Lose Your Job? House? Retirement Fund? There is a Silver Lining...

Why Losing it "All" May Not be as Bad as You Think
As a career consultant, one of the demographics I cater to is people who have lost their jobs and are looking for what’s next. In the current economy, this group has unfortunately grown  in size. I hear heart-wrenching stories on a daily basis about people who had so much and have (seemingly) lost everything. Chances are, if you are not in this position you probably know someone who is.

Although it can be difficult to have hope in the face of these challenges, I’d like to offer some words of encouragement. My hope is that they may inspire you to see your circumstances – and your next steps – from a brighter perspective.

The Story
I’d like to offer this simple story from my life to serve as a metaphor. Last week, I was driving around running errands, with dozens of things on my mind. As a result, it wasn’t until I finally got home and pulled into my garage that I happened to look down at my gas gauge. To my horror not only was I driving on empty, but the gauge that says how many miles are left read “0.” Because I live several miles from the nearest gas station I have always been in the habit of keeping my tank above half-full. I had never run out of gas before!

My first instinct was to panic, or call someone, or do SOMETHING drastic. Instead, I took a deep breath, pulled out of the garage and drove carefully down the road to the gas station several miles away. That zero stared me down every mile of the way but I just kept moving, steadily and carefully. And guess what? I made it, filled up my tank, and headed home with a new perspective on what it means to reach zero, and more importantly, where you go from there.

The Lesson
As I pondered how this experience related to all of the newly jobless professionals I encounter and consult on a regular basis, this is what I concluded:

• Never underestimate the gift of grace. Even though my gas tank read “0” miles left, there was still enough in the tank to get me to the nearest gas station. That is grace, and it will often save you when you think nothing can.
• You often have more than you think. Even though you may be used to having a “full tank,” (a great job, a nice house and a fancy car) losing those things does not mean you’ve lost everything.
• You are not your stuff. Your possessions, title, and position do not define you, whether you have them or not.
• Just keep moving. What’s the worst that can happen? Even if you do run out of gas along the way at least you’ll be closer to your goal than if you had stayed parked in your garage!

THE MOST IMPORTANT “SILVER LINING” (if you take nothing else from this story, remember this):
You haven’t lost what made you successful in the first place!! Whatever skills, qualities, talents and connections got you the possessions/title/position you held before haven’t disappeared. Try approaching this period as a time to reevaluate what you want and recreate any parts of your life that weren’t working for you before. Then get out there and show the world what you’ve got!