Don't look now but aren't you moving at a much faster clip than you ever have before? Are you not packing in much more into your day, gathering more info than before, answering more mail than before, making more presentations than before, striking more deals than before? Aren't you partying more, buying more, spending more? Ever since the 'liberalisation' and 'globalisation' revolutions hit India, we have been living on speed, coping with the dizzying pace of change, anticipating the challenges that face us and updating our skill set before we are declared obsolete.

We live in times that are both exciting and 'stress creating'. True, the opportunities are legion for us to make money and to be successful. At the same time, the stakes are so much higher and the safety nets are off. We must sink or swim by our own efforts. We no longer have the luxury of security, whether of jobs or relationships. All bets are off and we are forced to survive by the seat of our pants.

So how do we cope?

Accepting Responsibility
Perhaps the very first thing we should do, though admittedly not the easiest, is to look at reality in the face and accept it. Yes, things have changed. Yes, life is tougher today. Yes, there's a lot more on your plate. Yes, the responsibility is killing. Once we know where we stand, it is much easier to handle the situation. Most of us spend a good deal of time resisting the moment. This is natural because it is really not easy to accept things as they are. As the Buddha says, the natural tendency of the human mind is to swing between craving and aversion. We crave for what is pleasant and shrink from what is not. The present times force us to be more capable, more efficient, more proactive than many of us are comfortable being. These are times that require us to expand and grow. So, give yourself space for feeling what you do and move into acceptance mode.

Exploring possibilities
Once we accept what is, the possibilities of the situation flash out at us. For truly, the opportunities before us are enormous. The more challenging the situation, the greater the opportunity for growth. If time is the problem, we learn to be creative about its usage. Perhaps you can take on a flexi-time job. Perhaps you can telecommute? Perhaps you can take a dabba rather than waste precious time cooking? Explore possibilities all the time. Perhaps you have been laid off from work. There are endless possibilities here too. Instead of looking for another job, re-examine your options. What would you really like to do? What is the ideal job that you would like to have? What kind of contribution do you dream of making to the world? Consider going back to college and studying. Look for ways and means of making money out of doing what you really love to do. Make this lay-off work for you.