The concept of “ one day at a time” is simple- and yet easy to set aside. Even those who keep this adage as a guiding beacon are tempted to digress and surf the future. Immigrants to Canada are often advised by older immigrants to live life “one day at a time.” But the temptation to rush the agenda is far too tempting. The result is not unexpected: Stress and despair suddenly surface.

The problem with trying to look into to far ahead is that the future slips away further and the present is lost forever. In that context let us try and understand how the principle works if we are to take an elementary example: Go out to your workplace, work for the day as best you can ( a degree better than on the previous day) and don’t think of what tomorrow may have in store for you.

Take nothing for granted in Canada- especially your job. One day you have it; the next day your tears might blot the pink slip you clutch crestfallen and shattered. That too shall pass. It is all part of the acclimatization process and it almost invariably works for the betterment.

More often than not it is a blessing in disguise: You learn to grow double- quick in a seemingly alien environment till such time the hide on your back is thick enough to withstand much more inadvertent “ new-world lashes.”

I have seen, first hand, the reaction of people, close to me, who lost their jobs-got laid off, or were fired for the first time in Canada. Their first reaction is one of near total devastation; it is a reaction that is a lot worse than it would have been in India under similar circumstances.  And understandably so: You are ten thousand miles away from home and suddenly coming to Canada does not seem like such a good idea.

Meet the very same people a few years later: They appear to have recovered from that initial ordeal. There are some who fold up their tents and head back home in sheer desperation.  Patience is a luxury for some new immigrants for whom the torture is unbearable. It is in that context there is a need to have ones own individual support group of friends and acquaintances. Sharing experiences is a good idea.

The first time you lose your job in Canada is a little like surviving a shipwreck and being marooned even though you know there is help forthcoming. Nonetheless, it is a lonely feeling.

It might be a good idea to climb out of the self-pity and get down to the grind.  It is not the end of the world; it is the beginning of the Canadian immigrant saga-a story of common occurrence.

You are not alone. That thought, in itself, should provide you the much-needed solace to cope with the loss of your first job in Canada.