Tag: #justlikethat

English articles

Let it go

experiencetoday

In the finale of season 2 of And Just Like That, Carrie proposed a toast at the “Last Supper” before moving out of her favourite apartment, which she has lived in for over a decade. While she was finally ready to let go of this cosy apartment in a posh area, she invited her guests to think of the things they would like to let go of.

We always hold on to many little things, memories, or ideas, no matter if they are good or bad. Zen masters told us to train ourselves to remain calm through meditation or mindfulness. If our brains can let go of worries, hate, anger, and greed, we can enjoy peace in our minds. It’s easier said than done.

Choosing to land in another relationship, Anthony let go of “control”, and his new partner let go of “Rome”, where he comes from.

Seema let go of “distrust” as she finally takes up a serious relationship with a director who is very business-minded and has to live in the Middle East for half a year.

Miranda and another character both chose “guilt” because of the relationship issue and the crazy thought about giving up the baby.

Nya is giving up “yesterday” as she is so happy to hit on the Michelin chef. Carrie picked expectations,” and as she explained, sometimes things turn out better than expected somehow.

Expectations are a huge word. When I studied marketing, the lecturer emphasized the role of expectations a lot. People are guided by hopes and expectations when making purchase decisions instead of economic factors.

When we meet someone special, we have a set of expectations that may determine whether a relationship can or cannot work. When we interact with our family members, we expect our parents to support us or our siblings to be our good friends.

Letting go of “fear”, “guilt”, and “regret” is something we commonly do successfully for our well-being. My therapist once said, “Don’t set my expectations that high, so I won’t be that disappointed in the end.”

Do I expect myself to be a high achiever every time? The company I had worked with for years let me down so badly that it hurt me so much. I set up a massive database, established a solid communication policy, built rapport with reporters, drove business enquiries from campaigns, and offered insights on increasing website traffic and hitting on keywords. I should have been more assertive and protected myself when the selfish supervisors belittled me for keeping their own benefits. That ruined my well-being. Working for a company like this is totally unhealthy.

I’m happy that I shifted my job role to focus on helping those who are more in need in an organisation that engages to promote a healthy environment.

I let go of my regret about not leaving that company earlier and my fear of not jumping out of my comfort zone much earlier. Now I am a sponge. The world is big. I try to absorb every new thing in life.

I still cannot let go of expectations; I just set my bar lower while adding wisdom from people around me every day.

samanthajones
English articles

And Just Like That

experiencetoday

I was a fan of “Sex and the City.” I feel empowered and so free watching the series. That sort of man-seeking mentality could never happen in Hong Kong. Four beautiful women who are fearless about chasing love or sexual experiences without being afraid of being judged. Not to mention, they also have a very successful career.

When I watched season one of “And Just Like That,” the sequel to the series, two years ago, I felt something was missing—the witty, charming, and remarkable Samantha Jones. The character Carrie is a little dreamy and fake, as I doubt how often writers are so rich and dress so flashily in couture and high heels. But then it gives me joy to see fabulous couture that I could never afford or wear.

It’s always joyous to see Charlotte in a branded outfit. She looks like a modern version of an adorable, forever young fairy godmother who can manage her family life very well with her husband and two daughters who are full of distinct characters. She talks in a sweet way about a kind mother who tries to convince others of what she thinks is right. When she refocuses on her career, her husband Harry complains about hardly having time to run errands for the family. I love the way she tells Harry to try hard as he’s only doing the “bare minimum.”

Many women either sacrifice their careers for love or try hard to manage both in their lives. The shout is just a wake-up call for many men to think again about how hard women can be—having a child, raising a child, doing a job and chores, and maintaining a love life. 

Miranda is almost the one I like to skip watching. She is tall and has the skeleton for great dresses. It is saddening to see that she appears to be depressed and in doubt in many scenes. She’s a successful lawyer but struggles with her love life and career. It is a bit unbelievable, especially that she questions her sexual identity at the age of 50, not when she was young. 

So it’s a great surprise and a fantastic moment to finally see Samantha in the finale of season two, even though it’s very brief. Samantha looks fabulous after all these years. She is the one who makes me believe she stays true to herself. 

She is such a classic role model of the modern-day woman—so confident and capable of conquering the world, and she dares to speak her own words without caring what others think. 

I’m glad that I continued the “Just Like That” journey and watched the whole two seasons. It reminds me that women in their 50s can still be wonderful, try a new path, and dare to dream and love.