"One of the common threads about being fired...is you tend to feel alone, isolated. You feel like the only person in the world that's been fired. Intellectually, you know that's not true, but that's how it feels at the moment." ~ Annabelle Gurwitch
For the past two years, I've worked as a Health Care benefits verifier. My hours were flexible, I worked from home, the pay was good, and most importantly, the income supported my Daily Celebrations habit.
Two weeks ago, without warning, I was laid off. Boom! Just like that. I didn't see it coming and it was a blow to the wallet and a blow to the ego.
Before I had a chance to wallow in the rejection or feel just a little sorry for myself, I discovered actress Annabelle Gurwitch's book, Fired, Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized & Dismissed (2006), a collection of hilarious and healing "down-sizing" stories.
"So you were fired. Welcome to the club. We've been waiting for you," Gurwitch said in the book's introduction; her axing came from her hero director Woody Allen. She explained, "I'm not a therapist, I'm an actress whose been in therapy."
The key is to accept how getting the pink slip is just a fact of life. "Statistcally," Gurwitch said, "by the time you're 32...you will have nine jobs. You have to make your peace with being fired."
Making peace means looking inside, picking yourself up, and learning from the experience. It helps to realize you're not alone, but are actually in good company. AND getting fired can be a new beginning and the potential for marvelous transformation:
• Bernie Marcus was fired before starting Home Depot...
• Steve Jobs was dropped from Apple, the company he co-founded, just in time to head Pixar Studios to animation history with the mega-hit Toy Story...
• And J.K. Rowling lost her job as a secretary just before writing her first Harry Potter novel.
"We all have to do something to address this stigma (of being fired)," Gurwitch said. "I think we should have parties and celebrate!"
Sometimes Losing Well is the Best Revenge.