I Want to Break Free
It will require you to take stock of how you got where you currently are
Many of you have seen the 1998 movie “The Truman Show” with Jim Carrey1. It tells the story of Truman, whose entire life has been filmed for a TV show that the world watches but he thinks is real. Toward the end of the movie, Christof, the show’s creator, is asked why he thinks Truman hasn’t yet discovered the true nature of his existence. Christof replies:
“We accept the reality of the world with which we're presented. It's as simple as that.”
“Tarek, we’re all just playing a role here. You just need to play it well.” Someone gave me this advice years ago about climbing the ladder at work. It was meant to be helpful. That comment always bothered me, though. Playing a role? Who wrote the script? What’s the endgame? It certainly doesn’t feel like one I’ve written. If I play my role well, at the end of the movie, what do I get…more money? More money could buy nicer clothes, homes, cars, vacations, wine clubs, golf memberships, and maybe even better friends.
Wait. Stop the tape. Why would I even want to be in this movie? It took me 20+ years of work to ask this question seriously. At the end of the day, I desperately just want to be me. The REAL me. The person God created me to be - flaws and all.
It took me 20+ years of work to ask this question seriously.
Perhaps you find yourself playing a role. You started following the crowd day by day, month by month, and year by year. And now you don’t know how you got there and perhaps don’t recognize the person you’ve become.
Do you want to live a life of significance where you pursue what you were made to do? Since you’re reading this newsletter, there are good odds you fall into that camp. Consider asking yourself:
Am I living the life I want, or am I trying to be who others want me to be?
What % of the real me do I show the rest of the world? How can I start being more myself in one small way this week?
What will my life look like if I’m 100% successful in pursuing the path I’m on right now.
When I take my last breath, will I be proud of who I am?
You owe it to yourself to live an authentic life. It’s your time to break free. The world is best served when you are most authentically you! It’s never too late to become who you were always meant to be. Make it an outstanding week!
Thank you for sharing this thought-provoking reflection, Tarek. The analogy to 'The Truman Show' and the idea of playing a role in our own lives is both poignant and relatable. To live a life of significance, pursuing what we were made to do, is a powerful reminder that our truest contributions emerge when we honour our authenticity.
Another great one! I NEVER thought when I saw The Truman Show in the theater that it would stick with me the way it did, and having you analyze it this week was such a fun "coincidence" as it was able to really help me hone in on what you are trying to help us learn about expectations and "explanations" we give ourselves when we don't really know what's going on. This was so uplifting; thanks!