“I have always believed in getting up quicker after each fall, just to make the adversities realize that they are losing their might”

Life is nothing less than a challenge and as an individual we cannot always expect to be on the greener side of the pasture. However, more often than not, it is the challenging side of life that tests the true character in us. While some choose to succumb to the ever-growing pressure, there are quite a few who bring in their A-game, looking straight into the eye of adversity. 

That said, nothing beats the insanity associated with a lost job. There are times when organizations lay off their employees, in order to cut cost and make way for better financial resources. While quite a few of my friends had to bear with similar organizational challenges in the past, I encountered an involuntary lay off, almost six months back. While I didn’t actually lose my job, it was my company that was shut down due to certain corporate reasons; eventually putting me in a state of an economic downturn. Quite suddenly, my otherwise normal life turned on its head and after a month of sustainable resources, I started worrying about the future or albeit the lack of it.

It has been half a year since the job issue happened and today I am at a pretty comfortable position, both emotionally and financially. What I did to achieve the same and what actually I achieved make the better part of this post. However, before going any further, it is necessary to take a note of the fact that we can move forward in life and make fortunes turn, even when luck and all the other factors are against us.

Start by Invoking Hunger

What I did to reverse my condition is nothing less than extraordinary. Instead of thinking about a sustainable solution, I started looking for ideas to invoke the hunger in me. I started honing my skills and even questioned myself at times regarding my role at the last place of work. The best suggestion, therefore, would be to think about doing something path-breaking instead of just finding another job to fill the pockets with. The idea here is just not to move forward but to barge in and make a difference.

Embrace the Grief

It isn’t prudent and advisable to be in denial, at least when something as despairing as a job loss has happened. While we should brush off any feeling of disdain and move forward, it is also important to embrace the pain, in order to find closure. It is essential to understand that grief hosts us in five separate verticals with these being denial, anger, bargaining, inner depression, and finally acceptance. Once we recognize these phases, it becomes easier to deal with the existing coping process.

We must participate in breathing exercises, mediate regularly, and even practise yoga during this phase to calm the mind. The mentioned process will also help to bring about a lot of clarity regarding the preferred direction we look to move in. 

Believe in the Tribe

On a lighter note, it is quite satisfying to believe that this involuntary break will bring us close to our family and friends as now we can share that elusive cup of coffee while sitting for hours to chat and talk through even some of the more trivial aspects of life. Moreover, our tribe will always be encouraging and keep us from getting discouraged, even in the face of adversity.

There is No Shame in Asking for Help

We never know how much we mean to people and to what extent they are willing to go in order to help us. I still remember that when I told about this issue to a former associate of mine, he speed dialled almost every known connection to find probable employment opportunities for me. While this moved me a lot, it also made sure I understood the love people have for me. 

Asking for help isn’t embarrassing. We just get a better look at the unbeatable human spirit.

Create a Routine

The period when we are out of work can be the most rewarding, in regard to the upcoming career choices. This is where the importance of a routine comes in as we must try to hone our skills which each one of us has, apart from the professional credence. We all have habits while we are at work and it is advisable not to change the good ones even if we aren’t planning on going to the office anymore. Having a routine to fall back up makes sure that we don’t let go of certain habits even if they are intrusive and hard to keep up with.

Set Goals for the Future

If we have ever envisioned starting a firm of our own or to pursue something other than an office job, getting goals while out of work is probably the best way to move forward in life. There are instances when people let desperation and depression creep in, instead on concentrating on the bigger picture. The job loss might just be an opportunity for us to concentrate of something more worthwhile and rewarding. 

Six Months have passed since I faced the momentary standstill in life and today I have started venture of my own, with almost 12 employees working alongside me. While initially the job loss came as a shock as I even found it difficult to make ends meet, it was quite a productive phase in regard to planning out my start-up. 

I realized the importance of employment and started a firm which aims at connecting small, large, and medium-sized business to the potential job-seekers. Therefore, it wouldn’t be wrong to infer that my state of joblessness was the main motivator behind this recent and productive venture.

We must always trust the process which has many milestones leading towards the conclusion. The state of unemployment might be a momentary phase but the experience it brings along is rich and extremely utilitarian. Think of this phase as an opportunity to pause, reflect, renew, and even build networks; precisely for moving forward in life.

The journey itself is a self-satisfying one and at times more eventful than the destination.