I sat down and watched one of my FAVORITE movies this morning and it inspired me to write. What is this wonderfully inspiring movie you ask? Why, Pretty Woman of course :)
How did this movie inspire me? It occurred to me toward the very end that, as the viewer, one can't help but love "Vivian", the character played by Julia Roberts. Typically, most people would pre-judge this woman in real life and strive to NOT like her. I mean, seriously... she's a HOOKER! What kind of disgusting person goes out into the world and has sex for money?! Now, be honest... isn't that exactly what you would probably think if you were faced with her?
Yet, as we watch the movie, we're drawn in. We hear about where she came from and how she got to be where she is. We get to know her and find her humor amusing and her personality delightful. We LIKE her and sincerely hope that "Edward", Richard Geere's character (Hubba Hubba), falls in love with her just like we see her falling in love with him.
Why is it so much easier to suspend judgement and just observe when we're watching a movie, as opposed to when it's real life? Is it because in a movie, we know the characters aren't real? They're just people acting out a script and playing characters because THAT'S the role they're there to play.
In truth, isn't that what we're all actually here, on this planet, at this time and space, to do? To play out the characters we've come here to play? Every religion agrees that there is more. This isn't all there is. To the contrary, this is minuscule in comparison to where we REALLY come from and where we return to when this "movie" of our life is finished.
You are NOT what you do!
How could you be? Are you perfect? Have you never done anything you regret? Heck, most people that do "unsavory" thing only do them because they don't realize they have a choice, or they just can't see a way out. The things we do are there to teach us. Even if all they seem to teach us is that we don't want to do them. Inside every "wrong doer" is a perfect, divine spark of God simply trying to find it's way back.
When you encounter someone whom you don't agree with or whom you find distasteful, suspend your judgements and just watch the movie. You never know... maybe YOU will be the spark that lights the path for them to find their way back.
Namaste :)
