You’ve Been Laid Off…Now What?

I stumbled across a video this weekend that really pulled me in.  It was a documentary about people who had been laid off called Lemonade.  There were interviews with several people from the Advertising industry who recounted the events of their layoffs and how they felt as it happened.  I was very inspired by the people in the video.  They used their experiences and their new found freedom to discover what they really wanted to do in their lives.

Note:  The full movie I originally watched on Hulu is no longer available for free, so I have included the trailer.

I can definitely relate with the stories that they told.  I was laid off a little over 3 years ago when I was 7 months pregnant with my son.  Before I was laid off I was struggling with what I would do when my son was born.  I had always known that I didn’t want to put my children in daycare, but I was having a heard time giving up my IT salary that I had worked so hard to earn.

I can’t really say that I was surprised to be one of the 15 people who were part of the layoff that day.  I was the newest and least experienced person in my department, and if I am totally honest, my heart had not been in the job after finding out that I was pregnant.

I had never been fired before, and it is hard to realize that your company no longer values you as an employee.

Walking out of the building at about 9:30 AM I had no clue what to do or where to go.  It was very eye opening to realize how much of my identity had been determined by my occupation.  I had worked for the same company for 7 years and I was 29 at the time.

For the most part I was ecstatic to be free from my job.  I saw it as my perfect opportunity to find something that would allow me to be a full time parent like I had always dreamed.   I was excited to be able to enjoy the end of my pregnancy without having to drag myself into work every day whether I felt like it or not.

I spent the next few months developing an Inventory Management database for my Dad and his Industrial Fan business.  That eventually led to me taking over for my sister when she left for a “real” job after graduating with an Accounting degree.  It worked out perfectly.  I was able to bring my son to work with me, while helping my Dad in his business.

If you have recently been laid off, I would highly recommend watching the video.  Take some time to really think about what you want to do with your life.  Try to allow yourself to think about what you would want to do if money weren’t an issue.  It doesn’t need to be something that you think will make you rich.  Sometimes having the opportunity to do something you love everyday is more important that what you can afford to buy.

You never know what opportunities will present themselves when you are doing what you love.

If you are ready to turn this opportunity into the most life changing opportunity of your life, send me a message on the Let’s Talk Page.  I would love to help you get started!

Comments

  1. It is a challenging time for many right now fearing or finding themselves in a position to start over. I like that you mentioned to take the time and really think about what you want. There are surely folks out there doing what they love for a living having turned their lives around.
    .-= Robin Lynn Brooks´s last blog ..Voices In My Mind =-.

    • Hey Robin! Thanks for the comment! It is true that one door closing leads to a new door opening. You just have to be brave enough to walk through that new door. You never know what is waiting on the other side unless you step in.

  2. It takes an open mind and a forward thinker to be able to look at a seemingly dire situation and find the possibilities. Most people get stuck in the moment, that moment most likely was still awful, but you didn’t stay in that moment, you looked beyond it. You allowed the full range of options to flow into your life and look at what you’re creating!!

    I’d love to see the video but apparently it doesn’t like Canucks!
    .-= Jodi Lee´s last blog ..Pollyanna or Scrooge? =-.

    • Hey Jodi! I am so sorry you can’t see the video. It was a very inspiring video. Maybe you can search Lemonade on Hulu?

      Thank you so much for your kind words. Layoffs are never fun to experience, but like most things in life, it is what you make it. You get to choose how you want to respond to it. I think it is very fitting that they decided to call the movie Lemonade.

  3. Very eye opening article and movie Melissa! Thank you for sharing it with all of us and thank you for sharing your own personal experience. The movie shows all of the emotions of how someone feels being laid off. I guess most people think it will never happen to them and yet statistics are showing, it will.

    I love how they all finally had time to find their passion in life and to do things that really matter. And to spend time with the people that really matter, especially children.

    That’s why I love the home based business industry because it lets us all find our true passion in life, while we enjoy time with our families and true freedom!!

    Mahalo (thank you) & Aloha,
    Kellie
    .-= Kellie Hosaka´s last blog ..THE LAW OF ATTRACTION & QUANTUM PHYSICS =-.

    • Hey Kellie!

      I completely agree. The home business is a great alternative to putting yourself in the situation to let someone else determine your financial stability.

      The company that I worked for had several large layoffs during the 7 years that I worked there. To me, the saddest thing is seeing all of the people who jump right back in to jobs where they are miserable and have no more security than before.

      I’m glad you enjoyed the movie. It is really refreshing to hear about some people who turned their situations around after facing adversity.

  4. Really great story Melissa. Although most of the time change is a very hard thing to deal with. It’s only a challenge of getting through it, on the other side is the light.

    Six years ago I returned from serving in the US Armed Forces in Kosovo with NATO and didn’t have a job. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do but staying inspired and moving forward I decided to pursue a career in something I love, web development. Now, that has lead me to where I am today.

    Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    To your success,
    Clifton
    .-= Clifton Hatfield´s last blog ..The F Word =-.

