Cross-road

There comes many times in your life when you arrive at a cross-road. Hence, you have various options to choose, whether to turn right, left or just go straight. However, there comes only 1 or 2 times in your life when you encounter a cross road, but with no defined options. This unique situation can only make you lost, confused, seeking for guidance and more simply totally disoriented.

So here I am!!

Most probably you should be asking yourself the reason why I am at a cross-road. Alright, it fair to say that I have already bagged my degree and got a job that most engineering students here in Mauritius might be willing to do and I do not have any girlfriend to work out my mind. What is really worrying me so lately these days, is simply commitment. I am about to be committed for a long time ahead in my life.. Thus, I guess I am suffering from commitment phobia??

Browsing from the net, I found a couple of symptoms which is so surprisingly what I am indeed feeling right now:

• A feeling of uncontrollable anxiety
• Feeling that you must do everything possible to avoid commitment
• Unable to live normally because of that anxiety
• When you do realize that your fears are unreasonable or exaggerated, but yet feel so powerless to control it 

Just to cut all suspense, I am neither going to get married soon. It is plainly that I am soon going to enter a bond where I am currently working, and it will be for 5 years. It implies I cannot leave my current job and if ever I did, I have a fine of Rs300,000 to pay to the company. Yes, now I am sure you understand the situation I am currently in.

So for the past 5 months I have been working, I have always been convincing myself, I will keep applying elsewhere and as soon as i get a new opportunity, I will escape this bond. But alas, it did not happen and I think I am destined to be stuck here for the next 5 years! Is it really that bad to have a secured job? What am I honestly afraid of??

I have always, since doing my BEng Mechanical Engineering, dreamt of completing my registration process and hence be recognized as a professional engineer. However, where I am currently working, the chances I complete it is particularly limited. That is  my first fear. In terms of goals set up for the next 5 years, I will be missing out on this for sure. Honestly, am I not simply overreacting??

More than this, I think my biggest apprehension is simply the possibility of missing out on a better offer. I strongly believe it all narrows down to this. You always have the dream of doing a hype job, landing a managerial position as soon as possible in your career, the possibility to have a high social status quickly. Presumably, I guess this is another factor since working on public holidays, weekends and night shifts do not guarantee you for sure a high social status! 

On the other side of the coin, I think engineering is such a huge sector and it is something you definitely do not master it within your 4 years of studies. Hence, as my uncle has repeatedly been telling me, the coming five years is simply an investment for my future career. Do not worry about money, do not worry about social status. I should only take it as a further step to my academic studies, learn and grasp as much knowledge as you can and later on it will reap benefits when applying for other jobs. I should admit I did complain a lot of my situation to people around and I was taken aback that many people thought that I was indeed over reacting. The job market is particularly not healthy at present and at the bottom of it, having such a huge company on my CV can only be beneficial eventually.

Yes, I do agree whatever people has been telling me is right. They are totally correct on all lines. But, believe me, it is not that easy..to commit! Elsewhere, when you are finding people from your batches earning much more than you are earning now, it indeed creates an atmosphere of frustration! It is not easy. I know I will be very much ill at ease during the next 6 days, I can't help it. It is really freaking me out!!!! To cap it all, I do not have another job offer in pipeline.

So here I am at a cross-road with no defined destination. Should I leave or should I stay? Should I just be happy to know I have a job and earning enough money for myself and my family? What about my further studies? What about some unaccomplished dreams yet??

I guess I will find all answers to my questions on April 1st and I hope I will not be fooled on that day!

Impacted!

Sometimes, there comes a lot of times in your life whereby a string of events impacts your memory for ever. It can be anything, ranging from reading a book to a simple walk in nature. Most of the times, they happened unexpectedly and that is how exactly these moments become so cherished. I am not going to talk about any leadership conferences, self-reflecting books or personal coaching sessions. I am just going to share a couple of movies that imprinted my memories for ever.

Movies have always been made to entertain people, together with a meaning in the background. Over times, the 7^th art has become an invaluable asset in terms of enriching one’s personal knowledge. So, movies can eventually be an ideal platform to pay respect to someone’s life, to raise awareness of various issues, to materialize someone’s imagination and creativity and to simply discover world. Has anyone of you ever wonder how easy it has become for us to discover the world through movies?

Over years, there have been numerous movies that have indeed impacted me. It will be indeed challenging to numerate all of them individually. However, there is indeed one that comes to my mind every time I have to suggest a movie to a friend. It’s “August Rush”.

Basically, it is a movie based on how a child has been separated from his parents. With the help of music and his unbent love for his parents whom he has never seen, he left no stone unturned in trying to be reunited with them. However, his father never knew he existed actually and her mother thought he died after his birth and both of them separated before his birth. Music, indeed magical, did not only help him meet with his father again but also in bringing back both his parents together again. The amazing guitar tapping scenes really left me wow. I do not know for others, but it will always be one of the best movies I have ever seen.

Music is all around us, all you have to do is listen.

Another movie that has indeed left me with a lasting impact is The Guardian. It is a movie about the lives of rescue swimmers and make people realize about the nature of their jobs and to what extent it can be dangerous. To do a job that will save lives by putting yours itself in danger, I do not know many people that can do it. Not even me.

Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Kostner did an outstanding performance in it. I still remember the scene where Ashton was asked why he has a number 2 tattooed on his right back. And his answer was “It's so the guy behind me knows what place he's coming in.” That dialogue is just killing. I so wanted to do such a tattoo as well but did not go through since I don’t think I can come first in any activities. I will end this part with this quote from that movie and it’s an even more soothing line.

There will come a time when you have to decide who lives and who dies.

 

I am a fan of Bollywood movies as well, nothing to be ashamed of. There is obviously a lot of movies that will indeed remain memorable. However, there is one in particular that I cherish, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. 

 It is about the three friends that have gone on a bachelor trip to Spain. Well, all of them being of different characters, they chose one activity each for the trip. Each activity will eventually help them to overcome fears, doubts, give them a new orientation in life, to encounter love and to make them become closer friends. Without doubt, the amazing poetry by Javed Akhtar and the beautiful spots in Spain even made the film more enjoyable. 

Another amazing fact about this movie is that it is one of the very very rare movies whereby me and my dad had similar opinions about it. I particularly enjoyed the moment when we viewed it together after having gifted him a copy on Father's Day. Sometimes, it is not only the movie but the memories associated with it that renders it special. As usual, a quote from the movie follows:

A person should remain in a box only once he is dead.

 

 Today, I watched a movie that persuaded me to write a post about movies and those I have liked so far. I do not know about you, but I so believe at one point or other, you will watch a movie that so perfectly suits and summarizes a particular moment of your life. I have found it today. The movie is…I am sure you will recognize it through its poster!

So, why do I feel connected to it? Why did I like that movie so much? I guess you should watch it, then you might understand, and maybe if you do not know me well upto now, you will.. 

500 days of Summer relates the movie of Tom and Summer. The movie swaps intelligently between the past and present to tell the viewers how that couple was formed. Tom and Summer eventually parted ways. This left Tom distraught until he finally meets..Autumn! Except, for me, I guess Autumn is still lying somewhere around the corner and Summer still haunts me from time to time :)

“A boy and a girl can just be friends. But at one point or other, they will fall for each other..maybe temporarily..maybe at the wrong time..maybe too late..or maybe forever!”

As for now, that’s it. I know there are a lot of other movies ahead. I will indeed add on a few more later on .