Life lesson from Fight Club (the movie)

As usual I was wasting time watching YouTube videos on a late weekend (after all, it's MY personal time)...but this was not a normal time waster. This time, I found a message that shook me deep to my core:

Don't worry about external chaos, control your inner chaos and embrace what is to come.

In the movie Fight Club, Tyler Durden is the manifestation of the main character's need to control his life. Most people don't have control of their lives hence chaos kept happening to them. We feel helpless and become afraid of it.

Toxic masculinity aside, Tyler Durden teaches the protagonist to embrace chaos, not fear it.

For me, this idea is almost transcendent. I am always seeking to stabilize and control my life. Unlike the movie's protagonist, I am happy and content. I like what I have now, and want to protect it. At the root of that need lies an inate fear of chaos, the unknown, a future that's worse than the present.

But why fear chaos? Why not embrace it by controlling your inner chaos? In other words, control your reaction to external forces so you can better deal with what may come.

Today I realized I've been approaching life the wrong way. I don't need to fear the future; I just need to better react to what may come. To do that, I need to practice control over my reaction. I always knew I should exert better control over my emotions, but never thought about embracing chaos.

A quote from the Count of Montecristo: "You must look into [the] storm and shout as you did in Rome. Do your worst, for I will do mine!" 

Many times, the fear of what's to come is much worse than the thing itself. That imaginary monster and the punishment it brings, are as big or as little as you think them to be. You have that control.

Now, I need to find my Tyler Durden because doing this alone is hard. 😜

By the way, Brad Pitt is awesome, but Edward Norton is one of my favorite actors.

Another great movie that holds a special place in my heart is Kingdom of Heaven. I can never forget the last quote by Salahuddin in response to Balian's question of what Jerusalem is worth (after all the fighting and losses).

He simply stated: "Nothing... and everything!"

Jerusalem is just a piece of dirt with some structures built on top of it. But what it stands for, is everything. That belief, that imaginary thing, causes so much destruction and pain, but it also gives hope to generations of people. It is everything!

That movie has so many great moments. Here's another one that resonates:

Priest: "I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of God. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves, and goodness. What God desires is here [points to head] and here [points to heart] and what you decide to do every day, you will be a good man - or not."