Another Movie Guide

Are You Living on Revolutionary Road? Don’t Settle, Play Full Out

Last night my wife and I watched a film called Revolutionary Road starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. They both gave exceptional performances. In my opinion Kate Winslet gave the performance of her career. This movie is not for children and it is likely that some adults will find parts of it offensive. It is a movie with a powerful message. I am certain that each individual will see their own message in this film depending on their mindset and situation at the time they see it.

This is the story of a young couple, Frank and April Wheeler who have big dreams and large goals. They marry, have two children and move to the suburbs where their dreams are gradually crushed.

When April comes up with a plan for Frank to quit his job and move the family to Paris, you can see and feel the life come back in to them. They become vibrant, spontaneous and joyful again. Their plans upset and actually frighten their neighbors and co-workers. The only person who really understands them is a neighbor’s son who is on an afternoon visitation release from a mental institution. Everyone else thinks they are crazy, but not the certified lunatic. He understands that they are trying to escape the emptiness and hopelessness of their lives. He makes this revealing statement, “a lot of people get the emptiness, but it takes real guts to see the hopelessness”.

Sadly, that is exactly where many people find themselves, living on Revolutionary Road, trying to survive in emptiness and hopelessness. They lead lives of quiet desperation and never muster up enough courage to do what it takes to change. They settle for what they think is safe and comfortable and end up insecure and miserable.

Do you have that uncomfortable feeling of being trapped? Do you dream of escaping? Everyday do you force yourself to go to a job that you hate just so you can survive?

You are meant for more than survival. You are meant to thrive and find joy in your life, but you can’t do that unless you have the courage to pursue your dreams.

Are you settling? Have you given up completely? Are you waiting for some future time when you will start living again, or are you just waiting to die? What are you settling for?

My wife and I felt a lot like the couple in that movie. We felt like we were trapped in jobs that crushed our souls and our talents. We were surrounded by people who thought we were crazy for wanting to take a chance and go for more. We decided not to shrink back and become less, but to charge forward and live up to our potential. Yes, it scared the hell out of me, but as Helen Keller said, “life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”.

For 30 years I survived in a job that suppressed my talents and abilities and crushed my spirit. It was incredibly difficult for me to walk away from full health insurance, paid vacations and holidays and the guaranteed weekly paycheck that was always just enough to keep me coming back for more.

I had to decide that I would no longer settle for less, that I would keep pushing for more in my life. Only about three percent of all who attempt it become truly successful entrepreneurs. The other 97% just settle for what seems tolerable. Once we decided that we would not settle for less, my wife and I became psychologically unemployable. I can never go back to working ten hours a day at a job I dislike.

In the movie Revolutionary Road, when Frank and April Wheeler turned back from their dreams and pretended that they could be happy with the status quo, it completely destroyed them. Does any of this sound familiar to you? Does it touch a nerve? Does it make you feel uncomfortable? It is time for you to stop settling for what is tolerable and do what it takes to live the life of your dreams. Decide now to design your own destiny.

You don’t have to quit your job tomorrow. You do have to make a decision to become the leader in your own life. Stop settling for less than you are worth. Life should be exciting. If you are not stretching yourself, you are not playing full out. If you are afraid to play full out, how do you expect to win?