Feathers, Chocolates, and the Life Story You’re Writing: Lessons from Forrest Gump
“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives - choice, not chance, determines your destiny.”
I remember the wonder I felt the first time I watched the movie Forrest Gump—the feather floating into the lap of a mentally challenged man to a haunting piano theme is forever embedded in my brain. Forrest was a man who floated through a life filled with woes and and blessings, was obsessed with a girl named Jenny, and who seemed inordinately favoured by good luck (in good part due to his generous and open nature).
“Mama always said that life is like a box of chocolates. You never know which one you’re gonna get,” philosophizes Forrest.
Ain’t that the truth. No matter how blessed we are, tragedy can strike at any time. And no matter how many disadvantages we begin with, luck can make a career in moments.
That being said, “Fortune favours the prepared.” And just because you’ve got a whole box of chocolates doesn’t mean you have to eat every one.
What am I getting at?
When I first wrote this, I was working on a class for writers to help them create a cohesive brand, and a key part of that is defining the story they want their brand to tell. This is a process I went through several years before as I was trying to figure out how to continue to write books, design knitwear, make music, be a mom, and simplify as much as possible so I wouldn’t lose my mind.
But really, that’s something each of us can do, whether we have a “brand” or not. It’s called being intentional. And until we do this—until we decide what story we want our lives to tell—we will be just like Forrest and his feather, floating from event to event with no real idea what could happen next or how we intend to handle it.
Oh, I don’t mean that we can choose what curve balls destiny throws our way. But I do mean that we can choose how we grab them.
We can choose what defines our story.
Will we handle tragedy and triumph alike with love? Hatred? Pride? Arrogance? Humility? Bitterness? Selfishness? Selflessness?
For me, I want my story to be defined by how I love and encourage people. That is the principle that guides how I handle my business, my social media presence, and my real life. Everywhere I appear, I want people to see the loving God that I worship reflected in my actions, words, and life.
This is not an easy principle to adhere to at times. Sometimes, it means telling hard truths. Sometimes, it means taking a hard look at myself. But no matter how difficult it may be, it is always worth it.
What defines your story? Have you ever thought about it? If not, I encourage you to take some time this week and think about what you want the basic guiding principle of your personal “brand” to be. Because everywhere we go, we’re promoting something.
I pray that, at the end of your life, when you look back, you believe you chose something worth promoting. I hope you choose to be intentional with your story.
Originally posted in the Books & Inspiration newsletter on 2018-06-27. Want to get posts like this in your inbox? Sign up here.
A Song About Purpose
Speaking of my life’s purpose, I wrote a song about it called “Let Me Love.” It even won an award!
If you’d like to hear the demo featuring my friend Larrissa, you can listen here.
What are the qualities you want to be remembered by? And are you applying those traits during your current activities? If you want to share, please leave a comment on this post. I’d love to hear about it.
