My mother always used to say that things happened for a reason. If I was bummed out because I didn’t “the job”, her response was always something along the lines of “that wasn’t the job for you – the right job will come along”. It was frustrating advice sometimes because I was looking for sympathy and consolation at those times, but she was right – because that “something else” did come along. But that “something” that was meant to be, would not have happened had I not been expecting it. By knowing that it would happen – I made it happen.
Right now I’m immersed in editing 145 hours of footage.
Tango, Buenos Aires, Argentina
It’s tedious because there’s so much and I want to race to the finish line so that I can share this film with others. But editing isn’t something you can rush through, not if you want to do proper justice to the story.
And in my case I have ten stories to tell – ten unbelievable stories, which leads me to the point of this blog. Looking at the interviews of my subjects has been the bright spot in the process of editing this film. I laugh – I cry and once again I’m humbled and awed by every one of these people. I’m realizing that every one of our subjects has one big thing in common – they are following their bliss. They are doing what they are meant to be doing. And every one will tell you that by doing so – their life is full.
It’s such an easy thing to say or tell someone – “follow your bliss” but for many people, the concept alone is a difficult one to grasp. It’s especially true in our American culture, because we get caught up in what other people’s expectations about life should be. When we are starting out as a young person, we feel pressured to get into a good college – get a job – be a success – many times success being defined as making a lot of money. As we get further down the road of life – there are other influences and distractions that keep us away from what we are meant to do. We are bombarded by so many messages from TV, magazines and advisors with good intentions, that the voice inside us is drowned out by the din of the age we live in.
The most rewarding part of our journey was to meet and spend time with people who had listened to their inner voice and had the courage to follow it. In doing so, they reaped the reward of life itself – the life they were meant to live. And that’s exactly what we did too – tuned out the naysayer questioning the folly of our journey – and in doing so found our own bliss.
A friend of mine tells me I like circles. I suppose I do – I used what my mother gave me, belief in my own convictions, and myself and took off around the world with my daughter to make a film about ordinary people who were doing extraordinary things because they had listened to their own voices. If my mom were alive she would have been thrilled and cheered us along the way. But I know she was there in spirit. Thanks mom – this one’s for you.