    • Hey Clifton! Thanks for the great comment, but more importantly thank you for your service! I have nothing but respect for the men and women who sacrifice their lives so that we can live the lives we do today!

      I am so glad to hear that you have found something that you love! It takes a lot of courage to pursue what really makes you happy. I am so glad that your path has led you to my blog and I am looking forward to getting to know you better!

  5. What an inspirational post! Especially with where our world is at today, everyone needs this encouragement.

    In hind site, no matter how bad the experience, we look back and say,”Yeah that was tough, but if I didn’t go through it, I wouldn’t have….”.
    The positive is so easy to see in hind sight. The hard part is seeing the positive in the present. I commend you for using your layoff as a spring board to follow your passion. If we don’t work in something we’re passionate about, it’ll never have enough heart to really create success.

    Thanks for the inspiration!

    ~Danielle
    .-= Danielle Zack´s last blog ..The Three Traits of Top Network Marketing Leaders Part III: Team Spirit! =-.

    • Thanks Danielle! I appreciate your kind comment and am glad that you found my post inspirational. I completely agree with you that doing something we are passionate about is the only way to be fully successful. Sometimes we need something bad to happen to push us to have the courage to pursue what we really want. When things get too comfortable it is harder to find the motivation to do the scary things that are necessary to really go for it!

  6. Great article and video Melissa. These times we live in are full of people being laid off, downsized, underemployed, you name it. Inspiring to see people going after their passions ….putting their future and security in their own hands instead of being at the mercy of someone else. Thanks for sharing!
    .-= Kara Grabenhorst´s last blog ..Success By Association? =-.

    • Thanks Kara! When I first clicked on this link and saw that the movie was 35 minutes I didn’t think that I would watch the whole thing, but the people in the movie really pulled me in. It is so great to see people who had the courage to go for what they really wanted. I’m glad that you also enjoyed the movie. I look forward to helping each other follow our passion and reach all of our goals!

  7. Hey Melissa,

    I have wrote a post on being a change optimist about a month ago and being laid off is such a difficult time for many, most often because of the financial ramifications.

    But there are ways to be more optimistic about an unfortunate change such as loosing your job. I think it is so important for people to remember that everything happens for a reason and more often than not it turns out for the better.

    As one door closes an other one opens.

    I couldn’t view the video above as it says its only viewable for people in the US! But I wish I could :-).

    Thanks for sharing your story,
    Yours in Success,
    Beth Hewitt
    .-= Beth Hewitt´s last blog ..Beginners Guide to Blogging =-.

    • Hey Beth!

      I’m sorry you weren’t able to view the video. It was very inspirational. It seems that you have the right attitude though for dealing with difficult situations. It really is all about how you CHOOSE to deal with things!

      Thanks for your comment!

  8. Melissa,

    this is a great article with a very relevant topic concerning many people now. Thank you for writing it!
    Venus 🙂
    .-= Venus :)´s last blog ..Teaching & Learning =-.

    • Hey Venus!

      Thanks for the comment! There are definitely a lot of people facing layoffs right now. Hopefully many of them will be able to turn their situations into a positive experience.

  9. Hi Melissa, this is a really helpful post. The video is amazing, but by incorporating it into your own story, the whole blog comes alive.

    This is a must not only for someone who has been laid off, but for people who may be thinking about leaving their jobs and for anyone who wants a “plan B”.

    Thank you,
    Sandy Abrams
    .-= Sandy Abrams´s last blog ..RESPONSIBLE FOR MY HEALTH? WHO ME? =-.

    • Thank you so much Sandy for the wonderful comment. I am really glad that you enjoyed the movie. I know that it really touched me and brought back all of the feelings that I went through when I was in a similar situation. I only wish that everyone who is currently in this situation now, and everyone who wants to avoid being in this situation, has the opportunity to be inspired by this movie.

  10. Excellent post Melissa. Great that you are willing to share your story with others here and to be able to offer hope to those searching right now. I agree, the most important thing in life is that you are happy doing what you do…making money to do it is the “cherry on top”. Nice post.
    .-= Krista Abbott´s last blog ..The Power of Perspective =-.

  11. I can relate to exactly what you are saying. I was in the same boat and laid off 6 months ago. I though it was the end of the world then but now I only see opportunity. Sometimes things happen for a reason:)
    .-= Glyna Humm´s last blog ..Internet Marketing and Social Networking – A Match Made in Cyber Space Heaven =-.

  12. Aloha Melissa,
    I loved this short clip “lemonade.” It is great to see people have a change in perspective by honoring their higher calling. What sometimes appears to be a disaster or chaos is actually a sign of rebuilding or breakdown for something new, something exciting, the darkness before the dawn. And look at you today! An incredible blogger who gives passionately to others! I appreciate you for that 🙂 What an wonderful perspective.
    .-= Shannon Tecson´s last blog ..A Lesson Taken From The Movie "Alive" =-.

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