Readjustment Bureau

Saw the movie Adjustment Bureau and liked it a lot! It made me think about all the times I forced myself to do something or accomplish something without my heart being truly in it. Like the many sales jobs I’ve had over the years and just didn’t believe in the product. It didn’t matter how much team building I did or how many product showcase events I attended, if I didn’t care, I just couldn’t sell it!
A similar epiphany occurs to the main character of this movie, played by Matt Damon, who is on the road to a successful presidential bid when he discovers his true love, played by Emily Blunt. Also on the road to a successful future as a dancer/choreographer, she is suddenly awakened to a new side of herself. Both freaked out by what this love might mean for their futures, they find themselves moving from a semi-rewarding unconscious life to a conscious life that brings them both passion and havoc.
Paying and attention to the many twists and turns their lives have taken since they met, they discover that their predestined life of fame and fortune is not exactly what they desired after all. Why choose the messy life over an accomplished life? I guess that is the question the movie leaves up to the audience?
For me, it’s a question of paying attention to when my head and heart are disconnected in any given situation and making a course adjustment. This kind of realignment may beg the question: “What do I need today to make my life fruitful?” I find that sometimes going through the motions is exactly what I need to do because it keeps me on track toward my more desirable life which has to do with staying connected to my family, friends and keeping everyday life enjoyable.
Not too interested in accomplishments but rather in who I am becoming, some days the process may entail buying groceries, driving the kids around and doing the laundry. Other days, it might include creative projects, outreach and making intentional connections. Whatever the case, I find that life is much more rich when I’m present to it rather than just trying to control or striving for a successful outcome. Process over product.
How about you? When do you find yourself striving rather than living? Seeking out the ends without being present to the means? And finally, when do your thoughts of “what could be” get in the way of “what is happening right now”?