A Thousand Words - Weigh your words

A thousand word is a 2012 movie directed by Brian Robbins and starring Eddie Murphy. I did not plan to see this movie, to be honest I did not even knew a movie like that was ever produced. However, I am glad that I spend my time and saw the movie. I write this to share some of my profound discovery that I had watching this movie. Before I share that little background about the movie.

Movie focus in on the lead charter Jack McCall (Eddie Murphy) who is a literary agent. He is a great sales professional/agent he gets various book deals and has a flourishing career. His Philosophy was Hook or by crook deal has to be mine. He could sell or get a deal without ever reading a word, his belief was to know and understand any book read the first 5 and the last 5 pages, you know what the book is all about. His path leads him to a new age self-help Guru Dr.Sinja (Cliff Curtis), the guru sees through his deceit and agrees to the deal, only to later deliver a five-page book. That night, a Bodhi Tree magically appears in his backyard. Dr. Sinja goes to Jack's house and they both discover that for every word that Jack says, a leaf will fall off the tree. Dr Sinja tells him that his life will end after all the leaves fall of the tree. In due course, he finds that even written words count towards his limit; and anything that happens to the tree will affect him. When he tries to cut it down with an axe, an axe wound appears on him. When squirrels climb the tree, it tickles him. When a gardener tries to poison it with DDT, Jack gets high on the fumes and when the gardener tries to water the tree, Jack starts to sweat/perspire profusely.

Dr Sinja tell him that there are about 993 leaves left and it meant that he has only 993 words after which his life come to ends. This realization makes him careful with his words, from being a person loaded with words he reaches a state where every word he utters takes him closer to end of life. Fear of death grips him and communicating with others become difficult. As events roll, he loses two-book deal, his job, and his wife Caroline (Kerry Washington). She walks out as she thinks his sudden silence is due to his not loving her anymore. When he tries to explain the tree to her, she does not believe him. Only Jack's assistant Aaron (Clark Duke) realizes he is telling the truth, and goes to Jack's house to keep track of how many leaves remain. Jack thinks act of kindness might help him to break the curse he starts by giving food to the homeless, and donating some of his money to charity, but that plan fails. Jack drinks a lot of alcohol in the night, causing him to sing a lot, thus making the tree lose many leaves. Only when Aaron confronts him and tapes him, Jack stop speaking.

With his life falling apart and the tree running out of leaves, Jack confronts Dr. Sinja and asks how to end the curse. The guru tells him to make peace in all of his relationships. With just one branch left, he decides to take Dr.Sinja’s advice and he starts with his wife.Tells her that he truly loves her and their kid and that mean a world to him.However, she does not believe him. He visits his mother Annie (Ruby Dee), who lives in an assisted-living center and has dementia. This is the first time he listens to his mother. Annie always address him as Raymond (Jack’s father) in this conversation she says and express her wish that Jack should forgive her father for walking out of there life. This movement is decisive moment for Jack. He realizes that this is one of the biggest relationship where he needs to make peace. He should forgive his father and thus reliving himself from a burden that he has been carrying all his life. He visit his father's grave and use the last three words, as there were only three leafs left, "I forgive you." With no leaves remaining, Jack suffers a heart attack in a storm and appears to die. Aaron then calls Jack on his cell phone. Jack, who is still alive, answers his phone. Aaron tells him that the tree's leaves have magically reappeared and Jack can now talk freely again. The curse is gone

Jack and Caroline get back together, with Jack buying the family-friendly house Caroline asked for earlier, and the tree is in their front yard. He does not get his job back (Aaron was promoted to Jack's old position), but he writes a book about his experience, called A Thousand Words, and gets Aaron to make the deal. Unfortunately for Aaron, his promotion causes him to be as Jack was, thus he gets his own smaller office Bodhi tree.

This background should help you visualize what the movie tried saying in about 90 minutes. I share my learning and reason to write this note:

1)     Be true to your work and do your karma & value god’s gift: If you realize what god’s gift is to you utilize it well and for larger good if possible. Remember how jack used his five pages philosophy for his work; use his gift of gab to close deals. Was he true to what he was doing, this is true for us as well ask yourself these question and your honest answer should help you.

2)     Nature has its own way to teach you, if you do not learn on your own: Jack meeting Dr.Sinja and his truce with the tree was nature’s way of teaching him many lessons. Dr.Sinja, Bodhi tree and everything in this story is true in our lives as well, think of people, places and circumstances that you are in or you have been. You will realize that you also got your Bodhi tree, Dr.Sinja or any such things, while you go through it realize and try to learn your lesson. If you remember the story of evolution of caterpillar to butterfly, caterpillar can become butterfly only if he/she grows on her own and goes through all the stages. Nobody can help the caterpillar infact if somebody tries to interfere caterpillar will die. Life lessons are very important for individual’s growth; you can grow and move to next stage by learning and learning on your own. Life lessons are best learned by self and on your own. Faster you learn faster you grow & if you do not learn, nature will have its way.

3)     Emotions is the worst space to operate from : With less than 1000 words left fear of death grips Jack , he stops thinking and starts behaving in a way that takes him closure to death. Jack and 1000 words are symbolical in many ways, all of us go through a phase where we all operate with an overhang of emotions and stop thinking. Not accepting reality, confronting it and not trying to see what is the underlying message that an event in life is trying to give. Just as Jack, we also need to understand that any particular event in life is trying to give us a message, look for those messages, and learn them well, rather than emotions getting into the driver seat. Think of love for your kids and what you end up doing or your spouse or your boss or your colleagues or a friend or any other relationship and what happens when its emotions alone driving behavior and decisions. 

4)     Word have life weigh them before you use them: In this story Jack and tree get in a unique relationship, every word equals one leaf and every leaf gone takes Jack close to death. Jack learns it the hard way to use words and how words can change life; his book towards end is symbolic of his word helping change lives. His thoughts and action of hurting the tree hurts him, similarly in our life word that we use takes shape of thought and thoughts translate into action. Wish , say and think but be careful as words are like those seeds that you saw and as they say “ As you sow so shall you reap “. Weigh your words and use them well as they have life.

5)     Forget and forgive: Kshamapana is one the messages that lord Mahavir gave to his disciples and likewise by other enlighten gurus. He preached Kshamapana as core tenant for self and souls that one meets during his/her journey called life. Forgiving self and others is important to end karmic bond. Even if one were not to believe in karma or that it is carried forward, forgiving as act relives oneself and which is the biggest gift. Just as in this movie forgiving his father, blooms the Bodhi tree completely and gifts him a new life. Forgiving has the same power in our life as well, reflect on your own life, people, events and think of how long have you been holding on to something. Forgive yourself and the other soul/souls, relive yourself and release those souls as well as holding onto events and memories only make you and the other soul heavier. Forget, forgive and move on, as you deserve to be free.

I tried this write up to be 1000 words but did not realize how I reached 1600+ words. Enjoy reading it and share if you find it worth your time, these words might just be off help.