Next!

Some of you may have noticed a change in my employment status on LinkedIn , Twitter and YouTube on Monday Aug 2. Those changes included the launch of my new consulting firm, The RxProfessor LLC . Actually, quite a few of you noticed based on the responses (and many kind words) to my Linkedin posts. But there is more to the story than social media posts.

On Monday, July 19, I was told by Preferred Medical that due to a corporate restructuring my position was being eliminated. On Wednesday, July 21, I had surgery to remove my gallbladder (a requirement after spending most of Father's Day in the ER). So within the span of two days, I lost my job and an organ. I'm glad not all challenges come in threes.

I have never left a job involuntarily so this was a shock to my system. This is the second time it's happened in the past year as my wife was furloughed when the Preschool where she taught shutdown post-COVID. To be honest, my first response was not very positive and my first thought was not about resilience and psychological flexibility (two things I talk about a lot that I now had to put into practice).

But Preferred was very kind and gracious throughout the process, including this one quote from a (now former) colleague:

You have a wonderful heart and an important message and I have faith that you’ll continue to do great things.

So while "resilience" wasn't my first thought, after ongoing conversations with my friends at Preferred, other friends and family around the country, and (maybe most importantly) with myself, I became convinced this was an opportunity to identify my true potential. This was the metaphorical mama bird kicking the comfortable baby bird out of the nest so they can fly.

So what do you do (what have you done) when you get unexpected bad news? Fight? Flight? Freeze? Blame others? Blame yourself? Be a victim?

My response was ... Next!

Not "Next" period (so stunned that it is emotionless). Not "Next" question mark (an emotional what does this mean). But "Next" exclamation point (it's Go Time). Again, being honest, that was not my first response. In fact, I went thru (period) and (question mark) as part of the acceptance process. But as I worked through it, I became more excited about what the future holds. That is largely due to two principles in which I strongly believe:

There is no such thing as coincidence. Everything happens for a reason. Everything is interconnected. The timing may be unsolicited but it's probably right. There are many things within my control but more that are not (I'm in a raft on a river with paddles but the unseen current plots its own course). As the Yiddish proverb goes, “Man Plans and God Laughs." Recognizing this principle helps me understand there is a greater purpose because this moment in time is part of the crescendo of all that has happened prior.

There is no such thing as luck. As the Roman philosopher Seneca said, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." Since nothing is coincidence, everything that I have encountered previously was a building block to what is happening now. In other words, "preparation." Every person I've met - every project I've completed - everything - has created who I am today. So when "opportunity" arises, a layoff in this case, I'm ready. Whether I know it or not, I'm ready. If you believe in God - and I do - the timing is perfect.

I truly don't know what the future holds. I'm plowing new ground. But the feedback from others and my own spirit tells me I'm going to be OK because ...

I said Next!

Will you when it's your turn? I highly recommend it.