All of us have been tracking the Nasdaq & BSE for the past several months. For some, it could be for investment / book profit-loss & for some, this could be just to keep oneself abreast with the economic situation at large. Few months back, when the wall street collapsed, every other market was anticipating a butterfly effect & it did happen too… to some extent. The Mumbai terror attacks & Satyam fiasco scared most of our investors away, Uncertainty looms over our NRI friends , People are being asked take either a “huge salary cut” or resign with dignity . Those who still hold a job can feel the Damocles sword.
It is not just the corporate environment; this recession has hit homes too. Those who would not bat an eyelid to take an auto, now patiently wait for the BMTC bus to come by. Students have discovered that carbon papers work out cheaper than Xerox. The Bhelpuri and Panipuri stalls gain crowd while the Pizza-Huts and McDonalds give a deserted look. Suddenly water seems to be tastier than Pepsi and Coke. Your local cable-guy seems to have better collection of movies than the neighborhood multiplex. Malls are for free AC & parks are for public interaction seem to be the new mantra.
When things were good, we did not mind spending few extra bucks, and when things are not so good, no one is shy to admit that they have to put certain luxuries on hold. This “Face it head on – Attitude” is something that I admire in the present generation. Once we are able to relate to the reality around us on a more personal level, then it’s easy to weigh our options and take the best route. Loosing ones job is bad (– this is reality). If the person continues to sulk about it, he is disconnected from his life (— how long can one afford sulking , figuratively and literally). Instead, if he can find the courage to at least make and attempt to lookup & look ahead, then that would be the best thing to do, given the circumstances.
I agree, it’s easier said than done. But, today, we have someone in flesh and blood to draw inspiration from. The story of Nano – the small car is no small feat. Keep your Mechanical & Automotive engineering degrees aside and take a look at Nano –the big concept. When Mr.Ratan Tata proposed this idea, he faced ridicule & scorn which was more than enough to send anyone’s confidence to the dumps. Yet, with persistence and perseverance he delivered the first Nano in Jan 2008. The “others” were not done yet with Mr.Tata. They forgot that Mr.Tata has converted a concept to reality. Instead they got busy speculating the financial – impossibilities. Exactly 14 months later, he put all those speculations to rest. The Standard Model still costs 1.Lakh – Dealer’s price.
My point is, there is no better time than now to take stock of your endurance and perseverance. Boldly hope against all hopes towards a better tomorrow. Don’t just sit and sulk, get up and face your (to)day ahead with conviction, tomorrow will take care of itself. If you are apprehensive about your family, friends and “relatives”, Have Some Faith. You will be pleasantly surprised.
PS:- I don’t know Mr.Ratan Tata on a personal level.
PS2:- I am not a Nano- Dealer
PS3:- Image Source Pic1 & Pic 2
lol @ the nano dealer part 😛 Yup I read about it and it seems good…Donno maybe this will be my first car 🙂
That was some great motivating stuff, Deepa. Depression is a contagious disease in these troubled times. There seems to be no quick fix for it, other than hoping against hope. One of my friends in Chennai says that fresh college graduates are willing to work for free for even 3 to 4 months, as they somehow want a much-needed break – such is the level of desparation. In these tough times, the importance of savings and family’s backup cannot be underestimated. As the saying goes, tough times do not last but tough people do. Let’s hope we get over these difficult days behind us quickly.