Lessons learned from Eddie Murphy in the movie, A Thousand Words. Here are some quotes and lessons I took away from this film. Enjoy.

I am sure everyone can learn a few lessons from this movie–plot summary: Jack McCall is a fast-talking literary agent who can close any deal, any time, any way. He has set his sights on New Age guru Dr. Sinja for his own selfish purposes. But Dr. Sinja is on to him, and Jack’s life comes unglued after a magical Bodhi tree mysteriously appears in his backyard. With every word Jack speaks, a leaf falls from the tree and he realizes that when the last leaf falls, both he and the tree are toast. Words have never failed Jack McCall, but now he’s got to stop talking and conjure up some outrageous ways to communicate or he’s a goner.

 

Words are just like leaves that blow off a tree. How do you SHOW your love? This lesson speaks volumes. People can talk and talk, spewing words that have no meaning or no true nature. People can easily trick or manipulate others, but when one has to go deeper than just words there is real feeling & truth.

 

There are three things that cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth. (Buddha)          There are always the things that cannot be changed in life. Truly the truth will always be a standard for letting go & finally being free.

Butterflies always seem to be a symbol of higher awareness. 

 

“Make peace, show them that you love them, and be truthful.” -Dr Sinja        Just LOVE

 

Sometimes you just need to SHUT UP!! Jack had a friend that had to finally knock him out, tape his mouth shut to truly help save himself.      I think we can all relate to this one. Sometimes it is better to shut up, hold your tongue and just listen. In order to truly understand someone else’s needs, we may need to shut up and hear them.

 

What you send out into the world often comes back to you. There is a point in the movie where Jack decides he is going to remove them problem (the tree) & just chop it down. But, what happens is he ends up physically hurting himself in the process.     Life is like that. We often lash out at others or handle things poorly & it comes back to make things worse within our lives.

 

“You. Me. We. Eternity.” -Jack  Life is not worth living without family. Family is the greatest gift we are given. It is what we do with that gift that will matter most.

 

“I guess you never know if the last time you see someone is going to be the last time you ever see someone.” -Jack   Hold the present moment with those you are with. Life has a way of making you take for granted the time you seem to have. Each moment is a gift you are given, so be present with those you surround yourself. You never know when it will be your last.

[Jack standing in front of his fathers grave] “I forgive you.” Dig deep and let go of the anger, the emotions that hold you back from your best life. Forgive.

 

“Sorry. It’s quite amazing, how many thoughtless words one can speak? Don’t you think?” -Dr Sinja      We are told we speak between 60-80,ooo words a day. It is amazing the conversations we have with others and ourselves. What are we truly saying? What are we saying to ourselves? Good. Bad. Happy. Sad. We are saying something in everything we do. What do you put out into the world?

 

“You need to find the truth about yourself. It’s quite simple Jack. You need to get quiet, not just with your mouth, with your mind. And in that quiet you will hear the truth. Do you have any other unresolved relationships in your life?” -Dr. Sinja          Do you spend any time getting quiet? That is a great life lesson you can begin at any time. Just make the time to go within, stop your words and listen. Find peace within yourself.

 

Dr. Sinja: “You only have a thousand words left…and then…”
Jack: “I could die?!?”
Yep, Jack: You could definitely die if you use up your precious 1000 words. Time to get serious about what you say — and how you say it.        

 Take a moment and think about what you would want to say if you only had a thousand words left to say. What would you say & what would you do? Interesting idea, right?

Peace to you.  -H