Behind the Scenes: Exceptional
Behind the Scenes: Exceptional
While filming Exceptional in the company of differently abled people, Force For Good founder Jonathan Sprout experienced “their gift of love. My heart was opened in their presence,” he says. “Differently abled people are forced to experience challenges most of us never know about,” he continues. “This, among the best of them, enables them to develop character traits that have led to greatness in insights and accomplishments.” He cites two famous examples: author and activist Helen Keller, co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union, and theoretical physicist, cosmologist and author Stephen Hawking.
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”
“I have compassion for differently abled people’s unusual challenges, and appreciation for what I often see as a complete lack of self-pity and an overt sharing of love. It’s as though the difficulties they have undergone have brought them closer to the reason why we live: to love. Many seem closer to that understanding moment-to-moment than I am even in my deepest meditations. It’s as if they live in that state of love and acceptance that I aspire to,” Sprout says.
Sprout’s inspiration served as the catalyst to create his instrumental composition “Exceptional” from the Passions CD, and the corresponding film. The filmmaker, and his co-producer Rodney Whittenberg, hope that the smiles, determination and love depicted in Exceptional will inspire viewers to overcome their own personal challenges and to reach their goals with confidence, compassion—and love.
—Hillary Black, Editor