Step 1: Attitude
Accepting Loss & Opportunity

ACCEPTING LOSS

Your feelings play a critical role in your ability to walk through a crossroads in your career. That is why ATTITUDE is the first and most important step.

Whether you have lost your job or you are in a job that you wish you could lose, you need to admit, understand and grieve the loss. Be honest with yourself about your negative feelings and emotional pain.

First, admit each of your feelings — shock, denial, irritation, anger, fear, panic, sadness, depression, stress.

Second, get your feelings out. You might write about them in a personal journal or talk about them with a person you trust— spouse, friend, parent, sibling. You might even consider talking with a professional counselor.

Third, forgive everyone involved in your situation — including yourself. List everyone you feel is to blame. Describe each person's offense and how you feel about it. Pray for forgiveness for each person— whether you feel like it or not. Every time you feel bitterness or anger toward one of these people, pray again for forgiveness for him or her. Remember that forgiveness is a process. Over time, you will be able to let go of your anger and hurt. Then you will be free from a huge burden.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:13

RECOGNIZING OPPORTUNITY

You have before you an incredible opportunity in both breadth and depth.

Breadth — There are more than 30,000 different occupations in more than 1,100 different industries. You can work for someone else or work for yourself. You can work full-time or part-time.

Depth — Today really is the first day of the rest of your life. You can make decisions today that will make your life better forever. Consider the following questions:

• How would I like to see my future?
• When I am old and looking back on my life, what would I like to see?
• Did God put me here for some reason?
• What is the purpose of my life?

Dream impossible dreams. Consider how God made you. See a career for yourself in which you are using your gifts and passions. Then begin to make plans and think about what it will take to accomplish them.

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11