How Getting Fired Can Be A Good Thing: 7 Lessons

August 21, 2017 / By Rachel Ritlop

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Over the last couple of weeks, I shared how I got myself fired twice in a month and things to do when you get fired. Today, I want to shift gears a little bit and talk about how getting fired can be a good thing, if you take the time to really learn from it.

Getting fired was one of the best things that happened to me, because the lessons I learned shaped me. If you were recently fired and reading this, trust me, I know you might feel a little ashamed or embarrassed. When I got fired that summer, it was a major shock. I couldn't help but feel like a failure. Like something was wrong with me.

Until then, I always considered myself an overachiever. Without really trying, I did well in school and nailed every job interview. Never in a million years did I think I would get fired. I felt confident in my hard skills and ability to do the job. However as you know it was the soft skills and the unexpected intricacies of a 9-5 that led to my demise. It wasn't all bad though.

7 Lessons From Getting Fired:

The Universe Has Your Back

It's no secret that I believe in manifesting anything you desire in life! Well, ever since I was a kid I had dreams of working for myself, dreams of writing, and dreams of helping others. My 9-5 only allowed me to help others in a very 1-1 small scale way. Long before I got fired, I knew I needed to quit. But I didn't because I was afraid that I would fall back on waitressing, become complacent, and never take action.

Historically, I'm not a quitter. Even if something is causing me harm, I can't quit it. So even though I knew I needed to quit, I could never bring myself to actually do it. When I got fired the first time, I jumped into the next job because I liked the safety net of a steady paycheck. But the second time was a wake up call to listen to what the Universe was trying to tell me. I needed to start my own thing. I needed to trust myself and the Universe. A week after I got fired I got a call from a former colleague offering me a job, I turned it down. I knew i couldn't go back to the grind. I knew the universe was telling me something with these last to experiences.

I spent two months reconnecting wiht my soul. Doing daily meditations, spending all day in nature, cooking, practicing yoga and mindful walks, and binge watching TV (because I'm still me). I felt my soul coming back to life during that time and thats when my business was born.

It's not the end of the world

When I got fired the first time, I didn't want to tell anyone. Even though logically I knew it was a bad situation and I was trying to work up the courage to quit, I felt completely ashamed. The reality is, there is a big stigma about getting fired in our society, even though the majority of people will get fired at least once in their life. But I always see people quickly say, “I wasn't fired, I was downsized,” or “well I haven't been fired…” with shifty eyes as they send a prayer it will never happen to them… I realize there is so much shame around getting fired.

Well guess what? Getting fired isn't the end of the world. It's the beginning. You know who else was fired? Oprah, Michael Bloomberg, Mark Cuban, Steve Jobs, Anna Wintour, JK Rowling! Seriously, so many people we all look up to have been fired, and it was a blessing.

Getting fired isn't the end of the world. It's the beginning.Click To Tweet

You will find a better job

Whether it's a new 9-5, starting a side hustle, or something else, you will find a new job that's better suited to you. If you're not taking the time to reflect and grow from your firing, it may take a while to find that job. That might be because you no longer have a crazy boss, or just because you learned how to work with people a little better. Regardless you will find a better job!

The money will work itself out.

Obviously finances are a terrifying aspect of getting fired. However, if you really believe the Universe has your back, then you should know, it will help you figure out your finances too. Trust me because…

…I was actually fired a third time that summer…

Real talk: While working on my master's degree and in my 9-5, I was also waitressing. I was exhausted and burnt out. At the end of season, my boss and I knew my heart wasn't in it anymore. He let me go as part of summer staff cuts.

That job had meant more to me than words could ever describe during that time in my life. I knew it would always be a second home (I actually literally live across the street from it today and am looking at it as I write this post). I don't count that in all of this “getting fired” hoopla because that was a chapter coming to a close. It was a good-bye I knew needed to happen in order to grow. Waitressing was my safety net. I am forever grateful for that time and group of people.

[RELATED] Advice To My Younger Self

However, waitressing was where I made my real money. So needless to say, when I got fired in June, then July, and once more in August, I was a little nervous about money. I knew if I went back to my boss at the restaurant he would give me back the job. However, I had saved up a really nice emergency fund and decided to give myself until season started again to take a step back and practice self care.

I looked at my monthly expenses and my emergency fund and selected a date. If I wasn't bringing in an income by that date, I would go back to waitressing. Two weeks before my “deadline” I landed my first client! Word of mouth spread and I never had to go back. Practicing an abundance mindset and knowing the universe had my back, allowed the money to find me when I needed it opportunities ebbed and flowed over the years.

There is nothing to be afraid of.

You are not the first person or the last person who will get fired from your job. It's okay. Getting fired doesn't define you. So many people waste their energy miserable in a job they hate all while being terrified of losing that job that keeps them so unhappy. There is nothing to be afraid of, other than living a miserable life and wasting your precious time on this planet. It's too short to constantly be afraid of getting fired. If you do get fired, there is a reason and you have to let go of the anger and find that reason in order to grow.

If you're unhappy, make a change

Most of us are told what to do, where to be, and who to be for the first 20 or so years of our lives. We're told what to study, when to go to class, and even what hobbies or sports to join in order to stack a resume. It's easy to find yourself on someone else's path and not realize it until you're miserable at work. I think that's why it's perfectly normal to have a quarter life crisis. Just remember, it's okay to make a change if something is no longer serving you!

It's time to grow like a weed!

Every mistake or hiccup is an opportunity to learn and grow. Nobody is perfect. Seriously, not one person walking the face of this planet is perfect. Everyone falls down, it's how you pick yourself back up and use that insight to grow that makes you a winner.

Everyone falls down, it's how you pick yourself back up & use that insight to grow that makes you a winner.Click To Tweet

How Getting Fired Was The Best Thing For Me

All of these lessons I just mentioned resulted in one major thing: freedom.

Like I've said, I struggled to find the strength to quit. I knew things were off, and life is too short to stay unhappy. By having faith in the Universe, I gave myself the space to be free and experience what life was offering me. I stumbled into a career I love more than I could ever dream was possible. Today, I have the time and freedom to create the work-life balance I love. I have a lifestyle business that supports me. And I can follow my passions and dreams that I thought died as a kid.

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