I always try to share messages that will both inspire my students and make them think. I recently found such a message in the documentary "I Am" by Tom Shadyac.
Shadyac is best known for his hugely successful comedic films, such as "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective", "Liar Liar" and "Bruce Almighty". These films brought wonderful laughter into millions of lives and made Shadyac a very rich man. He was able to buy huge, beautiful homes and fly on private jets. This money did not bring him happiness, however. After a bicycling accident, he found himself with a severe concussion, unable to work, struggling with depression, and questioning the meaning of his life. He began to ask, "What's wrong with the world, and what can we do about it?" What he found was something very beautiful.
The first issue "I Am" addressed is superfluous wealth. Shadyac had lived "the American dream", and found himself empty. Why? The reason is because we are not in this world to accumulate wealth, we are in this world to make it better. That is what brings happiness. Tom had provided tremendous service to the world in making us laugh, and that was wonderful. He was also financially rewarded for his work and achieved more wealth than he had ever dreamed of. He had "made it", so to speak. The problem was that he stopped there, and that was not enough. After his accident he realized that he had so much more to give. He donated much of his wealth to charity, produced "I Am", and has now dedicated his life to promoting the message of the truth that he discovered. Though he is still wealthy, he has simplified his life and found joy.
The next issue the film addresses is what we can do about changing the world. Shadyac features Bishop Desmond Tutu, one of the most powerful and influential men in the world. Tutu not only helped to bring an end to apartheid in South Africa, he also promoted forgiveness and healing in a country torn by many years of racial discrimination. Tutu points out the power of individuals standing together for what is right. It is impossible to deny the human potential for good.
Reflecting back on the last 30 years of human history, we have seen the tremendous impact of what Tutu was talking about. Not only have we seen the fall of apartheid, we have seen the collapse of the Iron Curtain, and the election of an African American president. Even in Canada we have seen tremendous advances in human rights.
The message is clear. Our standard of living is meant to serve us to allow us to be our very best, but superfluous wealth will not bring us happiness. We find joy in tapping into our amazing potential as human beings and in using our gifts to help others. If we look at ourselves and our environment honestly, we will see that there is a great deal more right with the world than there is wrong with it, and that through our efforts it is only going to get better.
