Love
Emma has a little problem, maybe big actually. She is afraid to tell her best friend, Liam, that she has fallen in love with him. Emma fears that it might ruin their friendship and such a secret begins to feel unbearable.
"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." Emma must be vulnerable, open her heart to Liam, and let love in.
Michael built his business from scratch, in this pursuit, he missed his kids growing up, and his marriage was always on the rocks.
"Money is not a substitute for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness." Michael shouldn't continue to chase after riches at the expense of his family time and needs to review his priorities.
Tom has been living and working away for some years now. His parents are growing old, and he feels the need/call to return home, but he has just been given a massive promotion at his new job.
"There is no foundation, no secure ground, upon which people may stand today if it isn’t the family." Tom has a dilemma of putting forward his career or the base of support being close to his family. He should choose his family.
Her grandmother is dying, Emily has to decide as to whether to attend a crucial job interview or be by her side.
"Death ends a life, not a relationship." Emily's task is to realize that her relationship with her grandmother will go beyond the physical presence meaning she must enjoy the last moments of other physical bond.
Jack landed his dream job, but it's on the other side of the country, moving means he is leaving his aging parents, who are dependent on him.
"If you don’t have the support and love and caring and concern that you get from a family, you don’t have much at all." Jack must put his love and responsibility for his family before his ambitions.
Sarah is left with a well-paying job that she hates, one that allows her to live well but makes her feel imprisoned and unfulfilled.
"So many people walk around with a meaningless life… This is because they’re chasing the wrong things." Sarah should find a career that would fulfill and make her happy and not go to a job in which she would be financially secure and safe. Do things that make you happy.
Maria is the primary caregiver for her ill sister. She’s been offered her dream job in another city, but taking it would mean leaving her sister’s side.
"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." Maria must decide if accepting the job is worth the sacrifice of not being there to give and receive love with her sister. Love will always be more important.
Mark has just been deemed terminal, he wonders what to do with himself for the remaining days: Whether, his dream, is to travel around the world or stay close to family and friends.
"The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live." Mark should live with his remaining days in his own way, whether by discovering new horizons or by deepening existing bonds.
Sophia loves the luxury products/lifestyles. She thinks that the more stuff and material she has in life, the better life becomes. But still, she feels a sense of emptiness inside.
"These people were so hungry for love that they were accepting substitutes. They were embracing material things and expecting a sort of hug back. But it never works." Sophia's must make the realization that loving relationships can fill the void left by the material possessions.
Jason had inherited a lot of money. He, much like you, needed to make a difference. But made up his mind, and in the end, it proved to be not simple. Should he donate all the money to charity, or should he invest in a startup belonging to his friend, which would feed thousands in its turn, if ever succeeds?
“Don’t cling to things because everything is impermanent.” Jason has to live with the decision based on his values and long-term impact, either creating charitable change through a charity or a start-up developing a shift in meaning. He should stop let go of the fear of loss.
After the demise of their parents, brother, and sister, John and Claire have a conflict on how to handle the family home. John wants it sold, but Claire feels it should stay in the family and be a legacy.
"Death ends a life, not a relationship." The conflict between the brothers is to preserve the house concerning the relationship they have with their parents and with each other.
After a lifetime of antipathy, Paul also reflects on the question of reuniting with the dying father. He was unclear if that was even possible or worth the emotional risk.
"Forgive yourself before you die. Then forgive others." What Paul is up against is looking/gazing into the potential of forgiveness, as well as a sense of closure. Sometimes, death can be a way to heal old spilts.
Neil and Ava are contemplating on becoming parents, though they both fear it will take away their freedom and change their life in a negative way.
"There is no experience like having children… If you want the experience of having complete responsibility for another human being, and to learn how to love and bond in the deepest way, then you should have children." Neil and Ava should decide to have children and discover this deep, unselfish love.
The case now is that Linda, quite near her retirement years, has a chance to put her money into a company that either guarantees a comfortable retirement or stands the risk of demolishing her retirement value.
"Don’t cling to things because everything is impermanent." The dilemma of Linda is whether to take the risk on the possibility of financial comfort or embrace life's impermanence and find contentment in what she currently has.
There's always something. Newlyweds Rachel and Alex work to blend their families from previous marriages but seem faced with an impossible thing since their children cannot pull well, forcing them to find ways of creating harmony.
"Love each other or perish." They should raise children in an environment that fosters love among them rather than establishing a divided household.
Her husband needs a high-risk surgery, which can give him additional life years or kill him instantly. She must decide whether to urge him to take the chance or settle for quality time left.
"Don’t cling to things because everything is impermanent." The predicament for Linda now is just to accept the impermanence of things and to make a choice that manifests a balance of hope and acceptance.