Siddharth was terrified to see “JARA” i.e. old age “Vyadhi” i.e. disease and “Mritu” i.e. death at the age of 29. He wanted an answer to the problems. The fourth sight was that of a saint. He was happy serving all of them and that gave Siddharth hope for the world. The Saint asked him to get a bowl of rice from any family who faced none of these problems. Siddharth went around the village but found none. Thus realising and accepting the facts as they are. Sidharth left the world and became “Buddha”.
The present-day Siddharth, the sole breadwinner of the family, a white collar worker is from a middle-class family. He is married and has one child. Maybe, parents to support. He is deeply in sorrow as he has lost his job. He can not stand in the “Free ration line”. He can’t be the beneficiary of any of the Government schemes. Monthly rents, bills, and EMI piling up each day. This is a disaster for him.
This happened more so in COVID and thereafter. So the best way to manage financially is to save six months of salary in savings or fixed deposit. This is only the basic preparation at all times for rainy day. Just hygiene.
Next, I am proposing a four-pronged approach to handle and come out of “loss of job “. It is as follows:
1. Tell the world
a. For those who need to pay the bills. It is really difficult to tell the family but still, it is important. Otherwise, the stress of holding the vital information and possible leakage in front of family and friends is immense. Tell your family and friends so that you can come over this stress.
b. Tell your previous employers, colleagues, and post on responsible social media that you are looking to work afresh. This will certainly work.
c. As a small tip never delete the contacts of your previous colleagues.
d. Update your CV regularly; so that you are not stressed out to update it at the time when you need it the most.
2. Sharpen your AXE i.e. learn a skill
a. Millions of online and offline resources are available to update yourself. Register yourself and utilise your 3–4 hours daily on this. Talk to your seniors or your friends and guidance on the selection of skills you should learn.
3. Exercise
a. Losing a job is emotionally very stressful. The brain and mind take their toll. The body needs to support the brain.
b. I assume that everyone certainly makes, creates, or finds a 30-minute slot for himself/ herself. When you lose your job increase this time to 60 minutes. If there is a lot of trauma, hurtfulness out of rejection, or a lot of feeling of abandonment; increase this time up to 75 minutes. This certainly helps.
4. Practice a hobby
a. Just look back and see which hobby you always wanted to pursue. Now you have a little time in hand. Practice it.
b. A hobby is not your “interest”. A hobby is an active sport. Cooking doesn’t mean watching recipes. It means getting the grocery and actually serving a dish on the table, Well! With dressings on. Music does not mean watching music videos, that means actually making music and recording if you wish so.
c. A hobby is a very soulful process that focuses you. The journey is mindful and the output is blissful for the performer.
Finally, I would like to summarise as under:
Believe in yourself, don’t be bitter about yourself.
Be kind to yourself.
Trust that it is just a matter of time and who knows … a blessing in disguise!
