The new George Clooney movie Up in the Air depicts the life of Ryan Bingham, a hotshot corporate downsizing expert who travels from location to location, acquiring all kinds of airline miles doing the dirty deed that others would prefer not to do; he fires corporate executives.  He is obsessed with efficiency in getting the job done and summarily moving on, unburdened by any semblance of human emotion or concern for the impact of his actions.

He sees the accumulation of airline miles as the highest manifestation of success and life achievement.  This sad soul has forfeited connections with family and significant relationships for a sterile, unburdened life.

As a motivational speaker, he encourages us to let go of what we carry around in our metaphorical backpacks; the things weve acquired and the relationships for which we feel responsible need to be released.  All this attachment, he proclaims, slows us down  and hinders our ability to become the stealth shark at the top of the feeding chain, the most exalted position  a person can reach, according to him. Its all presented quite persuasively.

It was a surprise to me, as well as many others with whom I discussed the movie, that this film is being presented as a comedy.  I found it to be  profound commentary on our time, an early 21st century snapshot of an unpredictable economy, and the trail of human misery it leaves in its wake. Over and over again, we witness grown men and women, who have played by the rules, done all the right things, and have acted with trust and loyalty–only to find themselves reeling in anguish  and despair as they confront a new, surreal, world.  Their new realities are unemployment, loss of health benefits, and an even more pervasive loss of identity.  This gut-wrenching drama is being played out every day, by all types of employees, laborers, manufacturers and executives.

Binghams modicum  of encouragement came with the repeated mantra that all the answers to your questions can be found in the packet.  This was the solace repeated over and over to the poor person who was being rendered redundant. Handing over the all inclusive packet was yet another way for this corporate surgeon to distance himself from the experiences being felt by his victims.

I have since found out, not to my surprise, that the people in the movie were real people who had recently experienced corporate layoff: this explains why the feelings expressed in their faces were so realistically painful.  Bingham, with artificially infused empathy, would remind these folks that this could be a pivotal point that could change their lives for the better.  Of course, the idea that transitions in life can be potentially transformational is certainly not new, and definitely not foreign to me as a psychologist and a career coach.  Life crises can catalyze huge changes that can land us in far better places.  After all, its human natures resistance to risk that threatens to disrupt the status quo.

So, why do I cringe in hearing this sentiment from Bingham?  Its that phony facade revealing a lack of true empathy and feels like an icy blow making a mockery of redirection and redefinition.  Instead of offering encouragement and belief, his message evokes anger and creates obstacles that make it more immobilizing and difficult for the newly redundant  to move forward into a new adventure.  At the very least, people who are subjected to this kind of rupture,  are entitled to genuine connection as they are forced to encounter the most primitive feelings of fear, as their very essence of survival comes into question.  That reverberating sense of what am I going to do now? … repeating over and over again like a surrealistic dreamlike echo.

With the employment rate hovering at 10 %, and jobs evaporating with no clear signs they will be coming back any time soon, we have to shift our thinking and focus.  I believe that people need to inoculate themselves against the co-dependent drama that takes place in the traditional relationship between employer and employee. This is a relationship that we have all grown to expect as the norm.  If I do what I am supposed to do; if I am loyal and a team player , the reciprocal reward from my employer will be to offer me the opportunity for safety, security and growth.  That covenant  is no longer the case, hence the anguish you see in the eyes of those terminated.  They are in shock….I didn’t do anything wrong and this is happening to me.  We are living through times in which this relationship is changing, along with a lot of givens we presume will work for our private pursuit of success.  We are the generation that has to define the new paradigm, a paradigm that leverages  todays realities!

Right now, as we face seemingly catastrophic changes in our world, our focus can become more independent and autonomous.  The advent of a smaller more accessible world  through the world wide web, and increased advances in technology, provides an unlimited audience for anyone to demonstrate their gifts and talents by providing an unprecedented platform for creative expression.  There is potential opportunity for even greater wealth despite some initial pain.  This is a clear example of the pie getting bigger; it is the way in which abundance unfolds.  Reinventing and creating new resources requires a new process of learning.  One focused on developing emotional qualities, as human beings, acknowledging and nurturing our authentic talents, and discovering cooperative partnerships.  I will not be so smug as to think we have all the answers, or that the solutions are simple.  In any creative endeavor, more questions will be raised than answered; this is not necessarily a bad thing.   Positive changes are occurring and communities and networks are forming to co-create new learning environments, forums for creative contributions from the masses not just the elite.  We now live in a world where you don’t necessarily need to have connections,  you actually can just  choose to be connected.

I’ll be sharing more thoughts on the changing world of work as we witness its transformation from adolescence to adulthood.  I invite and welcome your personal stories about job loss terror and re-creation.  I hope none of you hold onto the feeling  of being redundant.  My objective is  help replace that feeling with a voice that expresses potential that continues to be defined and fine tuned.

So, please share with me and my readers your journeys, your stories, experiences and insights; what personal characteristics and circumstances pulled you through turmoil and helped you discover a more rewarding life.  We all have the wisdom and ability to help one another.  I look at this blog as a place where people can come for affirmation and hope. A place where  we can mine for the diamonds that lie hidden in each of us;  where those who have already discovered what worked for them can share  with others who are still searching to find their gems.  Stories that unravel unexpected outcomes give hope for those still caught in the fog, and makes the difference in continuing to move from strive to thrive. Please bring your energy, insight and ideas as we move through this unchartered territory.  Together we will prove Mr. Bingham  wrong.  What we put in our backpacks are meaningful connections, relationships that tie our commonality together and build a strength that can only be achieved through contribution and being part of a supportive, caring community.  Together we can really make the pie bigger!