Mona before you move up north I thought I would let you know that Penguins live in the Antarctica and Polar Bears would be you neighbours in the Arctic Circle!

I think it is very difficult to convince many who are older of just how much things have changed jobwise. My professors, because I attend a grad school that’s a bit of an outcast, understand exactly what new academics face – universities have no real incentive to hire full-time tenured faculty, and being lost in crappy adjunct jobs for the rest of one’s life is a real possibility.

At least they recognize how ugly the reality can be. For most people, the fact that there are a few who have stable jobs disguises the harsh reality behind the rest of us struggling to get something, and the even harsher reality for those of us trying to be entrepreneurs of a sort. I don’t think our parents have any clue how much people who are billionaires now starve to get their ideas off the ground.

Please don’t stress. Some of us do see how much the new job market requires one get comfortable with independence, and we’re blogging away and marketing ourselves, making the most of every opportunity possible, not merely the ones that involve resumes.

A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see and asked the students, ‘How much do you think this glass weighs?’
’50 gms!’… ’100 gms!’… ’125 gms’ … the students answered.
‘I really don’t know unless I weigh it,’ said the professor, ‘but, my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?’
‘Nothing’ the students said.
‘Ok! What would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?’ the professor asked.
‘Your arm would begin to ache’, said one of the students.
‘You are right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?’
‘Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress and paralysis and have to go to hospital for sure!’ ventured another student; and all the students laughed.
‘Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?’ asked the professor.
‘No’
‘Then what caused the arm ache and the muscle stress?’ The students were puzzled.
‘Put the glass down!’ said one of the students.
‘Exactly!’ said the professor. ‘Life’s problems are something like this. Hold it for a few minutes in your head and they seem okay. Think of them for a long time and they begin to ache. Hold it even longer and they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything’.
‘It’s important to think of the challenges (problems) in your life, but EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to have trust in Allah (SWT) and to ‘put them down’ at the end of every day before you go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh and strong and can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!’
So, as it becomes time for you to leave office today, Remember friend to ‘PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY’ and have tranquility by putting trust in Almighty Allah (SWT).
Noble Qur’an says: “He it is who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they might have more faith added to their faith”. (48:4) Tranquility is sign of strong faith while worries and stress is sign of weak faith.
By worrying so much, do’nt turn your life to hell. Good luck.