The Glass is Half Full

“Rejoice rejoice

You have no choice

But to carry on

Carry on

Love is coming

Love is coming to us all” – CSNY

I woke up late, really late this Sunday after a party we had at home. It went on late, lots of laughter, music and next morning the house was still reverberating with the positive energy of the previous evening. As I groggily lifted the paper I was pleasantly hit with some good news – the Indian navy had freed a ship captured by pirates and 23 of the brigands were in custody. Felt good, real good.

Have you noticed the flood of good news and happy tidings that have been flowing in for the last few days?

I went to the fuel station and said ‘full tank’ with glee. Have you looked at the price of air tickets? Can’t be sure but they seem to be cheaper. My wife and me have this dream of buying a small house on the beach. Friend has been calling from Goa for the last couple of months saying, “buy NOW, it is cheaper” and I have been hedging. Another EMI at these high interest rates in these times of uncertain earnings? As of yesterday I believe it may just be possible, interest rates have taken a steep southward journey for small loans. Every day I am getting these fabulous discount SMSes from Dominoes and the morning paper came with a flyer that had unbelievable holiday options at incredible prices!

On other fronts, politics seems to have acquired a temporary veneer of sobriety, there was a ‘unanimous’ decision taken by our Lok Sabha, Kasab is singing like a canary and even the stock market is looking up!

The biggest casualty of the last few months has been our BELIEF in a better tomorrow and our CONFIDENCE in making it happen. Suddenly things went out of our hands.  And we began doubting everything about our success story, our ‘fundamentals’, our systems and our own individual abilities to make a better tomorrow. We have become over cautious, risk averse, insecure hoarders. Those of us in jobs don’t know if we will keep them and if so for how long. No increments seem to be the general expectation and so we all hold back, save.

Unfortunately this is just the way the downward spiral starts and then we will have a real recession on our hands. So is there something we can do as individuals?

Yes, yes yes. Look around you. Big wheels have already been set in motion by the big wheels in government to make life better for all of us. That is what all the good news is about. So even if you don’t get an increment, you can still do all that you were doing because everything is beginning to get a lot cheaper. Why don’t you look to buy a car now – they have never been cheaper? Take that holiday Don’t worry, no one will take your job. Plan it properly.

Throw a party. Call all your friends and have a blast. If you find the cost of alcohol steep, make it a BYOB. No one will mind. It will just make it possible for everyone else to loosen up when it is their turn.

To keep those big wheels turning it needs the power of our little wheels to spin faster and faster. Let’s not lose the faith so soon. There are lots of opportunities waiting around every corner. Let’s believe in a better tomorrow, this passing cloud was just there to remind us of what a fortunate time we are living in.

There is a bunch of chaps who have grown up in these times, who BELIEVE. They picked themselves up when they got beaten in the first round and mercilessly, ruthlessly annihilated great opponents – am talking about our cricket team. Did you hear Sehwag speak? He knew, he always believed and we won! Yet again!

I am sure tomorrow is going to be even better than today, just look for signs in the right place and make some of the good news yourself.