I love a good movie as much as the next person. But, when I watched The Bourne series recently (twice over) I recognised a spiritual significance in the character of Jason Bourne (played magnificently by Matt Damon). There’s a very special depth of resilience and ingenuity to this skilled CIA-trained assassin. His hunger doesn’t stop until he gets to the source.
Anyone who’s heard and read a little of NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming) will know it’s all about the modelling of human behavioural excellence and the development of spiritual awareness. It’s the rudiment of emotional intelligence. Putting both high-performing spirituality and NLP together, we can get a great deal of spiritual enhancement from modelling upon the person, Jason Bourne.
How’s he set apart?
Cool and Calculated
Bourne only gets angry when it will serve a good, objective purpose. He is otherwise crystal-cool and able to calculate his actions decisively and precisely. He exudes a quiet, unshakable confidence.
Honed Judgment
Bourne’s judgment is impeccable. We might consider that this is just a movie, but all the same, he’s representing a genre of person we’ve all come to admire. It’s that trait of timely judgment, or decisions implemented just in time that brings us inspiration and clarity of purpose.
Prudent Use of Resources
He wastes nothing unless he no longer needs it, and therefore he doesn’t hoard anything. He travels light and innovates with the things he has without worrying about the things he doesn’t have.
Patience, Poise and Daring
How do we wait well? Answer: with a high degree of emotionally-calm control. No matter the flurry of thought, he waits, externally an ostensibly calm person—though fully operational within. He is shaman-like.
Knows When to Change a Plan
Most of us stick rigidly to our plans—too rigidly. Not Bourne. He anticipates moves and tweaks his plans accordingly, staying three steps ahead, and always seems to have contingencies in place.
Moral Courage
Bourne could kill at will, and in this movie series he often does. But, he also exercises much moral courage in taking time to do things right, even at high personal cost. In this is not only emotional and mental self-control, but raw moral courage to do the necessary but personally risky thing.
Physical Endurance
How many can run flat out for half a mile (800 metres) and still think straight. Bourne can. He brings a balance of aerobic and anaerobic fitness and this only enhances his mental capacities.
Never Gives Up
There’s never a time when Bourne gives way to dejection. He always sees a way out, and more importantly, not just negatively out of his present problem, but positively toward the source. He is driven and tenacious when the chips are down.
He might only be a movie character to us, but he represents an ideal, does Jason Bourne. The key is he transcends his situations and the labels that are placed on him. In this way he paves for himself his very own unique identity.
And so it is for us. We too can become anyone we want to, but best of all—ourselves. Time to design and construct!
© 2009 S. J. Wickham.
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