Better with Company

Who do you spend time with? Is spending time with people the light of your day? do you find yourself happier being with the people in your life that challenge you?

I was watching one of the best movies I've ever seen today, Up in the Air, starring George Clooney. For those of you who have never seen this movie, not to worry, I'm not going to spoil it for you, but I wanted to relay the message that struck home with me.

George plays Ryan Bingham, a man who works for a company that is hired by other companies to go in and fire their employees. He lives for the travel, trying to accomplish an almost unthinkable number... 10 million miles. His home, a one bedroom apartment with very little furniture and very little that says a lot about him, the man. The movie follows his travels from one place to another, with his new partner, played by Anna Kendrick, from Twilight. She is full of life, promise, and challenges him to think about his own life and how empty it is.

One of the things that is shown throughout the movie is him giving motivational talks about the things in your life that bring you down, and how having attachments is nothing more than a heavy backpack keeping you from living your life. he doesn't want anyone, doesn't need anyone, and believes this is the way everyone should live their life.

At one point in the movie, his little sister is getting married and the groom gets cold feet on the day of the wedding. It is left to Ryan to try and convince the groom that he needs to get over it and get married. This is not what Ryan does. He goes in and tries very hard to sound assuring but it comes off as fake and he knows it. Then, it starts to make sense to him and he says a line that to me is the heart of the movie..."Life's better with company."

How true is that statement? Aren't we all better when we're around the ones that make us better people? Aren't we better when the walls around us aren't the only things around us? We are who we spend our time with whether it is our family, co-workers, friends or acquaintances.

I know that when I am with my wife, I smile a whole lot more than I do when she is not around. I know that when I am alone, I don't feel like I'm my whole self. Life is better with company. Who needs to be isolated and alone? Who needs to shut themselves off from the world? Aren't you better when people are around? The reason we are better is because life seems better. The things that make us sad don't really seem to matter anymore do they? You're not thinking about the job you don't have, the car you don't own, the house you don't live in, the vacation you didn't get to go on, or the marriage you don't have.. yet.

Life is better with company and you know what, company doesn't have to mean a set number of people. It could be one, two, three of whatever number that makes you feel good about yourself.

Without something inspire you, what is the point?

I know what my wife means to me, my friends, my family... I know how they all lift me up during my down times... but I also know how my faith in God lifts me too. Life is better with company. No matter how you find it, no matter how many people it takes, find the company that makes life better and never let go of it.

Until next time
P