I have had some great challenges in my life. You don’t grow up in a family with close to 3o brothers and sisters without encountering your share of challenges. Today, at my gym Good Life I ran into a friend who was telling me a story about a colleague who had lost their job as General Manager after 32 years with one company. She was filled with grief by the manner in which she was let go (something she could not control) and by the grief of her circumstances (something she could control).
I asked if I could do a little coaching work with the individual and talk through what she was expereincing. Let’s say their name is Ted
1)Ted was fortunate to spend his whole career with one company.
2)Ted was fortunate enough to work his way up through the ranks of the company.
3)Ted was fortunate to have found his calling and live it out with one company.
4)Ted was fortunate enough with his company, that his position allowed him to enjoy trips around the world something he would never have been able to do on his own.
After a certain period of grieving his situation, Ted needs to do Perspective Readjustment, refocus on what he has gained from his last 32 years with his company, not what he has lost.
I understand where Ted is and maybe many of your have been there as well. On a personal level, the last 13 months have been a challenge. I sold my business in April of 2013 and was ready to take on some new and exciting opportunities. Well things have not turned out (YET) the way I had planned. The journey has been beset with huge learning curves and I have battled the demons inside my head that tell me I should have stayed put.
Here are some of the things I have learned/gained from the pain and struggles of the last 13 months:
- A better understanding of what others who have lost their jobs are going through and how to walk with them. (Humanity)
- I am relearning what it means to work on your business not in your business. (Continuous Education)
- I have moved from the world of telling, business ownership, into the world of training, mentoring and consulting. (Comfort Zone has expanded)
- I have renewed vision, direction and purpose for my 3rd and 4th quarters of my life. (Purpose)
- I have had my faith challenged and been given an opportunity to make it stronger. (Spiritual Renewal)
Loss, grief, perceived defeat are walls God has given us to make us stronger, better and more agile. I am glad I did not win the lottery because I may have missed out on all these blessings.
I want to leave you with this quote by author Peter Scazzero. “Experiencing loss confronts us with our humanity and our limits. We quickly realize we are not in control of our lives. God is. We are simply creatures, not the creator.” Cool!!!!