Life as a Movie

Earlier this year, I read a book called A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. It was written by Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz. This was the first book that I've read by him, but I doubt it will be my last. The first thing I noticed appreciated about this book was his writing style. He writes with very concise, choppy sentences. Kind of like this. Or this. It's a style that you don't (or at least I don't) see frequently. Kind of reminded me of Steinbeck or Hemmingway. I love it.

Beyond my appreciation of his writing style, this book laid out an interesting perspective on life. The premise of the book is that our life is like a movie. We are the main character. Every movie has a storyline-a plot. Some stories are more entertaining than others. Some are full of excitement, while others are dull. But any good storyline has a climax and an anti-climax. And what really makes stories interesting is conflict. It can be conflicting ideologies, a lovers' quarrel, a misunderstanding, a war. Conflict is interwoven throughout the plot, creating varied interaction between characters. Conflict leads to the climax, which in turn, leads to a resolution. Without these elements, the storyline is boring.

Our lives are very much the same way. Miller paralleled conflict in a movie to conflict in our lives, and talked about conflict as an opportunity for growth. Conflict doesn't have to be an argument with our friend or fist fight. It can be an internal struggle, a mind game, conquering our fears, stepping out on that limb, even if we're afraid it might snap. When we settle for complacency and refuse to take those leaps of faith because we're afraid, our life is like a boring movie. No excitement, no conflict, no climax, and no resolution.

There are countless times in my life when I've been afraid to do something. Afraid of the unknown, afraid of under-thinking, afraid of over-thinking, afraid of change... I was afraid to go to college all the way across the country, but I did it, and I have grown in so many ways because of it. I was afraid to move back to Philly for a job, but I did it, and it's been an incredible experience. I've been afraid to let go of certain relationships, but I've done it, because I knew deep down inside that it was the right thing to do. My point: Not to tell you the story of my life via my fears, but to emphasize the importance of allowing conflict into your life, because conflict creates opportunities for growth. So the next time you face an obstacle in your life that is hindering you from being who you want to be or heading in the direction you want to go, woman (or man) up and face it head on. It might hurt a little bit, but it will be worth it!