How to start living a better story: A Million Miles In A Thousand Years
In my first post, I mentioned A Million Miles in a Thousand Years and how it motivated me to start my blog. I honestly feel like this is one book that everyone should read once in their lifetime, so I have decided to discuss my thoughts on some of the concepts it touches on.
What is the main purpose of the book?
What is it about?
The book follows Don, a successful author and businessman, who is approached by a team of filmmakers wanting to turn his bestseller memoir into a film. Donald is thrilled to know this and is pumped to write the script, but as exciting as making a film sounds, it is hard to write a script-especially when it is about one’s life. He realizes his life has a substantial shortfall in ‘riveting’ and ‘life turning’ events which are essential to a film worth watching i.e., a story worth living.
What is the main purpose of the book?
What Donald tries conveying through his journey is that most of us fail to realize we can be living better stories. He realizes this when he is asked to recount his life experiences for the movie and the filmmakers aren't particularly moved by anything he says. I have always been a strong- and persistent- advocate of the practice of asking yourself questions as it is the only way we can find answers, and the question that is repeatedly posed in the book: "How do I live a better story?", is what helped Donald find his answer(s). Many of us might be content with where we are now, but Don wants us to take a moment and ask ourselves whether we are happy, or simply caught in the monotony of life.
Awakenings I had while reading the book.
It is not the circle of life; it is the winding road of life.
There was this quote from the book that stuck with me: "In a pure story, there is a purpose in every scene, in every line of dialogue. A movie is going somewhere."
I feel like our life is both a book and film; every action of ours holds substantial purpose and meaning (like in a book) and it is almost always leading up to something (like a movie). Sometimes it may seem we are going haywire, and nothing makes sense-almost looking like a winding road's path-but if you look at the grand picture, we are always moving forward. While on a winding road, it is not your choice to swerve the car in any direction you want, you are forced into it as that is the trajectory, and I feel like that is exactly what Don tries telling us. He mentions how characters don't choose to change; they are forced into it, and that is how interesting parts of our stories come about. So, friends, don't give in to the fear of change, embrace it— it will give you a story.
Pain is gain.
Again, a quote that hit home was: "The harder the resistance, the more important the task must be." In the book, Don repeatedly finds a reason to put off meeting his long-lost father as he doesn't want to face something this heavy and continue living his normal life. However, after countless efforts, he meets his dad and finally finds closure by coming to terms with many things— he is finally at peace.
When you find yourself in a situation where it is harder to climb the next step, you should automatically realize that the task at hand is important enough for you to take the tedious climb, and the reward will always be worth it. I always struggled to do math because a. I was not a fan of the subject and b. it is not exactly a piece of cake for me; however, after putting in the effort and receiving satisfactory grades, I was always most proud of math. The more you struggle and sacrifice to achieve something, the longer the happiness you feel from the reward. Another quote that adds to the subject is: "The sacrifices they've endured, and how those people will see heaven differently from those of us who have had easier lives."
When you start to live an interesting story, you start to find life interesting.
Become an author, then an actor.
I feel like to gear up for life's challenges, we need to take a step back and reflect on why we should be facing those impediments and hurdles in the first place. As I mentioned, every minuscule action in our life serves a purpose, and it is human tendency to know the reason behind everything, so why not apply that mindset in our day-to-day lives. Always try creating a structure out of your day; organize the tasks you must complete, and I know this is a longshot but do write down your long-plan goals. Write the story you want to live (be the author) and work on being the main character (actor) in it. Donald illustrates this notion excellently in the following words "You never feel like writing any more than a plumber feels like fixing a pipe, but just like him, you make a plan and start in on the messy work of making a story."
Even in the mess, you should take the pen and attempt at writing a story. It doesn't have to be perfect- nothing is- but at least you took charge.
Surround yourself with people who inspire you.
I think the most fundamental line in the whole book, in my opinion, was: "But stories are only partly told by writers."
Most of the decisions, or interests, I have taken upon are when I have been in conversation with someone who is living an interesting story, or when someone close to me has encouraged me to do something. Whether we like to admit it or not, all of us are gullible (at least to some extent), so why not be influenced by people who are likely to bring about a good change within us. Don't get me wrong, I am not telling you to only go for people who benefit you, but I am advising you to be with people who could be a channel to bringing out something good to/within you. Engage with people who make you think and question things; these are the kind of people who help you find answers and in turn, make you happy, and these are the people you find yourself wanting to be with. Unlike a book or film, you are not in control of what the characters in your story do; however, in real-time, we are fortunate to have the choice of the company we have and the people we engage with. Be with people who inspire you to live- and make- a better story.
Why should you read this book?
Not only does Don make us question ourselves, but he also helps us come to terms with sacrificing and why it is a huge step towards living a great story. It also sheds light on the prevalent and mainstream human dilemma: "Why should I be doing this and how does it benefit me?" by recounting instances in the book where Don takes on challenges as big as a cross-country hike for something as trivial as wanting to get with a girl, or simply because he is bored. However, these 'trivial' triggers made him realize his capabilities and things he was missing out on. This book won't necessarily make you get up and work towards living a better story, but it will make you reflect on your past experiences and inspire you to think about where your story is heading.
