It’s the season of layoffs. A sudden ouster is like a punch on the face when you least expect it. For the faint-hearted, the pink slip is a doomsday message in the mail box. But for those with a well-oiled resilience mechanism in place, a layoff is just another bend on the road.
A dear friend was recently shown the door at an esteemed organisation. That evening she conveyed the news of her unceremonious exit with dampened spirits. I did not hear anything from her for the next two days. It was a cause of concern for family and friends. What good friends like me need to understand is that, maybe now is the time they need some solitude. And if they are a little quiet, it does not mean they’re on the threshold of depression.
An action plan
All my doubts were dispelled over the next few days as I found that the lost look on her face had given way to a determined one. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, my friend prepared an action plan. She enrolled in a morning yoga class and registered for online MOOC courses. A neatly handwritten To-Do list was back on the refrigerator door, with a few more additional points. One point that caught my attention was that a healthy body is the abode of a healthy mind. Cut the junk. Woah! I wondered, quite a detailed plan at that. My friend is diligently following her action plan, and for such determined individuals the only way is the way forward.
Adversity as fertilizer
Sometimes for the hidden seed of potential to sprout, adversity works as the best fertilizer. Walt Disney rightly said, “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realise it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” History is testimony to the fact that the foundation of greatness is often adversity. Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, or more recently Jack Ma, had the backing of adverse circumstances to reach heights of unparalleled greatness.
Flood woes and gains
A look at nature would also reveal the same truth. Take the case of the bi-annual flooding of rivers in the flood plains. During flooding, a lot of damage is caused. The havoc caused may force a novice farmer in the flood plains to rethink his options. Yet, it is the same water that carries with it nutrient-rich organic matter and sediments, making farmlands fertile.
A closer look at our own experiences will reveal that whenever there was a suffering that initially appeared beyond endurance, and we persisted in the face of it, the ultimate result was far more satisfying than we expected. This reaffirms my belief that life never follows a policy of simple interest. For the principal amount called adversity, which it may lend to us from time to time, the dividend that it pays is far greater, always in compound interest.
m.sridevi2@gmail.com
