Courage, Upskilling, and the Balance of Resilience

It is scary — a word that brings fear to some, but for others, it becomes a chance for retooling or upskilling. It’s easy to say phrases like:

• "Come out of your comfort zone."
• "You have to upskill."
• "You need to stay up to date."

But the truth is, we do have to do all of the above.

I have worked in the USA for 25 years, collaborating with diverse teams, cultures, and backgrounds. One trait I admire about Americans is their approach to planning. They take things one at a time, stay objective, and have the courage to face uncertainties. They are bold in making decisions and taking calculated risks. This mindset is embedded in their education system, which is designed to prepare individuals to adapt and face life events without losing confidence. This is one reason why the USA remains resilient through dot-com crashes, banking recessions, COVID, and trade wars.

I can't generalize this for every country, but the U.S. model has been clear since I arrived and studied here 25 years ago.

During the dot-com bust, many of our teammates lost their jobs. Today, most of them are in significant positions like VP, Director, and Software Development leads. No one vanished. Some changed careers, some retired as they planned.

A common thought is, "What about poor people who can't afford upskilling or training?" Let me share a story. My father was a projector operator in a small movie theater in India, earning barely Rs 2000 per month — a lower-middle-class income. When the theater upgraded to a new projector, they told him he had to learn the new model or risk losing his job. Within 3 days, an engineer trained him, and he was operating the new machine.

Upskilling sounds fancy, but often, it's a few days or months of focused effort. The key isn’t just passion — it's planning, which is entirely in our control. I’ve always saved money or been ready to take a loan for higher education. Most IT companies here in the U.S. offer generous training budgets annually, yet I wonder how many of those laid off actually utilized them. I don't have the data, so I won’t speculate whether it's a company issue or a personal one.

What I do know is this: adaptability is not about privilege alone — it’s about intention and planning. We can't control all circumstances, but we can control our readiness to face them.

Peace within all.