Movie: Up in the Air

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There are 2 things in the movie that struck accord with me.

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The First Thing:

While travelling for business was nice, dining in nice restaurant and staying in beautiful hotel, and the best part, not paying a single dime from my own pocket. The thing I enjoyed the most was walking in solitude during the cold night in a foreign land. It was quite therapeutic and very conducive for self-reflection. However, it could be extremely lonely to be in the hotel room – I felt emptiness in a nice hotel room. I would rather in any rowdy Kopitiam drinking a cheap glass of teh-peng with my friends or family. I realised that the human element (warmth) is definitely more important than any physical possession or indulgence.

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The Second Thing:

Too many people are too attached to their jobs. They take their identities from their jobs, and their lives revolve around their jobs. Their sense of self are lost when they are retrenched. That’s sad. Imagine if you are at your deathbed, would you be thinking about your achievements at work? The revenue you had generated for your company? The projects/launches that you had implemented successfully? I certainly would not think of any work, monetary or academic achievements. Those things are irrelevant in the face of death. I will think of the precious moments spent with my family, friends and nice people. I will think of the beautiful world that I have seen and experienced. I will think if my existence makes this world a slightly better place.

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I shared this story before: My friend’s colleague was working for DBS Bank for more than 20 years, and was retrenched. She packed her belongings that day when she received the news, and the next day, her record was removed from the company intranet. 20 over years of hard work and youth, yet, no trace of her was left. Nobody in the company will talk about her contributions. Soon, she will be forgotten by the company. I realised that nobody is indispensable in the company, and that should be the way for the company to operate effectively. While work is important, it is never the reason. Money is never the reason too.

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I have been jobless for 7 month before. It was a difficult period, but I was not in depression. I lost self-confidence and doubted my ability. I was afraid to meet people. My identity was dependent on external factor, which was foolish. It was an invaluable experience, as when some of my friends were out of job, I told them that I understand their feeling. I really do. Hence, I felt that it is unwise to be so attached to a job. So what if you are unemployed? Still the same person, just having more free time to do things that you enjoy!

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Not sure if I can say the same thing if I am jobless again. Will let you know.

=)