Silver lining

Decoding Burn Toast Theory, which implies taking setbacks in one's stride and turning losses into lessons.

How would you read this update? A man was denied boarding a flight that tragically crashed in São Paulo, killing 62 people. His story is an example of the burnt toast theory. "I argued with him; he saved my life," the man reportedly said, reflecting on his confrontation with the airline staff that ultimately kept him off the doomed flight.

His story is not an isolated incident. Like him, many others have been saved by divine intervention. Ajay Dev Singh, a mid-level offline advertising professional, lived and worked in New Delhi in the late Noughties.

One winter morning in 2009, he was handed a pink slip that left him distraught. In the evening, he bumped into digital marketing evangelist late Anurag Gupta. The morning began on a glum note, with clouds of despair shadowing his career, leaving him crestfallen.

But by evening, his life had changed, and for good. He went for a career makeover, venturing into an unknown territory of digital marketing under Gupta's tutelage at his firm in Mumbai. From there on, there was no looking back.

Singh's case only elucidates the metaphorical concept of the 'burnttoast theory' that suggests that even minor inconveniences, like burning your toast in the morning, can set off a chain of events that ultimately lead to a positive outcome.

"Losing a job with no offer in sight was a huge setback. I stepped into a new career zone, unaware of what lay ahead.