Wise Words: Life Lessons In Fight Club

I love movies. One of my favourite things to do is go to the movies, or even just stay home and watch an old favourite. As a result, I ace Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon, quote movies way more than I need to, and often figure out how a movie is going play out about five minutes in – much to the annoyance of my fiance.

So, because movies are such a big part of my everyday life, it makes sense to somehow incorporate them into this blog. Every now and then, I will dedicate a Wise Words Wednesday post to a movie that is both awesome and inspiring, and writing about what life lessons we can learn from these films.

Today, it’s Fight Club. I know, awesome first choice, right? 😀

“I see all this potential, and I see it squandered. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables – slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need. We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our great war is a spiritual war. Our great depression is our lives.”

~ Tyler Durden

We have so much choice, so much freedom, so much potential, and more opportunities than ever, yet so many of us are going through the same routine, every day, every year, for our whole lives. As Tyler says, we work jobs we hate, to buy things we don’t need. And none of it makes us happy.

But lately I’ve been seeing sparks of hope. People risking it all to follow their passion, and turning what they love into successful businesses that not only make them happy but create a ripple effect of positivity throughout the world.

I’m one of those people. I’ve decided to follow my passion, and turn it into my job. I won’t waste my potential anymore. And I especially won’t listen to the media’s (or anyone else’s) definition of success or failure.

“You are not your job. You’re not how much money you have in the bank. You’re not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You’re not your fucking khakis.”

~ Tyler Durden

I have a few things to add to that. You are not your house. You are not your dress size. You are not your Jimmy Choos. You are not how many facebook friends or twitter followers you have.

You are highly underestimating yourself (and others) if you think those things make you who you are.

You are how much you express love and kindness to others. You are what you share with the world. You are how you treat yourself and others. You are your thoughts.

“Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken.”

~ Tyler Durden

This is an awesome way of saying ‘Be Yourself.’

Be your beautiful, authentic self, instead of acting the way others act, or doing things because you think that’s what is expected of you. Staying true to yourself is so important for happiness.

“Only after disaster can we be resurrected.”

~ Tyler Durden

Man, I so relate to this. Although I wouldn’t really call my experiences ‘disasters’, it was enough to make me feel as though I had no choice but to rebuild myself. And now I’m better than ever – Jen 2.0, haha! But I would never have been able to resurrect myself, if I hadn’t crumbled first.

Through challenges and disaster, we learn and grow. Things collapse, and we rebuild it all, making sure it’s stronger than it was before.

“Fuck off with your sofa units and string green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let… let’s evolve, let the chips fall where they may.”

~ Tyler Durden

More and more people are starting to let go of material possessions as a route to happiness, and even more are starting to embrace their imperfections, rather than run from them. We are evolving. Everything that doesn’t really matter is starting to slowly fall away.

“This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time.”

~ Narrator

Why spend it stewing over what they said about you? Why spend it frowning at yourself in the mirror? Why spend it sending negativity out into the Universe? Why waste another minute of this one life doing anything that doesn’t make you heart smile?

Life is short and precious. Cherish every minute, smile every chance you get, and be a force of good in this world.

Love,

Jen ♥

*What puts the YOU in beaYOUtiful? Share it on twitter, using the hashtag #imbeautifulbecause, and join the 30 Days Of Beauty Challenge! We’ve already raised almost 1/3 of our fundraising goal for To Write Love On Her Arms! 😀 Yay!