If you say the words “Forrest Gump” to anyone you know, there’s a good chance they’ll respond with, “Momma always said life is like a box of chocolates … you never know what you’re gonna get.”
I’m assuming that you’ve seen the 1990s Tom Hanks blockbuster, but if you haven’t, Forrest Gump’s momma was a kind-hearted woman that mastered the perfect method of teaching her simple-minded son the basics of life in a gentle way that he could understand.
The “chocolate box” advice she offered throughout the movie is something that we should all take into consideration on a daily basis.
You never know what you’re gonna get. That’s because things happen. That’s just how life is.
People don’t plan on getting stuck in traffic. People don’t plan on getting cancer. People don’t plan on getting laid off from their job.
One of the major components of growing up and becoming an adult is taking responsibility for your own life. I’m not saying that everyone over the age of twenty-one is responsible – I know quite a few people who are proof of the contrary – but we need to understand that life is unpredictable.
I’m a huge fan of making lists and setting goals, but I still realize that bumps in the road can uproot my plans at any moment.
For instance, here’s an example that definitely doesn’t make me look too intelligent…
When I landed in Madrid a few days back, I thought I planned everything perfectly. The problem is I forgot one minor thing… I didn’t notice that my ATM card had expired.
So for a couple of days, I had to live off 60 Euros and I quickly learned how to ask “Do you accept credit card?” in both Italian and Spanish. (Fortunately, I was able to contact my Dad through Skype and I immediately paid him back from my online banking account).
Yes, I admit I’m a complete moron for missing a major detail like this. And yes, I only have myself to blame. The moral is my No ATM card dilemma was something unexpected and I simply took action and dealt with it.
Bottom line is I’m not saying that you should expect to bad things to happen all the time. Instead I want to remind you that it’s a good idea to realize that undesirable things can happen, and good things can change … when you least expect them to.
Take Action. Get Results.
Hi. Yup, life is indeed a box of chocolates. The interesting thing about that quote is that life, with all its ups and downs, is still equated to a box of chocolates . And chocolates as we know are usually a good thing!! It’s like the perspective to life, is one of curiosity and positivity. Nothing bad happens. Its all chocolate.
So how we choose to react and look at things makes all the difference. Like how u had a card that expired yet took action , instead of getting all paranoid and worried.
Great article and quote. God bless
.-= UZMA´s last blog ..What gratitude taught me. =-.
Agreed! It’s all about how we handle both the ups and downs in life. Thanks for stopping by and submitting a comment!
We all have to learn to deal with the unexpected as things sometimes do happen in our life. Thanks for sharing
.-= Dia´s last blog ..potato chips (Guest Post) =-.
Yes… I’ve simply gotten used to the idea that something will always go wrong. Then when it happens, I try to fix it instead of getting stressed out or overly emotional about what went wrong.
Steve,
I just loved that movie! I remembered it more though as a story of one who would just take up anything and become a master at it…
It’s interesting how you linked your recent experience to the “box of chocolates” side of the movie. And I can see you are having fun with your mistakes… that’s a nice quality!
Cheers!
Mark
PS: I’m having fun with comments, finally, as it seems that Akismet is no longer sending them to spam (since today)!
.-= Mark of Success´s last blog ..If you think you know what an ideal work life balance is, read this! =-.
Awesome! Finally… I wonder why Askimet is eating up your comments. I really do like you regularly posting on my site and don’t want to have you get discouraged.
BTW… one of my favorite movies!
I read all of your posts, but I do not comment very often (bad, bad, bad!) and I have to say that this is one of my favorites.
I have had more things happen to me in the past five years than most of my friends have dealt with in their lifetimes. Two biggies are the fact that my brother being killed in the Iraq War and I began having unexplained seizures and was diagnosed with epilepsy.
It’s not always easy to deal with big things, but I now realize that little annoying stuff isn’t very important. Isn’t that a book title? “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”?
P.S. I love Forrest Gump!
.-= ShortHairDiva´s last blog ..Time for A Change =-.
Both sound like major life-altering things. And here I am bitching about a little hassle here and there.
You’re right that the little stuff doesn’t really matter. I love that book that you mentioned…might have to go on the resource page that I’m creating today.
Expect the unexpected. I think life is made of this. We are here in the world to deal with this. We must study, work, solve issues, etc in order to be happy. Life would be extremely boring with everything solved, don’t you think.
Saludos!
Samuel, you are absolutely right. If you never had surprises and challenges life would get very dull very fast!