I was inspired to watch the documentary “15 Reasons to Live” by Alan Zweig after reading a book review on Kyo MacClear’s new book called Birds Art. Kyo began following birds after a year of feeling “grounded and squeezed” taking care of her ill father, young children and working. She described her time following birds as one that felt expansive, free and spacious. It also let her connect to nature again. Kyo became inspired to follow birds in Toronto’s network of parks after watching Zweig’s documentary and connecting to the piece about a guy named Jack Breakfast, a Toronto musician who began regularly walking by the lake and watching birds to help him transition through career and life changes. The doc covered a unique life period within the lives of 15 individuals. Each story was associated with a different adjective. Here is a snapshot of the ones I “clicked” with:
Solitude – This story was about a middle aged married man who had an urge to walk around the world alone. While it was difficult for his wife to let him go, she did out of love. I loved that the couple supported each other’s independence, while loving each other so deeply. It reminded me that sometimes to love is to let go. It also made me think of my two toddler sons. I imagine that I will need to do this when they grow up and excitedly want to venture out to pursue their dreams. It will be beautiful, I will be so proud, but I imagine as their mom, it will be hard emotionally to let go. This is what we do for love.
Friendship – This story was about a sporty executive, who had loved to rock climb and do extreme sports and had suddenly contracted a debilitating disease that left him bedridden, immobile and in a state of coma for months. His friends did not give up on him and visited him often, reading stories and talking to him (even if they did not get a response back). When he did recover, he was unable to walk or move his limbs. This story reminded me of how life can change in an instant. The power of friendship. Power of love. Power of people who stick with you. Who don’t weaken the strength of your bond or get “weird” in the face of difficulty or if you are not acting like your typical self. They know who you are and remind you of that.
Love – This is a story about a woman who lived at a lighthouse her whole life. She moved there when she married her husband as a teenager (he was the lighthouse keeper). At the time when she got married, her family did not approve of her marriage (her husband was somewhat older). She however, knew it was right and trusted her instinct. Her husband died years ago and she continued to manage and maintain the lighthouse. She looks back at her life and is so grateful for her choices. She explains how lucky she feels that she got to spend the time she did with her husband living the life of a lighthouse keeper. The story emphasized the beauty of trusting your gut (even if people judge you and think you have lost your mind). Putting your life, heart and pride on the line for love – whether it works out or not. Beautiful.
Creativity – I loved the whole piece on the “1000 songs” Facebook group. Firstly, because I wanted to join the group, a group that connects people who love to talk about music. I am not a music buff in the slightest. I actually forget or make up the lyrics to most songs I know. But, I love music. I love how it makes me feel and I love how it brings people together. The piece was about a guy who started this Facebook group when he was recovering from a tough life circumstance. He just started posting music and his thoughts on the music (mostly as a therapeutic initiative for himself). The group ended up growing exponentially and developing into a real community of people. The story reminded me that sometimes life circumstances spur you to do something and how great it is when you don’t think too much and just do it. This is what the creator of “1000 songs” did. So the gist: if you have an instinct to do something. Do it. Who knows what will come of it? Maybe it will be just for you. Just for the moment. Maybe it will be bigger. Creative energy is beautiful. It is uniting. It links us to an undercurrent. An undercurrent that is beautiful and soulful.
Intoxication – This story was about a girl who unexpectedly ended up going on a sailing trip with a bunch of people she did not know. Her instinct was to say no and stay in control, but on a whim she went. The story reminded me how great it is to let go of control and embrace uncertainty (I need reminding of this, so this story was great!). Saying yes to more and trusting that it will work out even if you are not in control. Let go. Flow. Live.
I also like how Zwieg closed the film. He made reference to a study done by nurses that asked people about to die about the 5 things they regretted most. The #1 thing was: not choosing to be happy. The message as I took it: Things change. Things get beautiful and blissful. Things may get difficult at points along the way. Ride the wave. Happiness is our choice. Use our time well. Live with conscious awareness. Choose happiness. The power is ours.