UNPRECEDENTED NEWS
(memo 1 of my book)
This afternoon I received a call from Peter Gould, the CEO of my company: ‘Lilou, I have bad news.’ He paused for a few seconds. It seemed an eternity. I had felt the tension in the company, and sensed something bad was about to happen, but nothing could have prepared me for his words: ‘Your job is being made redundant. We’re not going to be able to keep you any longer.’
My heart was pounding. I asked, ‘So when do you want me to leave?’
He replied, ‘Well, as long as you hand in all the work you have, and do a professional handover, you can leave now.’
In a few seconds, with those few words, my life changed. My future had altered. What was I going to do? I’d been in the job for six months – Internet Marketing Director for a London-based hospitality company. For the previous seven years I had worked in the USA on a self-employed basis. I’d applied for this job from the USA. I was thirsty for a new adventure. I was thrilled, and accepted the position. It’s a dynamic, entrepreneurial company, but I have to say that it wasn’t all plain sailing, especially the last few weeks…
I just accepted the news at face value, trying not to read too much into it. I stayed professional on the phone, and tried to find out more about the practicalities. ‘OK, so how does this work? This has never happened to me.’ Since I had been with the company for only six months, the official policy was to give me only a week’s severance pay. However, as I had relocated from the USA, Peter told me that I’d be given a month’s salary. I thought that was generous, and it was some relief. Peter told me to call Alexis, the HR person, to arrange the details. Before our conversation ended, I asked him to email the 60 employees working in the office to let them know immediately. He sent an email explaining that I was ‘moving to pastures new’. Pastures? What is that now? Is this a British way of saying that you have been sacked? I didn’t think so. I had been fired and that was the truth, but that’s not how he put it. He possibly meant to imply that things would be greener for me on the other side…? Yes, that was probably it... I was hopeful.
I was certainly grateful for that smooth and considerate email, as I did not want to be the recipient of everyone’s sympathy, to look bad in front my colleagues. I had only worked six months in the position. Thirty minutes later, HR was in my office, and we discussed the details of my redundancy.
So that’s the news today: I’ve lost my job.
All afternoon colleagues came into my office and asked me what I was up to. They wanted juicy details. Under pressure, I started making up a story that I had some plans that I could not, as yet, share, but, yes, I was certainly moving to ‘pastures new’, as Peter had said. All the while, as I was saying to people, ‘It’s been a great experience, but, you know, it’s time to move on…,’ I was thinking of what exactly these pastures could be. By the end of the day, having received numerous visitors and emails, a new scenario was taking shape in my heart and mind: I was inviting my life to lift off. The bad news was transmuting into great news. I felt increasingly liberated by the minute. Here was an opportunity for something new, an opportunity for something great to start. It was up to me.
I’m back home now, digesting the fact that I was made redundant today. This is a first. I cannot explain why I now feel such relief! It has awakened such joy in me – and energy. I look forward to being guided rapidly to something new and fulfilling, where I can truly develop my passions and purpose, and prosper to the fullest extent.
I have to admit that I was not happy at work and it was affecting my entire life, especially the last few weeks, always stressed, working long hours, sleepless and not feeling like the captain of my own ship. Yuck! But I have learned a lot there. I have sharpened my skills, but most importantly I have learned what I did not want. I am extremely grateful for that.
Now it is time for more – to find something new. I am asking Life to guide me. This is the time for my dreams to become real…
Tags: and, attraction, dream, i, it, job, law, liked, lost, my
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