I was running errands near the Opera yesterday afternoon so took the opportunity to stop at UGC Opera to see In The Air. I never used to like George Clooney, at least not back in the days when he was doing ER, but he’s definitely grown on me in recent years.

In The Air

In The Air is really 2 stories in 1. Firstly, you have the story of Ryan (Gorge Clooney) and the lifestyle he chooses, which basically entails avoiding deep personal relationships (including with his family) by travelling most days of the year. He maintains his distance from people by being on the road all the time.

Secondly, there are the dozens of people he fires on a daily basis as part of his job. The US economy is in crisis and hundreds of thousands of people have been made redundant. This side of the movie is more interesting, imo. You see people who have been in the same job since they left school. Doing the same thing, day in day out for the past 10, 15 or 20 years. When they are suddenly fired they don’t know what to do with themselves and wonder how they are going to pay their rent/mortgage/bills etc. Some are suicidal.

I don’t understand how people can be so dependent on others for their livelihood. They depend on the government or large corporations to support them for the rest of their lives. Wtf! This is just bullshit if you ask me. People need to take responsibility for themselves and their future. No one owes you a job. You need to work on your skills so you can always find a better job but most people are lazy and just do the minimum to get by. Are these people really surprised when they lose their job? But better yet, find a way to work for yourself so you’re the boss. That way you are dependent on yourself and no one else. It may not be easy at times but it’s better than waiting for someone to say, ‘your services here are no longer required’. People who think having a 9-5 job have security are crazy. Even here in France.

Not only that but how can you be working somewhere for years and yet are still be living paycheck to paycheck? Then when they lose their job they can’t pay their bills because they have no money. Savings anyone? Honestly, if you haven’t saved and invested your money for the future then you have no one to blame but yourself. Keep cash in high interest savings accounts, invest in blue chip stocks, and borrow to invest in high quality real estate. If you are just waiting for a pension then you may as well just kill yourself now.

Not everyone wants to get rich, in fact most people don’t, but if you want to read a motivational biography on how to make money, invest and ultimately, live life to the fullest, read How to Get Rich by Felix Dennis. There are many things I like about this book but one of the main things is that you need to be aggressive about making money. eg. If you buy a house, that’s great, but you need to immediately start working on buying another one. If one business venture doesn’t work out, forget about it and try something else. Never give up and don’t rely on others for your success.

If you think money isn’t everything and there are more important things in life, remember this - MONEY = FREEDOM!

Movie #: 9