Stories that Changed My Life

I’ve been thinking a lot about stories and how they shape us. We’re introduced to so many stories — by our families from infancy, by the media, by Mother Culture.

Of these stories, so many resonate with us. These are the stories that resonate with me. These stories have changed the way I see the world. That’s a powerful thing!

1. Into the Wild

So many powerful messages in this story: happiness is only real when it is shared, we don’t have to take life at face-value, defying the norms can lead to greater adventures, forgiveness is essential for compassion, and the constant pursuit of “ultimate freedom.”

2. Amélie

This story reminds me of the importance of imagination. Because of her supposed heart condition, Amélie is kept indoors and doesn’t have much interaction with others. Her imagination becomes vivid and goes wild. I love that it promotes dreaming in possibility and finding the sweet in little things.

3. Enchanted

Once you get beyond the Disney Princess/damsel in distress/true love bits, this story is pretty amazing. You have someone catapulted into a “new” world causing her to seem childlike in a world full of adults. How blissful would life be if we all acted like sweet, unassuming children, happy to see one another and happy to create fun adventures? This story brings that theory to life.

4. The Road Warrior

This story has had probably the most profound impact on the way I see the world. I never gave the end of the world much thought prior to seeing Mel Gibson tackle it.

The Road Warrior was the first movie that made me consider the emergence of a post-apocalyptic world. Though the characters attempt to recreate former lifestyles through the constant pilfering of each other’s limited oil/gasoline supplies, I think the bigger story here is in the creation of community and the importance of skill-building. After seeing The Road Warrior, I wanted to learn so many skills that would become useful outside our current culture: building fire, hunting, tracking, and less reliance on limited resources.

5. Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

I’m now a daily juicer. There’s nothing quite like a success story. This man was facing a life full of prescription and doctor visits and wasn’t doing much to help himself. He forced himself to make a change (though the change was a little too extreme for me and not something I would ever recommend doing — fasting by eating only juice for 60 days) and saw a better, healthier, happier life as a result.

It’s a reminder that even though medicine exists to help with ailments, the even better thing to do is prevent illness by taking care of yourself — eating good, wholesome, real food and moving your body. Statements I live by now!

What stories have changed your world, or the way you think and live?