Certain things happen when you lose your job. They happen to all of us. I've worked for 14 companies, 27 bosses in 4 industries and 4 different departments of the business. I've lost 4 jobs and gave one up without any other offer in place.

So today, I'd like to talk with you about my tips for dealing with the loss of your job.

Nothing I say today is intended to make you feel 2nd class or isolated. When I hear others talk about their experiences, I tend to think, "Well, that worked for them, but it won't work for me."

If you feel that way, know 2 things. First, you can talk with me anytime and ask or tell me anything and I will make a clarification. Second, we have an enemy. The voices you hear that discourage, deflate and depress are voices of your enemy. Not me, and not the people in this room. Don't listen to them.

When we lose our jobs or get thrown into job transition for any reason, we begin to question. We all need the external validation that comes from someone paying us to do something.

So we
- Question yourself
- Question your choices and your history
- Question your value
- Question your purpose and your direction
- You may even regret and second guess. I did.

Questioning is good, but it’s not the end. And you’re not single-threaded. You can do 2 things at once. I like to think of questioning as reloading. When we’re reloading we’re not powerless. We’re planning, strategizing. Reloading is no less a part of shooting than pulling the trigger. Reloading and aiming are key parts of firing. Reloading is much different than dropping our gun and running or hiding under a rock. We’re reloading. Questions are good.

Actions are good, too.

We get tempted to feel powerless and avoid action because of what happened to us. We are tempted to whine and complain. We are tempted to withdraw and react. We are tempted to feel like a victim. But “victim” is the opposite of “leader”. A victim is someone who reacts. Things happen to them. We live in the freest nation in the history of the universe. Today, while you’re questioning, consider this. How powerful are you?

I can think of 7 choices you can make today and every day that make your job transition a wonderful time in your life. Imagine thinking back on this time and having fond memories and being grateful for the hardship. You can do it. Begin with these 7 choices and you will overcome your job transition.

Choose your reaction - opposite of victim is leader. Depending on our perspective, we can all believe different things about how much of our lives we control. But everyone in the room will agree we have some control. We can chose our reaction and our attitude to circumstances. Talk about my tendency to whine and cuss. Choose our reaction. Choose responsibility and become a leader. A leader takes responsibility. The opposite of leader is victim.

Choose (or create) a new community - we are who we allow to influence us. You began this process the moment you first walked in here. Attitude is contagious. Choose people who inspire a leadership attitude. Choose friends who elevate you. Your future will look like the average of the 5 people with the most access to your life.

Choose to elevate your aim - Aim higher. We’re tempted to say, “I just need a job.” Eliminate the word “just” from your vocabulary. This is the time for you to find your passion and your dream. This is an opportunity to find your niche. This time is a great time to learn, ask questions, try, fail, try again. Design your best job. Write your best resume. Practice saying no to things you really don’t want to do. Ask for the ideal or you will never achieve it. Aiming higher changes the trajectory of your life. Take the high road in everything. The high road is seldom easy but never crowded.

Choose to serve others - Your value is set by your customers. Find people to help. Many will not reject help and there's no shortage of free work. What do you want to do? Chances are, when you're not calling on someone specifically, you can do your dream work for free. Do it and begin to line up referrals and testimonials. Help a non-profit.

Choose to focus on the future - Tomorrow is a new day. Use the best of what you know and make something better for someone. We can learn from the past only if we don’t focus on it. If you want to spend some time thinking about and learning from the past, block off an hour and write some notes. But spend all the time you can focusing on the future. Hope is in the future. So are your dreams and your opportunities. Resist the temptation to dwell on the past and choose to focus on the future.

Choose positive. Every negative has a positive. Every no has a yes. Look for the positive. There are probably 100 wrong jobs I never got. At the time, I was sad. But at this moment, in this minute, I can honestly say I’m grateful for every job I didn’t get. Thank you Lord! Your transition time will sharpen you. You will learn new skills. You will learn you survive this. Great things will come soon. Don't miss the positive; search for it. Expect it. Anticipate it. Work for it. Spend your energy making sure the positive comes to light.

Choose Action. Do something every day - Anything is always better than nothing. But Seth Godin and Steven Pressfield from Do the Work talk about shipping. You need to complete something every day. Ship a resume. Dial the phone. Accomplish something every day. Another way of looking at this is to choose your mistakes. Avoid the mistake of inaction or incompletion. Screw up in gear. Finish something.

Finally, this group doesn't push a faith or a particular religion, but you need to understand, I'm a follower of Jesus. I believe we were each created by God on purpose. Your value and your assignments came to you from the same guy who created you. He's your boss. You work for him and are assigned to a company, customers, coworkers, vendors. He is working now in the world and He has put you to work. You’re not unemployed, you’re simply not on someone’s payroll. As you trust God and check in with Him. He will provide for you. He will get you through this. Even during your transition, your actions impact the lives of people around you. In the end an employer is paying for the difference you make. So make a difference in the lives of people right now and they’ll see what they’re missing. Some idea just popped into your head about something you should be doing. Do it. Don’t beat yourself up. Start. Aim High, and Act. Soon, an employer will see your value. Practice any of the 7 choices and you will progress through this time. You’re not a victim. You’re powerful to impact the future. Choose and act.