I rewatched The Family Man for the third or fourth time, a movie released in 2000 starring Nicolas Cage. The movie starts with the following scene “Jack and Kate, who have been together since college, are at JFK Airport, where Jack is about to leave to take up an internship in London. Kate fears the separation ends their relationship and asks him not to go; he reassures her and flies out.[i]”
I have always loved the movie, but this time I noticed the theme of decision making and how big decisions can affect our way into life.
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In the beginning, the starring couple questions whether they have made the right decision or not. Cage answers, the airport is not the best place to rethink such a big decision and that they should trust the effort put into the process.
The story takes a turn where Cage lives another story where he returned to New York and didn’t go to London and married his college sweetheart.
In his new life, Cage is not happy with his new life; he now works as a car tires salesman instead of being a Wall Street company CEO who drives a Ferrari. However, Cage works his way out back into Wall Street.
In another story turning point, Cage goes back to his original life, where he tries to win back college love, and the movie ends.
We sometimes regret whether if at some point in time we took the way less traveled, what would have happened?
I believe that either way we take, we end up in a similar situation. It’s we who make the decisions according to our values and preference then.
But we are who we are; it’s us who write the story, and it’s us who tell the story to ourselves.
Reply and tell me how much you think would have changed in your life if you took the road less traveled?
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