Collateral Beauty
In December of 2016, our Illuminate Film Festival team had the honor of holding the United States grand opening of the film Collateral Beauty. It was a wonderful movie filled with emotion and discovery. The critics didn’t like it. They don’t like movies of the heart as well as high tech, hero movies that kill thousands to entertain us. My judgment of course. The movie starred Will Smith, Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Edward Norton and other notable actors. The story was about a man who would attempt to overcome some personal tragedy. His personal philosophy of life was what we often share here in this blog.
What is your why? Why did you get up this morning? What did you eat? What were your plans for the day? And on a bigger template, why are you here on planet Earth? What are you doing in this lifetime? In the movie, Smith gets letters from love, death and time. Each of us gets to utilize these elements in each of our lifetimes. Will we find love and give it? We have a certain amount of time that only our soul knows. How will we spend it? We will end this life at death. How will we be celebrated? How will we celebrate ourselves?
The term collateral beauty could be used to describe the meaning behind something. For example, when something bad happens to a person, they might want to check for the collateral beauty or the hidden meaning behind the event, which could be a beautiful thing. Even though at the time of the event, it is often too painful to do so. Collateral beauty is all around us and in us. We are an integral part of the beauty of the Earth. We are each other’s collateral beauty. May we all be able to see that beauty and acknowledge it. From my collateral heart to yours, Thomas