When you are hurting...

I know these are tough times for many people. Economy, career, personal life.. multiple reasons. Fear is the biggest factor.. fear of the unknown, fear of the future. Our first move will be to try to take refuge with the known.. the known comfort zone. Learning to manage one's fear is critical for long term happiness. Stay grounded.. do not make any drastic moves without much thought. If a change is essential, just embrace it. Fear hampers your rational thought process and can negatively affect your decisions. So, take a step back, take a deep breath and see what you can do the best under these circumstances. And just do it. All situations are transient. As one of my friends well put, "Life is like a test cricket. You have to do what it takes to stay in the game when things are not going well for you.. so that you will be there and ready to hit when the right ball comes.. until then just "doku" like Sunil Gavaskar used to" :). Ofcourse, my favorite was Sanath Jayasuriya.. ok.. I am digressing from the topic here.

I remember the day before flying out to Seattle from North Carolina. I did not know anybody in Seattle. When I was looking at where my office was located, I found it was in downtown and they dont provide "Free Parking". I couldnt imagine joining a company that doesnt have a parking lot.. and all my other fears started coming down on me. I called my parents and cried my heart out. They recollected their own experience of moving from a small town "Udumalpet" to "Coimbatore". When they moved, they were moving slightly away from my mom's parents(who were breathing down their neck all the time in a nice way.. always there to help them out) and to a big city. They were wary of the higher cost of living and starting from scratch in a way. What motivated them to move was the possibility of sending us to good schools. My parents gave me the encouragement that I will find the move refreshing, will meet new people and make new friends.. and many a times.. the path to a better life is taking a walk into the unknown. Everything lies in the perception.