The movie, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty really got me thinking. My wife and I decided to make it a date night Tuesday and check out a movie at the cheap theater.
We had the choice of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire or The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty. Having seen Catching Fire (and it’s a fantastic movie if you’re wondering) and knowing Pam wouldn’t watch it, we decided on The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty.
Image by Guy Sie
Walter Mitty has a simplistic storyline. One, I believe, most of us can relate to.
IMDB begins to describe the movie as the story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action.
Throughout the beginning of the movie, you see Walter daydreaming during random events in his life. Whether it’s the time the reorganization expert tells Walter he can’t have his Stretch Arm Strong toy with him (which causes Walter to imagine an epic elevator fight scene) or the time he’s talking to his love interest only to find himself daydreaming he created a sculpture to impress her.
There’s a problem with this however. He’s all dreams and no action. He lives a mundane life while wanting to escape.
Does this sound like you? It sounds like me on most days.
I find myself longing for action. I find myself longing for adventure. I find myself longing for purpose.
Only to sit back, take what life throws at me, and continue the daily drudgery.
Sure, I may have spurts of adventure. There’s been an ice climbing trip (and another coming up at the end of February). There’s been snowmobiling. There’s even been an attempt to hike part of the Appalachian Trail.
Yes, that’s me about 50 feet off the ground
Yet they’re sporadic. They’re fleeting. And they leave me with the desire for more.
I’m sure you have a secret life as well. One that tries to pull you to some far-flung, wild and crazy adventure that seems improbable and irresponsible.
There’s a point in the movie where Walter decides enough is enough. He’s going to find the thing he believes is missing.
This means he’s got to track down a famous photographer to see if he has the photograph that will grace the last issue of Life magazine.
He hops a plane to Greenland. Shoots over to Iceland. Jumps out of a helicopter. Faces down a volcano.
Image by Jocelyn Kinghorn
His life becomes an adventure worthy of a story.
I’m stirred right now. Something is brewing within me.
I don’t want a normal life. I don’t want to sit back and let life pass me by. I don’t want to wonder what may have been or what could be.
I want to live life. I want to experience what life has to offer.
I want my secret life to become my regular life.
I know I’m not going to get it right. I’m going to go back to letting the adventure be part of my secret life. Yet I know if I’m intentional I can live more of my secret life than most others will.
What about you? Are you dreaming about a secret life? Do you have some far flung fantasy you think could never happen?
Stop thinking this way. Instead, look at ways to bring your secret life into your real life.
Question: What’s your secret life? How could you begin to live this life out? Please share in the comment section below.
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