The Unplanned Path

Maya was looking forward to implementing her vision for the upcoming quarter.?She had meticulously prepared and was eager to share her strategy at the board meeting. “There is no better feeling than presenting a vision and the roadmap to achieving it,” she thought to herself, feeling a surge of confidence as she headed to the boardroom.

There was a spring?in her stride as she walked into the conference room.?Her gaze met those of her colleagues, but something felt off. There was an unusual sense of unease in their eyes; none of them?were able to?maintain eye contact with her. The discomfort was palpable. Maya?began to wonder, “Has something happened that I don’t know of?” Just at that moment, her boss entered the room.

Soon after he took his seat, Maya began presenting. In the past, when she would?present, there would be questions, sometimes objections, and?even small debates about the pros and cons of implementing something new.

But today, there were no questions, no pauses, just a ‘Thank you’. After?the presentation was done, everyone except Maya’s boss walked out. He asked her to wait for a few minutes. When everyone had left, he shared an update. “Maya, we are going through a phase of workforce reduction, given the current global financial situation.”

Confused about why he was bringing this up now, Maya nodded. She had seen many cycles of workforce reduction. It felt painful, to see colleagues go. Her thoughts were interrupted by the next sentence from her boss, “Maya, I am sorry but your role has been made redundant.”

As the words ‘your role has been made redundant’ echoed in the room, Maya felt the ground shift beneath her feet, a wave of disbelief washing over her. It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room, leaving her in a vacuum of uncertainty.

“It is difficult?for me to convey this message to you. You have been very diligent. It is not you, it is the situation.” Maya was still processing the previous statement. Each time there was a workforce reduction, Maya would always think to herself, “This is painful, this could happen to anyone. Even me.” And now her worst fear had come true.

“I understand. Can I please leave?,” she asked her boss. He nodded. As Maya walked out, each step felt difficult. “How would everyone look at me now? Is this why they were uncomfortable this morning? So everyone except me knew?”

She walked to her desk, picked up her belongings, and walked as fast as she could. Desperate to reach home, she held back her tears. Once home, she cried her heart out.

“Is this what one gets for all the hard work, all the long days, missing birthdays of loved ones?” she thought?as she wiped her tears. A part of her responded to her saying, “Deep down, you did know that one day it could be you. This can happen to anyone. Perhaps we can't let our job roles define us. It is all temporary after all.”

As the reality of her situation set in, a new question began to emerge: “If I’m not defined by my job, then who am I?” The weight of this question lingered in her mind as she grappled with the loss of her professional identity.

She got herself together and sent texts to a few close friends. Some of them called back immediately and did their best to console her. One of her friends came over and took her out to lunch. But as the evening drew closer, she was all by herself again.

Her mom came down to stay with her for a few days. Being around her mother felt like revisiting childhood once again. The comfort of having a parent around while navigating the challenges of life took her back to teenage when everything felt tough and confusing.

“I am proud of you Maya. You have saved and invested. You are in a good space financially. Use this phase to give yourself a little bit of a break. You have barely taken any breaks since you started working,” said her mother.

“Why don’t we catch up with family members in town? Given how busy you have been, you have hardly had the opportunity to meet your cousins in the past few years,” her mother suggested.

“Everyone will ask me about my job Mom,” Maya said apprehensively.

“Then tell them you lost your job.” Her mother responded. “But what if they judge me? What if they feel I am not good enough,” Maya objected.

“Maya, do you?really?think your family and friends associate your worth with your job? They love you for who you are. And if there are ones who?valued?you just because of your job, then it’s time to rethink those relationships. Remember you have an identity beyond your job.,” responded her mother.

Something about what her mother said resonated with Maya. As she mingled with her cousins, Maya felt a sense of belonging. While there were a few who made her uncomfortable, largely friends and family were supportive.

Maya’s energy began to shift. With her mother’s support and positivity and the encouragement of her friends and extended family, Maya began to rethink and reimagine her future. She started enjoying being in control of her time. Designing?her days the way she wanted, enjoying the experience of doing things when and how she wanted.

One day, her cousin reached out, asking if she had time for a conversation.?This younger cousin had always looked up to Maya and frequently sought her advice, but Maya had rarely found the time before. Now, however, she did.

Maya invited her cousin home, and as they sipped some hot chai, her cousin shared how she aspired to be like Maya. She loved Maya’s newfound freedom. This came as a surprise to Maya—she had never imagined that her new life could be an aspiration for someone else.

Her cousin shared how her dream was to?be in control of?her own time and daily schedule.?Almost instinctively, Maya asked her cousin if she’d like to be her?own?boss, and her cousin got excited about the idea. Maya gave her the courage to take the first step and plan her?own?venture.

The conversation made Maya ask herself why she hadn’t thought of starting something?of her own. What began as a conversation to help her cousin ended up?as?a life-changing conversation for Maya herself.

That night, Maya planned the launch of her?own?consulting firm. It had elements of what she had planned for the next quarter at her previous organisation.?“There is no better feeling than planning a vision for yourself,” she thought?to herself?and smiled.

This proved to be a turning point for Maya. Her consulting business took off?really?well. Now she had the best of both worlds—her days were totally in her control, and implementing her vision too was?totally?in her control! While on her journey, she also helped her cousin establish herself.

This unexpected detour led Maya to create a life richer and more fulfilling than she had ever imagined.

This story reminded me that setbacks can sometimes be the doorways to our greatest opportunities. It also made me think about how we often isolate ourselves out of fear of judgment, missing out on the support that could make all the difference. And isn’t it amazing how helping others can inspire us in ways we never expected?

How about you? Have you ever found that a challenge or setback opened doors to something better? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

#NewBeginnings #Resilience #MindsetMatters