REFLECTION PAPER: From the movie “The Terminal”

The movie “The Terminal” is great as it showed a lot of truths, learnings, dilemma, issues that are real
and happens in everyday life. As I watched the movie, there were so many things that I learned and for
tonight I am going to share 3 important points that we can relate with.

I. THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING AND LEARNING LANGUAGES

In here, I am pertaining to the universal language which is English and the language that we
need and/or want to learn.

If you can remember, there were scenes in the movie where Viktor Navorski (our protagonist)
cannot fully understand as the officers of the airport were explaining his situation to him. Even if the
officers are using the universal language, He cannot correctly answer the questions they asked which
simply tells us that he doesn’t understand them.

This shows us the importance of knowing and learning languages. Having a universal language brings
everyone together. We can understand people and this allows us to move in the same direction. A good
example is the partnerships we see between companies in different countries. The result is people get
great products and services. The very reason also why I am very grateful that we have EPIC class which
prepares us to face the world.

It is not just important that we know and understand English but we also need to learn and understand
other language/s that we need and/or we want which will also be of helped for future use.

II. THE IMPOTANCE OF “CLIENT ADVOCATE” or “Customer Advocacy”

Nursing students can really relate to this. Being a client advocate means we advocate for the client's
wants, needs, for their comfortability, and whatever they may be. We fight for their rights, safety and
we see to it that their rights, belief and culture are respected.

But this was not shown in the scene where the officers themselves are trying to find a way to get rid of
Viktor Navorski by tempting him to violate the law. Remember when the head officer convinced
Navorski to go outside, to new york, that was one of the scenes.

When we promote “ client/Customer Advocacy” we also show our Passion and Compassion.

Passion and compassion can be identified as two different emotions that a person experiences. Passion
refers to a very intense feeling whereas compassion refers to the concern that is felt for another. Else,
even being empathetic towards the suffering of another can be known as compassion as we are focusing
on what is best for the customer.
III. THE IMPORTANCE OF WAITING PATIENTLY

If we were in the shoes of Viktor Navorski, surely some of us will greatly demonstrate how to be
impatient, rude, and rough. I know its very hard to patiently wait specially when there is no assurance
given and that one of the reason why, for me, this movie is great and inspiring. It’s like Viktor Navorski’s
Patience is unlimited, he was disrespected, he was humiliated, he was deprived, and even dumped by a
woman. its as if his understanding for people is so deep that I never saw him show his anger and
disappointments.

.and just like Viktor Navorski, Waiting patiently is also good for us to follow and practice in
many aspects in life.

Why?
1. Priorities become clear
More than ever, we find ourselves bombarded with opportunities and possibilities. It’s easy to
get sucked into too many activities that have nothing to do with your purpose and drain your
energy, time and resources. Waiting is the perfect vaccine for those things that have no place in
your life. The ‘meant-to-be’s’ have built-in staying power that distractions don’t. Given time,
temporary things will drop out of your life effortlessly, leaving you free to focus on that which is
truly you. Time has a beautiful way of sifting the important from the fluff.

2. Develop perseverance
With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable -Thomas Foxwell
Buxton
Perseverance is defined as “persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in
achieving success”. Did you catch the sneaky little keyword there? A swimmer builds muscles
by putting in hours in the water, a body builder pushes ever-increasing weights and us…we stick
at what we want to do. Then we get up tomorrow and do it again. We keep on until we reach our
goals. Persevering builds our emotional, physical and spiritual muscles so when we crack the
goal we’ve been aiming at, we are equipped for the demands of the new season. We’ve been
trained by the process of persevering. That kind of toughening up cannot happen in a day, or by
popping a pill. It takes time.

3. Productive habits
Whatever you are waiting for–whether it be a spouse, a book deal, or a promotion–your waiting
time need not be wasted time. Start making the changes now. Rearrange your schedule to
accommodate what you are working towards. Don’t be scared to shift priorities, move furniture,
set your alarm an hour earlier each morning. Do whatever you feel would help position yourself
for the breakthrough you are waiting for.

4. Understanding yourself
There are high and low points in all our lives, yet these are not what define us. The best place to
find out who we really are, is in the sticky bits in between the two. It’s in the slog of daily living
that we discover our greatest strengths and weaknesses. Embrace normal life; don’t fight it.
Knowing who you are while you’re up to your elbows in soap suds and floating leftovers will
keep you grounded when success comes.

5. Rest & regroup

Allow yourself downtime. Sleep until you’re finished; take walks in the fresh air. Ride a bicycle
and read a book. Recharge your soul with things that feed you. Learn a new recipe, plant a tree.
Break out of the mold that life has you trapped in. Waiting creates space in your life, precious
time to get in touch with what is going on inside you. It creates space to come to grips with what
makes your heart beat faster–what is important to you. Don’t waste it by filling it with rushing or
busyness.

6. Patience
Did you grow up wearing hand-knitted sweaters made with love by your granny? It’s becoming
more rare by the generation. Knitting takes patience, and there are few things left in our highly
efficient society that are geared towards growing patience in us. Waiting is one of them. Like any
classroom full of scholars, there are some who resist learning and others who embrace it. If life
has you in a headlock and you know you’re going to be there for some time, use your energy
wisely–don’t fight it; embrace it.

7. Resourcefulness
The process of waiting is often linked to lacking something. Think about it. If you’re waiting to
meet your life partner, you are missing having a significant other. An empty fridge is a sure sign
of someone waiting for payday, and someone hankering after a promotion does so because they
are hungry for a challenge, a boost in self-esteem, or a bigger paycheck. Waiting forces us to
work with what we have in hand. This sounds terrifying, but once you shift your mind, it
becomes liberating. Start to see things around, and inside you, with different eyes. It’s an
adventure to make do with what you have, and not rush out to buy something new at the first
twinge of lack. Try it! You’ll surprise yourself with your resourcefulness.
8. Tolerance and empathy
Getting exactly what you want, when you want it, is not always a good thing. Ask any mom.
Continual immediate gratification over a long period of time can sow seeds of entitlement and
pride. When these mindsets are allowed to take root and grow, the end result is not pretty. On the
other hand, waiting is a great humbler. A humble person is aware of the struggles of others and
can empathize with their troubles. In short, waiting can make you a better person.

9. Capacity
Waiting will lead you through situations you don’t believe you can cope with. You will come out
the other side stronger, more capable and with a shot of Vitamin C to your self-confidence. We
are not built to be rescued at the first sign of discomfort. How would we have learned to walk if
those caring for us had been too worried to put such strain on our leg muscles? Waiting is hard. It
is uncomfortable, inconvenient, and makes us face things about ourselves that we’d rather avoid.
But if we let it, it stretches us beyond what we think our limits are, and there we discover there
was a whole lot more to us than we ever knew.

10. Gratitude
Once you bend your head around the fact that waiting is your friend, and not your enemy, some
important things will shift in your head. Instead of being frustrated by delays, you can be grateful
for them, make the most of each one and soar through your time of waiting. On the other side of
it, you will see how much has been grown in your character even though it felt like nothing was
happening at the time. Now that is something to be grateful for.

Waiting in a patient manner : with calmness or without complaint or hurry in spite of delays,
difficulties,and/or tedium is important in terms of our own growth in Life.

THANK YOU!!!!