Chances are you’ve seen the 1994 movie, Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks. But, whether you have or have not seen it, the story is packed with spiritual life lessons for those who choose to become aware of what it takes to live successfully. In case it’s been a while since you’ve seen the movie, let me provide a brief bit of information that helps set the tone for why it’s a distinct road map for living a full life.
Forrest Gump was a man whose level of comprehension was slower than most. He would, today, be considered a mentally disabled person. As well he was diagnosed with a disorder, when he was a very young child, which required leg braces for him to walk. However, with his mental disability came a child-like nature of sweetness and openness; what would be referred to as naiveté. Forrest has a loving mother who raised him on her own. She loved him, encouraged him and always reminded him that he was not different from others just special. One of the most profound things she taught him was, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.” This statement is the premise from which the entire movie hangs as well as the life living lessons it’s drawn from.
Forrest being childlike possesses a spirit of innocence. He is trusting; surrenders willful control; lives in the present moment; keeps an open mind and heart to all possibilities and, he allows Spirit to work through him. These are the elements required to live life successfully.
LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES…
…you never know what you’re going to get. This statement is a profound analogy as a testament to exactly how life is. Regardless of the experiences you have, desired and undesired, life indeed is very sweet. If you don’t believe so, think about the alternative of not being engaged in a life experience at all. This is how life is like chocolate. Yet, you never know what life offers in every experiential moment. Sometimes there are high peaks with very desirable results. And, sometimes, there are low valleys providing undesirable results. Either way, whatever life offers within an instant or specific situation, it is still the sweet taste of life. The singular experience is only a blip on the screen of life as it flows into another experience and then another and another stringing together a timeline of events which can only be considered as ‘living your life’.
In the movie Forrest Gump, like all of us, lives his life from situation to situation, taking a little bit from one chocolate circumstance to another enjoying the tasty filling of some experiences while wanting to spit out the sour or chalky or artificially flavored tastes from others. He appreciates everything encountered, simply for what it is…an experience in that moment and nothing more or less. He flows with life because he understands the larger concept that in a box of chocolates there are many different nuggets and you can try them all. It doesn’t mean one is bad and one is good, you just don’t know what you’re going to get and that makes life a lot more fun. There’s adventurist risk involved in picking up a piece of chocolate or flowing within life’s circumstances and not completely knowing what the outcome will be. And, how wonderful is it to flow through the experiences? That’s what real joy offers you.
Forrest’s belief about life causes him to personally grow and learn significantly. But he also changes the lives of those around him because of how he lives his life. Because of it, the greatest overall lesson Forrest teaches incorporates concepts that include go with the flow; be in appreciation of what flavor in life you happen upon; and always behave from your real authentic self and self- values.
5 SPIRITUAL LIFE LESSONS…
1. The First Lesson is: TRUST! It’s important to Trust yourself, Divine Source, and the God within others in order to live successfully. When trusting yourself you are in command of how you respond to whatever experience is happening. Forrest trusted himself when what he desired to do, more than anything else, was run; even with the braces on his legs. So, he began running until the braces broke apart and fell right off as he left them behind. What he discovered was that he didn’t need the braces to support him any longer, for either running or walking.
Through the act of running he also demonstrated his trust in Divine Source. Forrest, as an adult, was compelled to run again, so he did. He didn’t have a specific direction to run toward, nor did he know how long to run for. He just knew he needed to run so he did allowing himself to 
be open to various experiences along the way. Forrest made a great impact on many people; he influenced how some thought about the world and themselves; he even started a trend that added to the way people communicate through the use of emoticons. Forrest trusted Divine Source, not in the way of hearing or seeing God, but in the way God touched him through his compulsion to just run. Gump never asked where, for how long, or how far. He just trusted in the action of doing what he was lead to do and the rest took care of itself.
Ultimately, it was the trust Forrest Gump had in his mom which built a strong believe system in his following whatever path lie before him. She shared words of wisdom with him, expressing it was O.K. to spread his wings and fly, doing what he loved while not being concerned about with other people’s opinions about him or his choices were. As well, he trusted the people he met along the way. He trusted those who fed him, ran along side of him, and talked to him throughout his journey, as they provided the support he needed in whatever way they wanted to or could give.
2. The Second Lesson is: SURRENDER WILLFUL CONTROL! What this means is surrender the egomaniacal control to the ideas, beliefs and thoughts filled with personal righteousness which is present due to judgment, uncertainty and confusion the ego creates. To surrender means to let go and let God work in a manner that is directly connected to the divine nature within you. Forrest Gump did exactly that! He met one of his best friends in an army boot camp. When they were deployed to Vietnam Bubba was hit with enemy fire. Forrest witnessed this and in the way of surrendering ego control which was telling him to run and leave his friend behind, Forrest picked Bubba up carrying him to a safer place. Of course, this was done at the risk of Forrest’s own life.
