Getting Laid Off

Emily was laid off yesterday. She feels as if a tornado just swept through and destroyed her life. Her entire daily routine feels like it has been obliterated.

“What do I do?” she asked.

A lot of people are getting laid off now. A lot of people are sitting, like Emily, shell-shocked, not knowing what to do now. 

What do you say to someone who’s just been laid off? 

You will find an even better job.

You will land on your feet very soon.

For me, these aren’t empty bromides. I believe these statements with my whole heart. 

And one of her kids asked her this question last night: What would you pick if you could have any job in the world?

This is a really good question. 

She didn’t tell me how she answered it or if she did, but  I think everyone should take a stab at that one. 

But let’s return to the initial question: What do you do when your life blows up?

When you’ve been shivved, knifed in the back, and now you’re lying there, bleeding, asking, What the hell just happened?

When you’re in sweatpants at 10 am, not in work clothes.

When you didn’t realize summer break was here, but suddenly, here it is.

When you’re faced with a long ribbon of trackless time, spooling out front of you that you never planned for.

What do you do?

I’ll tell you what Emily’s doing. She’s giving herself a few days to absorb the shock, to bandage her wounds.

Then, she’s committed to practicing yoga every day. She’s also taking walks and resting.  She’s engaging with people. 

She has a vast network of people who care for her, and they are reaching out to offer help in scouring their networks for possible leads. 

Then, starting Monday, she will begin working her contacts on LinkedIn like it’s her job, which it will be. 

In the search for her next job, I think she will grow in self-knowledge and courage. 

She will, no doubt, have to befriend frustration and disappointment. 

She’ll have to push herself to do things that feel awkward and forced, like attending networking events and meeting new people.

But in doing so, she’ll also make new friends, and her life will expand in ways she can’t imagine.

Getting laid off is an inflection point in a life, an enforced pause that can give a person the chance to ask the serious questions:

Where do I want to go now?

Who do I want to be?

Do I want to pursue the same career I was just laid off from? Or do I want to leverage my skills and explore a completely new direction? 

In the search for this new thing, if you can relax and stay curious. If you can sit in silence and listen rather than squirm anxiously and desperately, I think you’ll find your new path sooner.

What do you think? Is this right? Have you ever gone through this? Are you going through it now? 

Please advise. This is a big issue, with so many federal employees being laid off everywhere. 

Any tips and tricks would be appreciated!

Love, 

Kath