best Teacher

The key here is that Jackman didn’t have the luxury of a 10-hour Udemy course. He had bullets flying at him and a smug Travolta judging his competence. Nothing speeds up the learning process like imminent peril.

Now, I’m not saying you should wait until your life is in danger to pick up new skills. But maybe we should all embrace a little more of Travolta’s reckless confidence. The next time you’re faced with something you don’t know how to do, instead of freezing, just mutter “Learn…” under your breath like a deranged self-help mantra.

After all, if a nervous hacker can figure out how to drive a supercar under gunfire, you can probably figure out how to use Excel. Probably.

—Aspiring to Travolta-Level Confidence Since 2001