You’re Fired and Other Inspirational Sayings

The words still stick in my memory all these years later.

“Can we see you in the conference room?”

I remember walking out of my office and being ushered into a conference room with twenty or so others. It was a depressing group of people who had an idea the axe was about to fall.

I had an idea.

The company wasn’t doing too well (being nice) and when I arrived to work that morning, I couldn’t login – dead giveaway.

I still remember my experience many years ago. The slow march out of the office. My fellow employees (last time I ever was one), all walking with their heads down with a blank stare.

Flash forward.

Last week, a friend was called at home by his boss and asked to meet him for breakfast the next morning. Something that never happened in all his years with the company.

Anyway, he was fired.

Are there really better words than fired or quit?

That’s what it boils down to. You either choose to leave, or they choose to send you away. Everything else is just lipstick on pig.

Terminated, laid off, let-go, downsized, re-sized, right-sized, reduction-in-force.

Quit, left, voluntarily discharged, outta-here.

You either quit or you are fired. Simple.

Anyway, my friend drives to breakfast, eats, gets fired, drives to the office, packs his stuff and heads home.

When he told me, I congratulated him. I was thrilled. I’ll share why a little later.

It Can Be Scary Getting Fired

Immediately thoughts go to; what about the mortgage, the kids college fund, Christmas presents, car payments.

Fear kicks in.

What will our friends think? Who’s going to tell my wife (husband)?

Depending on the individual, the day is spent; either jumping for joy, or, walking around in shock, dazed and confused.

I experienced the joy and euphoria for the rest of the day.

I called everyone and let them know I was “let go.”

I went for a bike ride in the middle of the day – which felt like a luxury then.

The next day it hit me. I’d been fired. I felt like a failure. I was sad. “That’s the thanks I get for busting my butt?” I thought.

But, that didn’t last very long.

It’s part of the grieving process, and even when getting fired from a job you don’t like, there is still a grieving process.

Within days I started planning a new self-employed path. I’ve been on it ever since.

Now, back to my friend.

The next day he started feeling sad.

He started going through the grieving process. He might have shed a tear, I don’t know.

Deeper into his feelings, he started questioning who he was?

This happens to employees who have always identified with their job title.

Who are you without it?

If you work for yourself, it’s different, you’re more worried about a tag line. Your identity comes as you build your business and personal brand.

But ‘employees’ have a tougher time when they’re fired.

They may never have considered such questions when they were behind the corporate veil.

Saying; “I’m a Product Manager with IBM” can keep you from looking deeper (No offense to product managers at IBM, or elsewhere)

Now my friend is over a week into his new journey.

Sad, depressing, right?

Wrong.

He’s happy. He’s got the monkey off his back. He hasn’t been happy there for the longest time.

They’ve done him a favor. As a matter-of-fact, they’ve done for him, what he wasn’t able to do for himself.

He’s liberated, free, excited, overcome by emotion.

That’s why I was excited when he told me. Because the questions he’s asking have the potential to bring with them, a deeper understanding of himself, and a feeling of greater fulfillment in life.

Personally, I think he should have been fired a while ago.

Related articles

• Employee Contest: Who’ll Be Fired!!! (abcnews.go.com)
• I quit my damn job… (bossymomnetwork.wordpress.com)
• Coping With Grief: How to Handle Your Emotions (everydayhealth.com)