Realism vs Optimism

Being an optimist to me means ultimately nothing.

Being an optimist to me means two things: One, because you are an optimist, you go on living your life oblivious to the negative things around you. You succeed by focusing on the positives. Two, because you are an optimist, and because you ignore the alarm bells, you are left pursuing something that is not really there. Something far-fetched. Fanciful. You fail.

So really, being an optimist to me means nothing. I am a realist. I would like to think I am an optimistic realist. There is a giant in-your-face difference between an optimistic realist and a realistic optimist - and I am inclined to think I am the former. The difference between the two is at the core - realist at heart, or optimist at heart.

The Reality

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Maybe Valerene had something to do with this...

Now, the reality is that the economy is going bust, no two ways around it. 651,000 jobs lost in the United States already, and the crisis has led to my friend Ace having to leave the States for home. Hopefully Siang would have more luck hanging onto his visa. Closer to home, the sad state of the legal market in Sydney has seen my friends from the College of Law struggling to cope. Kenn moved back to Melbourne late last year, while Larry gave up on Sydney for better prospect in Singapore. Two days ago, CK said he would be leaving Sydney for Singapore as well, after 5 months of trying - of all people, CK has been the most "chiong" (translation: "chiong" means "gung-ho"), and his giving-up came as a shock to me. Susan is back in Germany, riding out the storm in the process. I, however, doubt the crisis will subside when she gets back! Darlington is still waiting for the contract offer, while some have been forced to work for minimal pay. Reality - scary, ain't it?

The Optimism


Acknowledging the reality, I remain optimistic. I refuse to crumble. This may be financially draining, but when I get that elusive job, everything will fall into place. My grand plan is waiting to take off. It is annoying that it hinges on the attainment of a job at current time. It is my life ambition to be in a position in the future where my life is not dictated by the volatility of the market and the security of a job.

The Talk With Family

Ah Mi

Skyped with Mom, Dad and Brother last night. It was good to finally talk to them after 4 weeks back in Sydney. I always thought my parents would not understand the effect the economy has on the legal market, but they sounded rather empathic last night, which was refreshing for a change. One of my cousins, who graduated from the UK with a law degree, has been back in Kuching for a while now due to the bad legal market in the UK - perhaps this made my parents realise just how bad the situation is! Me updating them on my futile jobhunt has also allowed a kind of psychological release.

Good for health, in general.

I'm out!
Qi
Posted by Charles Liew at Sunday, March 08, 2009 3:31 AM
Categories: Job Hunt
Tags: Job Hunt Life's Perspective
 

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