I Am Getting Fired: Looking At The Bright Side of a Bad Situation
Is getting fired from your job the end of the world?
My boss came in on Monday morning and without warning announced that our company was closing for good on Friday.
I’ll admit the initial sting really hurts and it is easy to see how getting fired sends some people into a tailspin. Panic lurks just under the surface about money, reputation and the long-term impact on my career.
However, I’m trying hard to believe that It is not as bad as it seems. After all, there has been more than one person bounce back when they got fired. Right?
3 reasons getting fired may be the best thing that ever happened
No one wants to get fired. Well, there may be those out there in really bad jobs that don’t have the guts to quit, but that’s not the typical person. Most of us need our jobs and if we are going to leave, we want to do it on our own terms.
However, life doesn’t always play out according to our plans, does it? Our future can change abruptly as it did for me. Okay, okay, I’ll confess the scenario above is a true story about my getting fired, but it happened in January of 1998.
Of course, that doesn’t make it any less real and it goes to show you that it is not the end of the world because I really did bounce back.
One of the hardest parts about getting fired is the blow it deals to your ego. We all like to think we are irreplaceable. We want to believe that we are just too doggone valuable for someone to lay us off. Well, when push comes to shove, everyone is vulnerable.
If you are in this situation now, you have to look at the bright side. Let me assure you, there may very well be a shiny silver lining to this whole mess.
I don’t want to dish up a bunch of patronizing platitudes, but as someone that’s been there, I do think I can offer you some hope.
Here are three ways that getting fired might work in your favor:
1. Getting fired may be just the kick in the pants you need
Many of us, myself included, are reluctant to leave behind something “safe” for something that feels more risky. The unknown always feels riskier than maintaining the status quo. However, once you’ve been fired, you know that feelings sometimes deceive you.
Getting fired may be just the push you need to get out there and try something you’ve always wanted to do. If you weren’t fired, then you might have continued down the same boring path you were on and missed out on some incredible opportunity awaiting you just around the corner.
For me, I wanted to be in business for myself ever since I was a kid. Getting fired turned out to be just the push I needed to get out there and give it a shot. If I hadn’t wound up unexpectedly unemployed, I might have never had the guts.
2. Getting fired may give you the opportunity to try some new things
Look at your situation as a “get out of jail free” card. The world is your playground. Yes, you have obligations and responsibilities to meet, but the options for how you go about addressing those is wide-open.
You can experiment. How about trying something a little different? Why don’t you put a new twist on your old career? Are you curious about that new upstart company you’ve heard so much about? Go talk to them!
Have you ever thought about staying at home with the kids? Now might be the time to give it a try. If you get on a budget and manage your money right, it can certainly work out.
My wife has stayed at home for over eight years now. There was an adjustment period, but now it is the new normal. People do new things. Whatever you want to do, It can work for you, if you want it bad enough.
3. Getting fired will give you the chance to totally reinvent yourself
Have you ever wished that you’d chosen a different profession? Most of us start our careers at a very early age. We pick something we think we’d like to do, but then later feel stuck. Well, by getting fired, you just got the gift of getting unstuck.
This is your chance to totally reinvent a whole new you. Jonathan Fields started out as a securities lawyer in NYC, but later decided that wasn’t the life he wanted. He left it all behind even with all the time and money he had invested in law school! Now he has forged a whole new life for himself as an author, entrepreneur and business mentor.
On one of his blog sites, you can find the profiles of numerous other Career Renegades like Jonathan. They are inspiring! I encourage you to read a few to see the possibilities for reinventing yourself during this period of opportunity in your life.
Focus on the bright side of getting fired and you will bounce back
Getting fired was certainly not in my plans, but it opened the door for me to start my own business. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise!
As with most things in life, it is all about how you look at it. It is your perspective. If you lift your head up, keep your eyes open and look at the bright side, then you’ll likely be back on your feet in no time. What’s more, things might even take a turn for the better!
Have you ever been fired? How did you handle it?
Photo by a2gemma
Ouch. Tough situation, Jeff. I hope you’re able to bounce back into another position soon.
Several years back I found myself in a similar circumstance. My employer had extended credit to a lot of un-ceditworthy people and had gotten loans against receivables and inventory to cover their defaults. That bank was bought out and the new bank called the loan, wanting $3.6 million in less than 6 hours. When the owner couldn’t come up with it, the bank shut us down and auctioned everything within a week. One hundred forty people were suddenly jobless, including me (with a wife, a mortgage, and three kids!).
Knowing our market, our vendors, and our customers, four other guys and myself started our own company in the same exact industry. We were able to take eliminate all the inefficiencies we had complained about at our old jobs and we were profitable within 18 months. Five years later and we were netting more than the old company with only one third the revenue!
Hopefully things will work out with you. One thing’s for sure, with your positive attitude and skills, you’ll be an asset to any company.
Ron@TheWisdomJournal´s last blog ..Guest Post: My How We Have Changed
Good post Jeff…sorry for your situation.
This happened a few years ago to me, but to your points above I found a better paying more rewarding career with my job searching. I would have never made the career advancement if my company didn’t lay me off.
Good things can come out of difficult situations sometimes…not always though, so make sure to alway keep a back up plan in place – Even if your current situation is going well.
Thanks
Jake
Revive Your Life
That happened to me and after the initial ego blow and being hurt it helped me realize that I needed a change in my life. So I moved to a new city, took a little bit of a risky job in a new area, and now am enjoying myself.
Craig´s last blog ..How to Start Dealing with Finances Post College?
Sorry to hear about your situation, Jeff, but I think it’s SO great how you’re handling the situation. Way to look at the bright side and stay positive! I’m impressed!
Positively Present´s last blog ..want to be happier? stop avoiding unhappiness
Sorry for this Jeff! But as you said it’s an opportunity to look on the other side: the bright side. It’s a kick in the butt. You will spent a couple weeks harder than usual questionning yourself about what to do etc… If youplan to start some entreprenarial thing, it’s a good time to think about it. At the begining it will be hard and you will regret the easy days when after leaving work you did not have to worry. But if you keep working hard enough, you won’t regret it. It happenned to me exactly the same way couple years ago, and today I bless that day! Good luck!
@Everyone – I appreciate your condolences, but the getting fired part happened about 11 years ago. I guess I should have highlighted that a little more clearly in the article! I have bolded that now.
I do appreciate all the testimonials you guys have added about how the right attitude can certainly pay off.
Thanks!
[...] I Am Getting Fired: Looking At the Bright Side of a Bad Situation. While I was sorry to hear about Jeff’s situation, I was inspired by his response. He’s right, sometimes getting fired is just the “kick in the pants” we need. (@My Super-Charged Life) [...]
[...] I Am Getting Fired: Looking At the Bright Side of a Bad Situation. While I was sorry to hear about Jeff’s situation, I was inspired by his response. He’s right, sometimes getting fired is just the “kick in the pants” we need. (@My Super-Charged Life) [...]
Great way to encourage people through a very difficult time!
So you just got fired. What is the big deal, there is none.
Never let your selfworth be tied to a job. Many times employers love to fire you a few days before Christmas or just before a birthday. Just laugh and keep going. Many times the employer thinks they can hurt you more by firing you during these times. There are so many crazy people and employers out there today. Always keep your chin up and remember who you are. You are the same person with or without a job. You are the same person with or without money. Enjoy life and keep going.
Jim Charlotte, NC