when you lose your job
There are moments in life that you never forget – your first kiss, learning how to drive, your wedding day, the birth of your children, your first job . . . your last job – Hearing the words . . . Your employment is terminated effective immediately.
In a matter of minutes, my rhythm, title, and sense of identity were gone. Should I get angry, shout, ask questions, or just walk out of there. My mind was spinning and there was no stopping it.
I’ve had to deliver this message and it’s a difficult thing. I’ve been on both sides of one of the most inhumane human resource practices out there.
In the days that followed, I didn’t have answers. Just questions. Silence, stillness, and shame. Not much makes you feel better during those first few days.
And yet, it was the beginning of something better. It usually is. It’s hard, if not impossible, to see in that moment, but it’s there.
I don’t share this because it’s easy. I share it because someone reading this might be feeling lost too. Let me tell you what I needed to hear in that moment: This isn’t the end. It’s a turning point.
A few thoughts that have helped me with loss in the past:
It will get better. It may not feel like you’ll ever recover, or the next opportunity will ever come quick enough. But it will.
It’s a loss, so grieve it! The grieving process is important and it’s not linear. You will have good days and bad days; lean into both.
A new chapter begins when the old chapter ends. Some new things in life need the old thing to die, to end. Dig in and get ready to write a new chapter.
Losing a job feels like the ground has been pulled from beneath you. It’s disorienting, painful, and deeply personal. But it’s not the end, it’s a reset. The shock gives way to reflection, the grief makes room for healing, and the ending creates space for a new beginning. If you’re standing in the hallway between what was and what’s next, hold on. There’s more ahead than you can see right now.
