I recently saw the movie 127 hours, which is based on the story or Aaron Ralston who was a hiker and adventure-seeker, who got trapped at the bottom of a crevice on a trail in Utah. The how he was trapped and what he did to escape is the compelling part of the story. His hand and lower part of his arm got wedged between the wall of the crevice and a boulder when some sheetrock broke free. He literally could not move the boulder for all of his trying and he was stuck in the middle of nowhere; a place nobody would ever come looking for him.
This makes for a great read and if you ever have time you should check out the book. It does not make for a great movie in my opinion as you basically suffer with him for the 127 hours he was stuck at the bottom of this crevice wedged by a boulder. He eventually breaks his lower arm and then proceeds to cut it off in order to escape and survive. It speaks to the human spirit as he truly had to choose survival without part of his right arm or death.
Of course this got me thinking? Would I be courageous enough to do that and at what point do you consider this option? But that led me to a deeper line of thinking: we are all trapped by some type of boulder in our lives, how is this holding us back and what would or should we do to escape and get on with our lives?
Now I am not suggesting that we are all trapped, but we do sidestep personal issues that hold us back from truly living life to its fullest extent. My greatest boulder is my need for personal time to re-charge, but at this stage of my life that time is hard to find. As a result I end up having two huge shortfalls. The first is I neglect my body - I don't take time to work out and keep my body strong and fit. The second is I lose touch with my soul. This disconnect with my higher self usually ends up with losing perspective on what is really important in life. I let small things throw me off course.
Another classic movie that relates to this is It's A Wonderful Life. A scene I think all parents can relate to is when George Bailey comes home after his uncle loses the $8,000. He is stressed out and feels like his world is coming to an end. He does not consider the endless reach his life truly had and had stopped appreciating the joy and laughter that his kids were having. Let's face it, adulthood can get very intense and full of gravity at times and we lose touch with the joy of just living. We lose our ability to just appreciate and enjoy living.
In many ways lately this has become a large boulder in my life as I have lived through the most intense year of my life. Personally, the death of my mother-in-law has sent my personal life reeling in endless directions that I had no way to prepare for. No one is prepared to see the ones you love to go through depression. No one is prepared for decades of family traditions to get thrown out the window. Nobody wants to see the ones they love simply crumble as a result of a broken heart. I have added the stress of a 60+ hour a week job that has me trading my personal life at nights for a personal computer and email.
To say this is not what I signed up for is the understatement of a lifetime. But I am sure this story is tame compared to what so many others this year have gone through. With over 10% unemployment, record foreclosures, and futures washed away due to the recent financial collapse, stress in the world has to be at an all time high.
So how do people cope and overcome their personal boulders? Do we all have to cut off our arms to move forward? Is there another way to move on without such a huge sacrifice? Can't we just decide to confront what afflicts us and move forward with life? Or is it more of a process where it takes time and reflection?
All I know is I don't want another year like the one that I just lived through. I have reached the point where I am ready to make changes to my life. I want to welcome back joy and laughter to my life. I want more time with friends. I want to enjoy more time with my kids.
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