Mr. Woodcok - Decent movie deeper meaning?

I watched this movie last night and despite the somewhat banal story line and mediocre acting, there was a deeper meaning imbedded within, making it a somewhat worthwhile hour and half.

A quick synopsis, a chubby awkward boy grows up to be a well known self help author, his first book is titled, Letting go of the Past. Upon his arrival home he finds that his Mom is now dating the gym teacher that ridiculed and mocked him all through school and seemingly inspired the ill feelings he writes about. Though the teacher does not remember him, the two begin to physically and psychologically battle for emotional dominance. The culmination of the battle is personal growth, butterflies, smiles, and rainbows.

I extracted four talking points. The first is in regards to books and the process of attaining wellness; throughout the film people are accosting the author, telling him how much he has helped them. No doubt a book can inspire, but it is important to remember that happiness is a process and a lifelong one at that. I think people forget about this, they think, hey I'm feeling good after this book or this yoga session, I've found what I am looking for. The truth is that we need to work every day to strengthen ourselves, it gets easier over time, but the journey never ends. The author proves this, even though he is thought to be a wellness guru, he seems to have given up on his own advice. He tried to ride out a onetime feeling of happiness and achievement and eventually forgets that it’s not permanent. It is a process and needs constant updating.

The second point is more of a question. Can we ever truly let go of a memory? I don't think so; it's like trying to forget how to walk. It is ingrained someplace in our brain and will more than likely be there forever, unless we suffer some sort of severe blow to the head. It's not about letting go or forgetting, it's about embracing life's challenges and viewing them as building blocks, something to learn and grow from. Of course memories hurt, but we can't hide from them, what we can change is our perception of them and our reaction to them. It sounds easy, it isn't. I know firsthand how tough a troubled childhood is, I used mine as an excuse for a long time until I realized that it didn’t matter anymore, it was something in the past and wasn’t going to change. I needed to change my perception of it and I did just that and I am far happier today embracing the challenges rather than complaining about them.

One thing that is apparent is the humanness of the author, despite his book and appearance of happiness; he clearly has not taken his own advice. This leads me to the idea that happiness and wellness is now an industry. Just like other industries, there are shams, frauds, and jesters. Don't expect happiness from one book, one therapy, one session of anything, anyone who claims that they have all the answers is more than likely wrong. Life is body, mind/spirit, and our world. A multifaceted approach to wellness is a good idea, looking to improve on all and finding meaning and purpose in all will lead to a greater level of happiness. I would never claim to know a lot, in fact I know that my knowledge is limited, all I am trying to do is provide insights and resources.

The fourth is just an afterthought. The gym teacher seems to go through life without ever concerning himself with happiness or emotions. No doubt there are people wired like this, they have an ability to simply be comfortable with life. They should not be viewed as having repressed emotions, some people are just that lucky, others are not. The teacher makes a comment to the main characters profession or audience saying something like “there are a lot of wimps out there," I think he use more poetic language than I did. This view is out there as well, if you are looking and seeking happiness and balance you're a wimp. It doesn't matter, as a society we have been bombarded with images of happiness, meanings of wellness, and standards of wellness. The truth is we've had our wires crossed and simply need a little help untangling the mess. Some have it, some don't - it's just like everything else in life.