Tip#400: Recognize All Your Silver Linings – Under The Tuscan Sun

This post celebrates the writing of 400 tips and 4 years of dedicated passion to my Movies That Motivate blog. It's been quite a journey more so with the massive changes and crisis in my life this year (see tip#372). I am just grateful to have shared it all on this blog and appreciated hearing from readers that my tips have made a positive difference in their lives.

My life changes this year were definitely a test for me emotionally, mentally and physically. Looking back I’m so happy to be conscious of the fantastic silver linings from all my challenges. If you ever have to let go of an old life, business or home I hope you find this list of 10 silver linings of great help to you.

Top 10 Silver Linings of My Financial/Home Life Collapse:

1) Learned to live within my means (no credit cards)
2) Confirmed the relationships I can count on (through thick and thin)
3) Identified my core values, core passions and core goals
4) Let go for lightened lifestyle (purged old life, furniture, belongings)
5) Now an empty cup to allow abundance in (which it has!)
6) Discovered Facebook benefits: wall posts and messages from around the world uplifting my spirit, offering encouragement and life change tips; finding like-minded people; receiving suggestions for new neighbourhoods and homes to move to in Toronto
7) Resources/Financial: Social assistance, kindness of friends and family
8) Resources/Food and Clothes (No Frills, Value Village, Goodwill stores)
9) Increased and honed my indestructible optimism
10) Learned to Focus on my Big Vision, Goal, Dream and Desire

All of these silver lining factors are what sustains my spirit even at this very moment. And I've discovered that ultimately I am learning to SUSTAIN my FOCUS on my big vision, goal, dream and desire: TO MAKE A LIVING FROM SHARING MY PASSION FOR MOVIES. I've been able to strip away any distractions and even decline work offers if it did not fit this statement.

My Big Vision, Goal, Dream and Desire:
To make a living from sharing my passion for movies

Since September I'd stay focused on my big vision statement and a flurry of opportunities have been coming to me:
• Interviewed as a movie expert for the first time for The Toronto Star Newspaper (see tip#391)
• Gave first Pecha Kucha Night presentation called "15 Movies That Saved My Life This Year" at The Spoke Club (see tip#395)
• Submitted an audition video for the new Marilyn Denis Show to be their Motivational Movie Expert (see tip#396).

And there are many more opportunities percolating as I write this. What is exciting is they are ALL MOVIE RELATED opportunities! YES! Life is looking BRIGHT! All I had to do was sustain my focus on what I desired most. It was and is the law of attraction in action. I just needed to stay open to the unexpected ways my opportunities would manifest.

Under the Tuscan Sun 2003

The movie Under the Tuscan Sun 2003 is about the new life created by Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) when she buys a dilapidated villa in Tuscany, Italy. She had just lost her home, her marriage and her sense of purpose. While on a vacation in Tuscany she finds the courage to live a whole new existence among new friends and a new culture.

There is one key scene where Frances is depressed because nothing was going well and she was feeling lonely. She says she wants to have a wedding at her villa and also wanted a family. She is then told the story of how train tracks were built over an impossibly steep part of the Alps to connect Vienna and Venice. It was built even before there was a train in existence that could make the trip. They built it because they knew, some day, the train would come.

This story was about having faith and being optimistic. Frances learns to maintain both and to her surprise her dreams eventually come true. The profound realization is that they manifested differently then what she imagined.

Train Tracks

I recently saw this film as part of a series of movies helping me visualize my dream of traveling to Italy and France (see tip#398). I'm not sure when I'll go, I just know in my heart and mind I am building my own train tracks to these beautiful lands. And when I arrive it will confirm the feeling I have at this very moment that all the life changes I've been through this year have been worth it.

Whatever challenges you are going through remember there are always silver linings for you to recognize. Be conscious of the gifts right in front of you. Hone your own indestructible optimism and see the hidden benefits from all your unexpected life or career changes. Learn to identify and focus on your big vision, goal, dream and desire with all the EXCITEMENT of the world!

And if you love movies then let them activate your positive emotional energy and help you visualize the future you want. Let the movie heroes mirror your own hidden strengths. Then start building your own train tracks towards your dreams. It's just a matter of time before you are roaring down those tracks!

THANK YOU
To all the readers of my blog and all your comments
and encouragement that inspired me to reach 400 tips!
I welcome more of your comments.

Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Motivational Superhero at Your Service!
Professional Speaker & Movie Blogger
See website: www.motivatorman.com

© Emmanuel Lopez 2010