Game Changer—3 Reasons Why Your Unexpected Layoff Is Saving Your Life
The impending doom—life is over, as we know it—complication of job dismissals, is sweeping across the nation in radical forms of surprise. Our professional, accomplished egos are rendered dumbfounded, offended, and confused as to how our life’s work could be packed into a box in fewer than 10 minutes.
Panic sets in and our minds begin to race:
So, this is what rejection feels like.
I am not good enough.
This is my fault.
I am living paycheck to paycheck already. How will I pay my bills?
How will I take care of my family?
Why me?
We as human beings are constantly searching for an answer to the question, “Why?” Deeply imbedded behind this question lurks an answer that might make us feel uncomfortable, frightened, and unwilling to act.
The larger meaning, then, behind unexpected layoffs, is life’s method of offering us a new passageway to discover the truth of who we are, our passions, our needs, and perhaps, the real work that we should perform.
And, in the creation of discovering truth and meaning amid life’s unexpected situations rests answers that just might save our lives.
What is the Universe trying to communicate to us through this drastic change?
Life is asking us to move to a greater height of courage. We are taught to stay in unhealthy relationships, not just in romantic connections, but in professional pursuits as well. We falsely equate success with the quantity of years spent, rather than the quality of time experienced. Life is asking us to courageously move beyond the conventional and create the opportunity that makes our hearts sing, while becoming active participants in a fulfilled life. Here is our chance to say, “How can I be of service to my gifts, talents, and humanity?” Job loss in this capacity is the opportunity to get in touch with our purpose. Chances are, we understood years ago that it was time to move beyond our current role, but lacked the courage to change our current situation.
We have neglected our health. If you think the thought of not having a job creates stress in your life, just think back to the level of stress you experienced in your last position. Being in high demand and experiencing extended hours year after year takes a toll on our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual self. We don’t usually recognize the level of stress we are under, until we take a step back from our current situations. Job loss allows us to regain (and, with luck, maintain) a healthier life full of exercise, meditational time, rediscovery of what really matters in our lives, and time to sketch out what we need in a fulfilling career that also coincides with our needs in terms of personal health.
Our relationships become strengthened. One of the most expeditious approaches in understanding who is in our corner is in times of unexpected crises. Relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners are brought to the forefront of endurance when the unexpected lands at our door. What relationships in your life need your attention, time, and devotion? What connections need to end? Have you even noticed that your husband or wife misses your emotional presence? Do your children need you to be more of a present force in their formational days?
Unexpected job loss is more about controlling the conditions that we experience, rather than allowing the conditions to control us. It’s a time to reexamine, revisit, and realign our lives around what is of true substance to us—rather than the things that we avoid, deny, and from which we are disconnected.
Leveraging richness of wealth has become so much our focus that we have neglected our richness of being—a form of currency that has more value than we often give credit.
And, if we pay attention now to the life conversation that is taking place, in sincere and vulnerable perspective, we might discover that the job we need to save just might be that of living our own life.