The movie Forrest Gump touched, moved, and inspired people 20+ years ago. The life lessons from the movie are just as relevant today as they were back in 1994. They give the movie it’s timeless nature.
This series is dedicated to listing the many life lessons from the movie that we can incorporate into our daily lives to feel more peace and love … and to live our lives with Gumption.
Opportunities
Opportunities are everywhere. They are random. They appear like magic.
The movie Forrest Gump begins with Forrest sitting on the park bench in Savannah, GA. He’s waiting for the bus.
Simultaneously, a feather is floating through the air. Forrest is unaware of the feather. As if by magic, the feather drifts down in front of Forrest and lands at his foot. He reaches down and picks it up.
The feather is like the opportunities that come into our lives. They appear randomly. They appear as if by magic.
Throughout Forrest Gump’s life, opportunities appear randomly as if by magic. In each case, Forrest grabs them.
- Meeting Jenny on the bus to school.
- Opportunity to play college football
- Opportunity to join the army
- Meeting Bubba on the bus in the army.
- Meeting Lt. Dan when he and Bubba arrived in Vietnam
- Playing ping-pong
- Becoming a shrimp boat captain
- Opportunity to be a father to Little Forrest
In each situation, Forrest is presented with a potential new friend, an opportunity to learn a new skill, a possible new business partner, and/or a life-time mentor. Every time, Forrest responds positively.
We live our daily lives bombarded with countless opportunities. Our job is to figure out which ones to respond positively and which ones to leave lying on the ground.
With an optimistic mindset, every encounter becomes an opportunity.
When we see opportunities as feathers and accept that they randomly appear as if by magic, then we understand the power of picking them up.