Morning Vibes With Dr. Jerry - the First
Hello and welcome to
#MorningVibesWithDrJerryTheFirst-Episode 312
Title: How to Have
a Tom Brady-Style Comeback in Your Career
Tom Brady had the comeback
of his career. How about you?
This story will certainly
touch the raw nerves in you if you have been hit by recession or downsizing or
whatever name it is called
I was feeling a bit off
that morning.
It was September 18 of
2001, and my youngest had probably passed on a flu bug. I remember driving to
work and debating if I should call in sick.
There's a creepy feeling
you get, like something is not quite right and you know the work day won't go
as planned.
When I arrived at the office,
I went straight to my desk. Before I was able to unpack my laptop bag, my boss
at the time arrived with a strange expression on his face.
"We need to have a
talk, can you meet me in the conference room in ten minutes?"
I wasn't really sure what
was going on. It was only a week after 9/11 and the entire country was still
reeling from the terrorist attacks in New York. I unpacked my gear, grabbed
some coffee, and headed to the conference room.
When I looked around, I
knew something was wrong. My boss was sitting next to a corporate attorney--I
knew him from a previous meeting. There were a few folks from HR. One of the
directors of the firm was there as well--my old boss. I took a seat.
"We have some bad
news for you, John..." my boss said.
They gave me a few
options.
The company was not happy
with a few things that had happened and were prepared to offer me a severance
pay if I decided to leave.
If I wanted to stay, they
would have to discuss giving me a new role or making other arrangements.
I knew what it was really
about. The company was nervous about an economic downturn after 9/11.
My boss said the company
needed an answer in the morning and escorted me to the front door. He took my
security card and confiscated my laptop.
Then, he shook my hand.
That was almost 16 years
ago. I never went back to my office.
In fact, I never even
packed up my office--pictures of my kids, a few knick-knacks.
At home that night, my
wife was the strong and stable one. I was a mess. After working in the corporate
world for about ten years, I was now out of options. We had four young kids at
home. She had the hardest job of all--being a stay-at-home mom.
"Well, you always
wanted to be a writer..." she said.
It was true. I'm formally
trained as a journalist, but I had never used my education. In my corporate
jobs, I had always dabbled with writing and leading writing teams.
As a kid, I dreamed of
being a reporter for the magazines I read in the library. My wife and I talked
for a few hours and I decided I would call in and tell my boss I wouldn't be
back, that I'd take the severance.
The truth is, I felt like
I wasn't needed anymore. My career since college had always arced upwards, but
now I was in a total free-fall.
It took many years, but I
eventually carved out a writing career.
It's lasted much longer
than my corporate career.
In the past 16 years, I've
written about 10,000 articles. Just recently, I passed another milestone. I've now posted 1,000 articles at Inc.com.
Here's what I've learned.
Who you are does not have
to be defined by your career.
In fact, who you are--your
skills, your talents, your personality traits, your ambitions--should be
separate from your job and your career.
Your resume should not be
a document that describes which positions you've held.
It should be a document
that describes who you are and what you've accomplished.
My defining moment was on
September 18, 2001. I had to think about what I really wanted to do in my work
life, and abandon the idea that I was defined by that corporate job. I wasn't.
My real identity in terms
of career has more to do with my determination, my perseverance, my dedication
and my loyalty.
I've worked with some of
the same editors, colleagues, and media relations personnel for well over a
decade and the one trait they tend to mention is that I'm a kind person. And,
I'm dedicated.
I know I'm defined not by
my failure in that corporate job but by my own innate qualities and skills.
What really happened to me
is that I was down but not out.
That day when my corporate
job ended was a low point--like Tom Brady in the Super Bowl last night down
21-3 at the half.
But the downturn didn't
have to define me.
I didn't have to wear an F
on my suit coat.
I didn't even need to wear
a suit coat. Instead of accepting defeat, I immediately got to work that very
next morning on a new career. You might say I never looked back.
What about you?
What failures have you
experienced?
Have you let failure
define who you are?
My advice:
It's time to stop doing
that.
You have to dig pretty
deep, but you have a set of talents and skills that are unique.
You've maybe experienced a
setback, but you can pull through. You are not defined by failure but your own
unique skill-set.
Will you make a comeback?
Until I come your way
again, this is #MorningVibesWithDrJerryTheFirst
Keep it coming!!!
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PS:
This Program is powered by Topitup Media & Communication Nigeria.
This Program is powered by Topitup Media & Communication Nigeria.
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Source: Inc
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