In 1986 just after I graduated with an honours degree in Mathematics and Physics, I thought I’d walk into a job, afterall I had a degree!!! Well one year later I was still looking for a job and collecting the dole. Every day I received many “cherrio” (i.e. “we regret …”) letters from companies. They were all looking for experience and were unwilling to give me a chance. It was very disheartening. Some days I simply felt like doing nothing but most days thankfully I’d sit at a typewriter (do you remember them?) and apply for jobs.  However I decided to always believe that one day I will go to the front door and pick up a letter which would offer me a job! Well after months and months and months that letter did arrive. I remember the moment so clearly. My Father picked up the letter and brought it up to me in my bedroom. I opened it and “YES” it was a job offer!
Not only was it a job offer it was an EXCELLENT JOB OFFER! It was with an American Company called Sterling Software who were going to train me in writing COBOL computer language and then place me in Europe or America as a consultant. It was a fantastic job and a great opportunity to catch up on the year I’d just spent looking for one!
Well thirty of us started the job at the time and our boss was a big American from Texas who drove a Ford Bronco and wore cowboy boots. He was a real positive guy which I really enjoyed. I really couldn’t believe how lucky I was to get such a job and to be on my way to the US in a few weeks. I even remember saying goodbye to my girlfriend at the time (now my wife).
Then one day after only been there for a few weeks my big American boss in his cowboy boots marched in at 9am and told us that “due to a disagreement over the payment of tax they would be pulling out of Ireland” and as a consequence we were all being let go!
You can imagine how I and the twenty nine others, some who had mortgages to pay and families to rear, felt. I was distraught! We responded in the good old traditional Irish fashion, we went to the pub!!!
However that night I met a friend of my Fathers who had been very encouraging to me when I was looking for a job. When I told him what happened he said “Sean its not what happens to you in life thats the most important thing but what you do in response to what happens!”
Of course these were very wise words but when we’re feeling low or in a state of shock its challenging to take them on board. However on reflection I did and with reluctance a few weeks later I took the boat to England with the aim of getting the experience necessary to get a job back in Ireland in a few years.
So what can you do if you lose your job:
1. DECIDE to RISE TO THE CHALLENGE:Â As stated above, its your response above all else to the situation that matters most. Are you going to play victim or are you going to rise to the challenge? The challenge may be tough and you may need to dig really deep within yourself but if you are alive you can rise up and overcome that challenge. Not only that, it can be the very platform from which your life really soars to a far more fulfilling, exciting and properous level. So what do you need to do – DECIDE that you will RISE TO THE CHALLENGE and REACH YOUR SUMMIT!
2. DO WHAT YOU CAN TODAY: Your whole future is before you and so is everyone elses. If theres one way to feel overwhelmed its to to think we can control it! Can we control it? Can we predict it? Can we organise it exactly the way we want it to be? Plain and simple … NO! Nobody controls the future and anyone who thinks they can, should read the obituaries about how many people die suddendly every day. So what can we do? We can live for today – do what we can, with what we have, where we are TODAY! Even if your finances are struggling ask yourself – “Will I surive today?” and chances are you will. In fact at some time in the future you may look back on the challenges you face today and say “that was really a blessing in disguise!” So all we need to do is focus our energies on doing what we can today.
3. INCREASE YOUR CASHFLOW - ask yourself what can I do today to improve the cashflow? Its very important to keep some cashflow coming in no matter what you have to do (as long as its a good thing of course). Not only is cashflow important in our everyday life but also from a positive energetic point of view, its like Issac Newton told us in his first law of motion “things at rest tend to stay at rest and things in motion tend to stay in motion” So aim to bring in some cashflow no matter how small. What hobbies have you got that you could earn an income from? Is there any parttime work you can do? Is there any car boot sales (garage sales) coming up where you could sell something? Is there anyone you know looking for some help you could pay you? Absolutely research the greatest information revolution in human history that is happening right now on the internet. Get a little notebook and carry it around with you. At the front of it write down the question – “How can I increase my cashflow?” Whenever you think of something write it down. Look at your growing list and take action to make the more practical ideas. If one doesent work do another one. When one begins to work focus more on it and ask yourself how can I expand this idea and perhaps even turn it into a business? (Also remember to pay yourself first – see article I wrote on this a number of months back)
4. PAY YOURSELF FIRST AND GROW YOUR MONEY – click here to read previous article I wrote
5. PAY YOUR BILLS AND TALK TO CREDITORS - if your bills are mounting up and you dont know what to do here’s a few ideas.
- Prioritise them – do what you can to pay the most important ones e.g. your mortgage.
- Contact your creditors – if you’re finding it difficult to pay some bills contact your creditors and let them know. Can you pay even a small bit? Remember every bit you pay helps to clear the bill or debt. Creditors in the main are very understanding and appreciate you contacting them and they really dont like to be ignored. And also dont be afraid to stand up to them if necessary, for example if they start threatening you with nasty letters, etc, tell them you dont appreciate threatening letters, that there’s enough trouble in the world without these letters adding to it! If they start warning you about negative credit rating tell them sure you’ll be in good company with most of the worlds banks!
- Focus on your progress – no matter how small your progress is, keep your heart and mind centered on it. This will really help you feel better and if you feel good you will be able to manage things better. If you have a day of despair go out for a walk, take some time out and then “get back on your horse” and go again.
6. Have a Laugh! Well in the days of old when we didn’t have computers, the comedian Jerry Lewis was pretty amazing on a typewriter (see video below just over 2 mins).
Enjoy and Good Luck!
Sean
PS: The Dare to Dream 12 week course to inspire you and give you practical ways of manifesting your dreams begins tonight Tuesday 3rd March 2009 in Milltown Park, Dublin, Ireland. Click here for more details.
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Thank you! Enjoyed that!