Life is brittle and fluid. One moment can change our lives. It could be a positive change, which transforms our lives like we never imagined. On the other hand, it could be a life shattering experience and could make us believe that there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

This ephemeral life ,is for all of us. Whether men are born in Mars or women in Venus, I do not know ,but life is the same for all of us. It is up to us ,to take this moment in our stride and manage to deal with it.

A great moment like admission in a great academic institution or the job offer from your dream company ,could change your life forever. However, it is important to believe, that this moment may change your life course ,but the after effects may not last forever.

Imagine getting into the best academic institution in your country. However, if we do not pursue our academic course to the best of our ability and come out in flying colours, we may have nobody else to blame.

The moment which catapulted us into a different space ,may not last our lifetime. If we fail in our academic pursuits and fail in our final exams, we may never get placed in any organisation of repute and this may lead to a moment of despair for us.

The lesson to be learnt here is that, such moments do not last forever. They could come and go and we need to deal with them accordingly. Our getting admission in the best institute of the country may be due to our hard work and perseverance. We get rewarded for our efforts. But then to come out in flying colours at the end of the course ,will be determined by our efforts ,after this moment.

If a moment of joy catapults us to the sky, it could also make us land abruptly afterwards ,if we do not take the necessary follow up efforts as given in the example of admission to the best academic institution.

On the other hand, a moment could impact our life negatively too. We may miss a promotion, when we think we deserve it most and others in the team too think the same way. This moment may shatter our confidence and self belief. However, it is our courage and resilience to deal with such moments, which may bring out the best in us. The greatest of human beings ,learn more from failures than successes.

We need to remember that such life changing moments may happen to us, at different stages of life. But they do not last forever. Our ability to be grounded in moments of joy as well as perseverance and resilience in moments of despair ,may help us to be a winner in life ,always.

These moments occur both in personal and professional lives. It could be a moment of joy ,at the birth of our first child. It could be the moment of tragedy, to lose a parent at a young age. An expected reward/recognition at work will delight us. On the other hand, losing a job during a pandemic or a restructuring of an organisation ,may shatter our hopes.

We need to remember that both joy and sorrow is transitory. If we learn to take both ,in our stride, we can manage both these moments resolutely ,without impacting our lives adversely.

Nothing is permanent ,including a moment in life.

All moments may help us improve and change.

S Ramesh Shankar

7th Dec 2023