it is written.

'all these things things things things' - christopher mccandless

last night i went out to see the new movie "Slumdog Millionaire". 

amazing amazing amazing movie. it's just one of those movies that makes you laugh, shocks you, pulls you in but more importantly it opens your eyes. it is about a young man as a contestant on the show 'who wants to be a millionaire'. 

it shows moments in his life that have helped him gain the knowledge to correctly answer the questions. i'm almost positive that only a very small fraction of the people who read this entry of my blog will have ever experienced any or few of the things this young man did in his life. yes...it's a story but it opens your eyes as to how other people in the world live. 

it made me think of how much i take it all for granted. i've had some experiences in my life (mainly through traveling to different places) that has opened my eyes to the abundance in my life (whether that abundance is found in love, possessions, opportunities, etc). i'm not naive to poverty...i've seen it, looked it in the eyes. it's a humbling experience to see someone else full of joy...with only a fraction of the 'things' and even necessities like running water or food that i have. But anyone who has seen poverty, especially joy in poverty knows it also makes you feel guilty. im not ashamed that i have many possessions but more ashamed that they are so important to me. i take responsibility for that...but I can't help but blame it on this north american culture.

sometimes it's good to have a little wake up call...unfortunately that's what it takes for most people to realize how well off they are and how good they have it. it's truly a gift to see someone with very little possessions flashing a big smile (a genuine smile at that).

I'm talking about 'things' today because I am in the process of packing up and moving to Chile. I have limited time left to do this but I am usually good at meeting deadlines. I know that the clothes I bring to Chile are important...I'm applying for jobs and teaching English...I should probably look the part. but it's difficult to think about what I really need and what will be nice to live with for the next (insert number of months up to a year here).

most of the important things I've decided to bring (other than clothing) are books. I am bringing journals, books on positive thinking, personal growth, lessons in gratitude and all that 'crap'. I believe in it and I know from experience that reading the words from these books make me stronger. it may sound silly but they are probably going to be the most important things I bring to Chile...other than my camera and myself. these are the ones I have chosen to take along for the ride for inspiration:

Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture. A collection of stories about a Professors life and lessons he learned along the way. Very inspiring and grounding to read.

Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth. This is the best book of all time. I can't even describe how much I think it's a necessity.

Rhonda Byrne's The Secret - a collaboration of knowledge about the power of positive thinking and the proof of the law of attraction by many authors. 

...and for kicks:

Meg Cabot's Princess Lessons

But really though...there are pieces of wisdom in here too:

"Princesses, like people, come in all different shapes and sizes."

and one of my faves:

"The eyes, they are the windows to the soul. If that is true, then the eyebrow is the curtain to the window of the soul. And who wants ugly curtains that look like you bought them at J.C. of Penny? Do you? No!"

Sometimes the words in these books are just what I need to hear. They give me advice, steer me in the right direction, feed me optimism, inspire me and they also let me know that no matter how many things i own...sometimes a few great words are all you need. 

I'm writing this blog so that I can more easily share my experiences while I'm there. So I hope that whatever happens while I'm gone (even though we will be keeping in touch) these words may be all you need sometimes. I hope they can make you laugh, inspire you or just comfort you.