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.
Life is a Journey
The movie Forrest Gump is the story of a man’s journey through life.
It’s told in a series of flashbacks with the narration occurring on a park bench in Savannah, GA. Forrest is on his way to meet Jenny after a 4-year long absence.
The flashbacks include:
- Being a little boy wearing braces on on his legs
- Taking the bus on his first day of school
- Meeting Jenny and finding his only childhood friend
- Going to high school … still being bullied by the other boys … Run Forrest Run
- Playing football in college
- Joining the army … meeting Bubba
- Being shot in the buttocks
- Playing ping-pong
- Buying a shrimp boat
- Struggling and eventually succeeding in the shrimpin? business
- Mowing the lawn for the city of Greenbow … for free
- Jenny’s return and the happiest time of his life
- Jenny’s departure
- Forrest’s run across America … 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours
At this point in the movie the flashbacks stop. Forrest leaves the bench to meet Jenny at her apartment. The movie becomes a live, play-by-play accounting of his life.
- Forrest and Jenny see each other after a 4-year absense
- He discovers he’s a father
- He marries Jenny
- He buries Jenny
- Forrest puts Little Forrest on to the bus for his first day of school
- The feather flies off … the movie ends
The movie is a narrative of Forrest Gump’s life. It is a journey.
Our own lives are a journey. Our life journey includes:
- We’re born
- We go to school
- We meet friends … they come and go
- We progress to high school … college
- We join clubs and activities … play sports … sing in choirs
- We get our first job … our second and third jobs
- We establish a career
- We get married … have kids
- We advance our careers … change careers
- We see our kids get married … we become grandparents
- We retire and start a whole new career
On and on it goes. Life continues. It never ends. We never reach an ultimate destination while we’re alive. It’s never ending. Life is a journey.
Forrest Gump enjoyed his life journey. He embraced life fully – wherever he was. He enjoyed living. Forrest was alive.
Are you comfortable with the idea that life is a journey? Are you embracing the journey? Are you alive?