Forrest Gump demonstrated, without hesitation, the type of love that surpasses all fear moving into the sweet space of spirit. In that place doubt, uncertainty and judgment, whether something is good or bad, does not exist. All that exists is love and the reality of what’s for the highest best good of the whole. Surrendering is not always a conscious act but here’s a hint on how to do it. In the example given with Forrest Gump, he moved his friend to a better place because doing so was not only good for Bubba but it was for his own well-being of integrity, self-value and a higher awareness that saving the life of a friend was the same as saving his own life in that we are all connected beings.
It’s clear that without judgment regarding any experience or confusion about what to do, when, where and how, the ego cannot be in control. This makes it easier to surrender willful control.
3. The Third Lesson is: LIVE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT! This lesson can never be emphasized enough. Living in the present moment means thinking, feeling, doing what’s right in front of you. The only focus is the immediate condition. It does not mean planning should never be done. It’s simply that in the planning of a thing, at the moment you decide to focus on the plan, it is the only thing which exists in that present moment. Forrest Gump lived completely in the present. What he thought about was the only thing he focused on. What he did was the only action he considered and took in at that instant. For example; when he decided to save Lieutenant Dan’s life in the Vietnam War, he focused only on ensuring, in the present moment, the life of Lieutenant Dan. It was Forrest’s intent to save him regardless of Dan’s physical challenges. And, Forrest took it further when he ensured the Lieutenant’s life again, by bringing him into the shrimping business where he talked, demonstrated and took drastic action to force Dan into choosing whether he wanted to live or die. Imagine if Forrest had been multi-tasking when he saved Dan’s life. They may have both been killed and the events to follow would have never happened; the continued positive results from their living on would have ended the story.
Living in the present moment is the highest form of awareness bringing about peace, clear conscious choice and real joy. Being present equals, being in bliss.
4. The Fourth Lesson is: KEEPING AN OPEN MIND AND HEART TO ALL POSSIBILITIES! There is often so much doubt about the real possibilities existing in this world and perhaps you feel that way about your life. But truth dictates, everything you’ve set your mind, desires and heart on you can achieve; you can completely receive. The biggest secret is to keep your thoughts and heart open to all the possibilities you chose to experience. In Forrest Gump’s case, he and Bubba spoke often about owning a shrimp boat for a shrimping company. They discussed what it would be like, how much money they’d need to purchase a boat and how, once they left the service, they’d go into 
business together. Well, even though Bubba did not survive the war, Forrest moved forward with their dream creating an extraordinary shrimping business. Forrest never considered how it wouldn’t happen just because Bubba was absent, unable to partner in the business. He never closed his heart to the possibility of doing what Bubba had dreamed about as a way to take care of his family. He always remained open in heart and mind to what he chose, knew and executed doing; during that phase of his life. It was the act of being and remaining open which brought about great financial success, allowing Forrest to ensure Bubba’s family would be taken care of for life.
Consider how many opportunities you may not have remained open to. How many have you considered to be unrealistic; regardless of your personal affinity to them. If you close yourself off from the possibilities life offers you, you will not attract what’s needed to allow those possibilities to become manifested. Go with the flow; open your mind, open your heart, without question, and be confident in the possibilities you chose to experience.
5. The Fifth and Last Lesson is: ALLOW SPIRIT TO WORK THROUGH YOU! This lesson is always the key to living life successfully and it takes all of the lessons before it for this to happen. Allowing Spirit to work through you requires trust; surrender; being in the present moment; and keeping your mind and, especially heart, very open. Each one of those learned lessons put you into the position of accepting Spirit to connect with you and do It’s best work, through you. But of course, it requires you to choose and possess the ability of allowing it. Spirit is always eager and willing to connect with you, bringing into your sphere of consciousness the sublime divinity from which springs from. Gump kept his mind and heart open as he secured the financial future of Bubba’s family when he gave half the proceeds of the business to them. After all, if it wasn’t for Bubba Forrest would have never entered into the shrimping business; he wouldn’t have found the success he did and if Bubba had been alive working the business with him he would have provided for his family.
Spirit worked through Forrest, inspiring him to do what the original intent of the shrimping business was to do, which was allowing Bubba’s family to live better than they ever had before. Greed could have taken over Forrest. There was no obligation for him to share business proceeds with people who did not put in the hard work to make it happen. Yet, he Spirit was to bless them through Forrest and Gump followed the call.
When you open yourself to Spirit working through you it is a win/win for everyone. Even when you may not know what Divine Source has in store for you, trust; surrender; be present; and keep yourself open. The rewards received are multiplied in your life bringing about numerous blessings.
MAKING THE CHOICE
Forrest Gump is such an excellent example of how you can live life by following a few simple spiritual lessons. Even though he is considered to be innocent minded, which may make it easier for him to look beyond, forego and release other ways of doing things, he demonstrates what you can aspire to. The bottom line is; right here, right now you have the ability to choose mastering these lessons, giving you the opportunity to live life successfully.
Lynne Herod-DeVerges, founder Center of Light Miracles
Who do you turn to when you get stuck in a rut? Don’t know what your purpose is? Want to know the future state of the world or your life? Go to ASK-LYNNE http://ask-lynne.org/ and find out the answers!