He Was Fired from an Accounting Job 10 Years Ago — Went into a Dark Cocoon and Came Back a Legend!

Who is Simu Liu Aka Shang-Chi?

Simu Liu is a Chinese-Canadian actor and stuntman known for portraying Shang-Chi in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Immigrating from China at the age of 5, Simu was raised in Mississauga, Ontario. After graduating from the Richard Ivey School of Business and working at a top accounting firm, Liu was laid off.

Simu Liu, star of Marvel’s blockbuster film ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend Of The Ten Rings’ says he owes his life to the company that laid him off ten years ago.

He recently shared something really powerful about following his dreams after being fired from Deloitte 10 years ago.

In a recent Instagram post he explains:

“I owe my success to the company that fired me 10 years ago” ~Simu Liu

“Ten years ago to the day, I was led into my managing partner’s office at Deloitte and told that they were terminating my employment effective immediately.

A lady from HR and a security guard escorted me back onto the floor in front of the entire open-concept office. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Nobody moved, offered a whisper of encouragement or even looked in my direction. I fought back tears of humiliation, grabbed my things, and never looked back.

Ten years ago I thought my life was over.

I had wasted countless time and money that my family had invested in me. Years of schooling, gifted programs, trying to live up to my parents’ expectations. It all came crashing down in an instant.

To Paul Gibbon(Former Boss) and the offices of Deloitte Toronto; sincerely, honestly, THANK YOU!

You did for me what I never had the courage to do myself; you destroyed a life that I was building for someone else so that I could finally begin to build a life for me. ~Simu Liu

Every April 12th I get really funny and introspective, but this is the TEN YEAR marker — which means I’m REALLY in my feels.

I know some of you have read Gladwell, and man was his prediction on point. Ten years or 10,000 hours.

My goodness, what an incredible journey it’s been. I spent four of those years running around like a headless chicken trying to figure out how to break into the industry, struggling with credit card debt and taking any job I could.

Another three years were spent trying to break into Hollywood, sinking my precious life savings into something many would call a pipe dream.

It’s really only been these past three years that anything I’ve done has begun to bear any fruit.

I know luck has played a substantial role in my successes but I am sure that if I hadn’t been cast in two life-changing roles, I’d still found purpose and meaning in the pursuit of success on my own terms.

Not my parents’ definition — MINE.

I don’t know who needs to hear this right now, but no amount of money is worth compromising your vision for yourself.

The pursuit of a dream- YOUR dream- against all odds!

That’s what life is all about”

~Simu Liu

Simu Liu has achieved a lot in the entertainment industry. His work has earned him numerous awards and a lot of global recognition as well.

Mr Liu is counted among the successful Hollywood actors starting from scratch. This has earned him the respect of his fans. He got to star alongside Liam Neeson in Taken when after his career progressed. He also became the first leading Asian actor to appear in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film in July 2018.

Simu Liu has one more thing to add to his impressive list of accomplishments: he’s officially been named one of Time’s 100 most influential people of 2022 releasing his very?own autobiography

“Every fibre of my being wants to wither from the spotlight, to deflect, to say that it is too soon, that I do not deserve this (I don’t). There is no caption that exists to articulate what I am feeling to be included among such legendary and exceptional people,” Liu wrote.”

I hope you soaked in every single word!

Life always has some other plans. We develop fixed mindsets when growing up and then there are societal norms to follow.

Breaking free from societal norms or a fixed mindset can feel like our world is crashing down but little do we realise that this is the time to keep up the hope and courage and to look at the situation as an opportunity to grow.

If you’ve lost faith in yourself or feel devastated, remember Simu Liu stood up again and sought out opportunities that were more meaningful to him.

Went into his dark cocoon and came out evolved!

Today, he is one of the most celebrated actors in the world!

Yes, fear is crippling to the mind, and the fear of walking away from a salary is even more crippling but taking that leap of faith is all worth it.

“When one door closes, another one opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” ~ Alexander Graham Bell

I hope everyone who read this can be redirected toward something better after experiencing a setback, rejection or failure.

Sometimes, rejection is simply a redirection towards greener pastures.

Get clear on who you are and your purpose will expose itself.