Last weekend I was speaking to an audience at The Vitality Show and had the opportunity to meet with one or two people afterwards to hear more about their situation and their dreams for the future.
It may seem strange but this was the first time since the start of the recession that I had met anyone who actually lost their job as a direct result of the economic shenanigans.
Two women stood out in particular. One was finding it very tough emotionally and I really felt for her. When you lose a job you love, as she did, you feel the loss more greatly. You not only have to find something else in a highly competitive market but your old job gave you a sense of meaning which being unemployed lacks.
The other woman was seeing her situation as a great opportunity to start a business, something she had dreamt of for years.
Clearly, everyone's situation is different so it is hard to compare these two women, both brave in their own way.
But I did start thinking - what part does mindset play in how you handle redundancy? Do some people struggle more because their circumstances are that much more difficult or do some people create an opportunity because they really do find positives in what happens to them, no matter how difficult the situation might be?
I have never been made redundant although there have been times when I worried I would lose my business and had very little work to keep me busy. At those times it was hard to stay positive and make the most of my free time (something there is very little of right now!).
If you are between jobs right now or have experiences of redundancy to share I would love to hear about them. How did you or how are you coping? And do you see it as a tragedy or an opportunity? Please be honest - it will help other readers.
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