As you take steps to cultivate resilience, it helps to have examples of perseverance, courage and successes to keep yourself motivated. The road to your goals can be lonely sometimes. Count on it.

For those times when my real-world cheerleaders are sparse, I rely on the celluloid choir that lives in the movies. Whenever I feel down and out, I can cue up any one of these seven films listed below and be instantly reminded that the struggle is worth it.

• Challenges are meant to be overcome.
• People aren’t always going to understand me or my dreams.
• Some may actively seek to undermine them because they challenge the status quo.

Therefore, if you are to live a life of resilience, you must remember that victory is possible, and that you can make a difference. The following, in no particular order, are seven of my favorite movies.

Ready? Get out the popcorn and join me on the couch (here there be spoilers):

1. RUDY (1993) — Even though the advertising cynic in me thinks this movie serves as a recruitment vehicle for Notre Dame, I ultimately don’t care. Everything from the score to the “pull your head out of your tuchus” reprimand from The Groundskeeper inspires me to keep going when the mediocre in me wants to quit. Rudy’s teammates on the scrub squad ask him to downplay his passion for the team and the game, but in the end, his work ethic and love for the sport win the respect of the first stringers who sacrifice a spot in the roster for his benefit. This movie reminds me that commitment to excellence pays; those who respect commitment and quality reward effort and that together, people with vision can achieve their goals. On the off chance that you have not yet seen this movie, I won’t give away the ending. No Googling. Watch it.

2. BREAKING AWAY (1979) — This is a quiet but inspiring film that resonates with anyone who ever felt misunderstood, betrayed or disillusioned. Dave is a midwestern college-aged man who is a misfit in so many ways, it’s difficult to single out just one. One of the most admirable things about him is his dedication to bicycling. His grueling training doesn’t matter to him, because he loves Italian bicycling racing more than the English language can convey—which is why he has immersed himself in the Italian culture, becoming a fluent Italian speaker in the process. This movie focuses on the self-imposed shackles and mindsets of small town Americana, and how socio-economic groups clash. Dave also shows that each of us determine our own destiny—we define ourselves. Through his journey in this film, we get to see Dave experience joy, heartbreak, renewal and ultimately, triumph.

3. THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY (2001, 2002, 2003) — Ranking high among the list of ultimate quest movie(s), the LotR films embody the Emerson quote, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic series comes down to a paradoxical parallel narrative: the battle of good and evil ranges within and without us. We represent our own microcosm and projection onto the worlds we inhabit. It is always within us to choose the highest course. We have within us depths that we never fully plumb. A central truth of the Fellowship of the Ring is voiced by Gandalf, who says to Frodo, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

4. THE MATRIX (1999) — There are so many moments and scenes in this movie that help me focus, but the overriding theme that keeps me from giving up? Alignment with who you are, accepting your gifts and responsibilities that grow from them. Also central to this movie is the importance of ACTION. Don’t get me wrong: theory is fabulous. I love thinking and I love talking with a bunch of folks about making things happen. However, nothing happens without implementation, or the outwardly manifested kinetic expression of your intentions. In order to change the world, you need to walk your path. Non-negotiable.

5. SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994) — This movie helps to silence my inner complainer. Andy DuFresne was railroaded into a jail sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. Sometimes, life isn’t fair. However, the way you choose to respond to your circumstances is always within your power. I recognize the value of the message communicated via the movie trailer—the importance of hope and the famous line spoken by Andy’s inmate friend Red, …”to get busy livin’ or get busy dyin…’ But I am also encouraged by the means Andy took to escape: Painstaking attention to detail; knowledge of the system that confined him (both figurative and literal—and his ability to leverage that knowledge). Whether through routing monies away from the corrupt warden or the patience he took carving his way through the rock walls, Andy knew how to make the most of what he had been handed.

6. ERIN BROCKOVICH (2000) — As a single mother who has had to juggle her kids between her work and personal lives, this one is probably the most analogous to my own experience. There are of course, significant differences, but watching someone evolve and become the woman she was created to be is encouraging. Erin Brockovich possessed an innate intelligence and a tenacity that enabled her to keep going, despite poverty and setbacks (both personal and professional). When she began to channel those traits into a means to help others, her life began to flourish.

7. MIRACLE (2004) — U.S. hockey coach Herb Brooks’s team building exercise consisted of having his squad run “herbies” for an hour after they put in an abysmal performance during an exhibition game in Norway, leading up to the 1980 Winter Olympics. According to Twin Cities Pioneer Press reporter Dane Mizutani, while the bigwigs in Hollywood used some creative license with the movie—taking viewers on a dramatized version of Team USA miraculously capturing the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y. — everyone who experienced that particular moment confirmed that it actually happened. “Again.” This word literally streaks through my head when I want to give up. Dig deeper. You are stronger than you think. This particular clip also underscores for me the fact that we are all in this together. All of us. There is only one way off this rock. Until then, we are all in this together.

What movies motivate you? Why?