Resilience

Recently, I noticed a pattern in my daily life that I hadn’t paid much attention to before.

I was making too many decisions randomly—often in the moment, without thinking things through. And, more often than not, those decisions were making things more complicated rather than better.

Yesterday, I decided to pause and introspect.

I realized something surprisingly simple: I don’t necessarily need to work harder; I need to plan better.

A little planning today can prevent a lot of unnecessary trouble tomorrow. It can give direction to my days, help me prioritize what actually matters, and stop me from constantly reacting to situations.

Some days are really difficult, and yesterday was one of them. The day started with a lot of tension, and instead of easing, it kept building until the afternoon. I could feel the pressure growing with every passing hour.

But from the evening onwards, the situation slowly began to loosen up. What stayed with me, though, was not just the relief but the feeling that I had changed a little. I felt more mature, more aware, and somehow more evolved than I was when the day began.

Nothing dramatic happened. It was simply one of those difficult days that quietly teaches you something about yourself. And yesterday, I learned something too.

One of my cousins was upset with her junior colleague at work. She felt that the colleague, despite having limited knowledge and poor communication skills, was trying to dominate others and spending a lot of time with their boss by giving unnecessary suggestions.

I advised her to ignore the negativity, focus on her own work, and meet her boss personally at least twice to share her daily updates. I also told her not to complain about her colleague.

Yesterday, she told me that this simple approach worked well. Her work got noticed, and the colleague’s unnecessary influence started fading away naturally.

Today, even profitable companies are laying off employees. Recent reports show that several big companies continue to reduce their workforce despite strong financial performance and increased investments in AI.

If you've been through a layoff, career uncertainty, or the challenge of starting over, your lived experience matters.

How did you cope?

What helped you move forward?

What would you tell someone facing the same situation today?