The Career Transition Door

"Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth." - Tom Barrett

Recently I have had the honor of delivering workshops for people who have been laid off from their jobs and are at an important crossroads in life. I use the term honor because it is a gratifying experience to remind them that they can continue to define how their future work will look. They may be ending one journey, but another is about to begin.

As they move past the stage when they deal with loss, we are ready to talk about strategy and action plans for transition. This is the point when we see a great range of attitudes, and that can make all the difference. It is always a pleasure to see the optimistic, excited folks who are eager to forge ahead and go for new opportunities. Then we have the middle ground individuals who may not have that same excitement, but they are willing and determined to do what they need to in order to secure the next job - whatever that may be.

The challenging and challenged people are those who can't picture anything beyond their current unemployed situation. They are paralyzed by their own negative thoughts. At the same time, they can be very creative with reasons why any attempt to find a new opportunity is impossible for them. Most of these reasons have to do with the forces "out there" that will stop them.
This is when I introduce the mantra, "Don't slam the door in your own face." We all have the power to open doors! Some of us are just afraid to do so. Why? It could be an assortment of reasons. They all fall into some description of rejection or - surprise! - acceptance. We project our imagination way into the future with a scene of something we are afraid we can't handle. The drama builds and builds and builds. Hey! Wait a minute! Confront yourself and your perspective. Look at all the things you have handled already in your life. And come to think of it, you did pretty well. (Please pause for applause and a pat on the back.)

Each time we open a new door, we can learn and grow. This keeps us young, like children exploring everything for the first time. That sounds good to me! What doors are waiting for you to open?

"You can do anything you think you can. This knowledge is literally the gift of the gods, for through it you can solve any human problem. It should make of you an incurable optimist. It is the open door."- Robert Collier