Meet the Robinsons

Why we have to Keep Moving Forward

I recently watched the Walt Disney fave ‘meet the Robinsons’ and cried. Not just at the cuteness, but about how profoundly relatable its message was.

The movie is about a boy named Lewis, an orphaned 12-year-old inventor genius who gives up hope after his invention is stolen—until a young time-traveler takes him to the year 2037 to glimpse his future. Here’s what it taught me:

Why We Have to Keep Moving Forward

I quit my 9-5 over a year ago, and what a rollercoaster it’s been. Self-doubt crept in— but still I rise. I had spent the last eight years devoting my brain cells to troubleshooting and technically analysing systems I didn’t build (working in tech). I hated every minute of it, living in dread of Sundays because it meant Monday was around the corner. That was no way to live. I knew it was time to go when I woke up one day and couldn’t recognise myself. My closet no longer reflected my true essence because I didn’t have time for ME. Friends and family noticed how distant I’d become - the spark in my eyes fading. I decided to quit a very good, high-paying job at a Fortune 500 company during uncertain economic times, and it was one of the best decisions of my life.

Don’t quit your job because a stranger on the internet watched a Disney movie btw. But maybe watch the movie.

The first few months after I quit were very hard for me. I imagined I would quit and get right to it, chasing my dreams. (Also, why is it chase our dreams? Tbh, that girl’s got legs—why can’t it chase us for once?!) Anyway, I was naive to how much of my identity was tied to corporate—like I hadn’t spent the last 2,820 weekdays in corporate tech, building dreams that weren’t mine. I felt lost. My days had no purpose: I was so far from my self. I stopped dressing up for the joy of it or experimenting with different hairstyles. I ignored my fitness or wellness practices. Honestly, I had become a shell of myself.

The in-between was one of the soul-wrenching stages. Nothing made sense. I was feeling everything all at once —societal pressure, self-inflicted pressure, what-ifs and doubts. I took long, depressing walks where I negotiated with my decision over and over. Every fear-induced thought that comes with taking an unfamiliar path? I’ve had it.

I remember the exact moment on one of my walks that sparked the shift. I recalled this Scott O’Neil quote: “If you must look forward, do so with hope. But the greatest gift you can give yourself is to be present, right here, in this moment -be where your feet are.” This moment changed everything for me.

Because what if it all works out? and tbh, it will work out for me. It’s just that the fear of the unknown can be debilitating that you end up doing nothing. Too depressed to stay the same, too anxious to make the change. That’s how it felt that first few weeks of leaving my 9-5. You see, I had a plan, but I was too burnt out to execute it.

Here’s where Lewis’s story and mine converge. The young time-traveler gives Lewis a glimpse into his future—the one he was working toward before everything went sideways with his invention. Lewis sees the people he’s able to bring along, the ones he creates purpose for. This realisation ignites hope in him again. When given the option to rewrite his past, present, or future, he declines. Life happens exactly how it’s supposed to, if we do our part.

So, like Lewis, I see myself in 2037 and I do what the future me would be doing right now. I am building Taste and Thought (this blog) and William Ru (a fashion brand where I design womenswear). I design, plan, creatively direct shoots, read, workout, eat my fruits and veggies, walk, journal, pray, nurture my current relationships (reply to all my messages even if i’ts days later :) and foster new relationships.

I know that doubt will try to creep in, and so can worry and fear. But I realise it is all part of the growing pains. These are simply emotions. And I just try to nudge myself to understand them instead of being crippled into inaction by them. I do things that help me through those emotions, like walking, or writing. And I just take it day by day.

I wasn’t going to share this. I felt it was too vulnerable, too unfinished. I thought I needed the success story first. But writing about the journey is also part of the story—something to look back on when it all works out.

And it will work out. I’m doing my part.

Thank you for reading. More coming soon - here’s to consistency.🥂
Love, T&T

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