5 Lessons from The Julie/Julia Project

I went to see the movie Julie & Julia for the second time yesterday, and once again, felt completely inspired.  There are so many principles in the movie that are not only heartwarming, but are also such great life lessons that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take two of my friends for the ride.

As part of that inspiration, I’ve decided to change the way my personal blog posts get out there in the world.  Simply put, I’m going to do more of them.  So many of you have asked for more frequent updates, so I’m putting it out there in writing and making that commitment to sharing observations, lessons and love of personal improvement that are so richly prominent in everyday life.

So here are my observations from the movie:  (if you haven’t seen it – GO.  Now.

1.  Passion fuels purpose.  So many struggle to find their purpose in life before embarking on any activity that they may or may not be passionate about.  Here’s the truth:  Purpose is unconscious – it’s who you are being in life.  Passion is the doing part, the conscious activities that bring results.  They go hand in hand.  Both Julie and Julia searched for an activity “Something to Doooo…” as Julia so often said in the movie.  That activity led to purpose, which fueled energy, which refueled passion.  It’s a circle.

2.  Things almost never go the way you plan them. Both Julie and Julia almost gave up – several times.  It was only when they said “oh well, what’s next?” that things really began to move in their lives.  (okay, Julie did have several meltdowns and crying jags in the kitchen – that’s okay too…)

3.  The people who love you deserve respect.  Both women had very loving, supportive spouses.  We need more of that in today’s world.  Enough said.

4. Persistence is a key component of success.  In this world of instant gratification, it’s easy to try something once and give up when things don’t go perfectly.   Julia Child spent years writing her cookbook, and then was rejected more than once by her publisher.  Julia set out a goal to get through the entire cookbook – all 500+ recipes in a year.  Even during her meltdowns and temporary yogurt for dinner breaks, she got up again.  And tried again.  And again.  And again.  And again.

5.  Small steps make for big progress. Julia didn’t set out to write the entire cookbook – she set out to translate the first recipe.  Then the next, and the next.  Julie decided to blog post every day.  Little posts.  Big results.

I know in this world today there are so many things out there that can be distracting.  What do you think might happen if we all just took a break from the chaos and confusion of trying to “find ourselves” and began to surrender to the thing we’re really passionate about?  (I’m probably talking more to myself here than any of you, but feel free to listen in…)

Well, here’s day 1 of my new commitment to post regularly about life, love and passion.  Comment if you like.

Stephanie

Oh, by the way, if you haven’t seen it, you should check out How to Stay Happy Even If Things Are Falling Apart. 
I think you’ll like it.

Bye for now!