One day the boss asked me to join him in his office. Everything was going great at work, so I wasn’t sure why I was going to speak with him. A few minutes later, I discovered they were letting me go after two and a half years of hard work. I went in early, stayed late, and extended my shifts longer than they originally asked me to. I put my heart and soul into the job, only to be let go. They said I did a great job, but they had others to now cover my work. I was shocked, disappointed, and completely blindsided. 

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Have you ever had a very difficult time in life? I’m sure you can safely say yes to this. Adversity may be challenging when you’re in the moment, but it may be the best thing for you. Tough times shape who you are and show your true character. I’m going to go into a brief story which outlines how being fired helped me and how it can help you. 

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One word that comes to mind with adversity is resilience. To be resilient means to recover quickly from difficulties. If you can work on being more resilient over time, you will be able to handle adversity more often. 

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I have dealt with many adversities, including being broke with no money, getting laid off from a job, or finding another place to live. It all served me for the better in the end. 

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How I got Fired

One story that comes to mind is when things were going great for me at work. I was starting to connect and build a strong bond with the team. We all were getting along, and work was going well. 

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I had built an excellent reputation and had worked hard in my current position. The job was fun, and I was having a good time and making good money. Then came the day suddenly (and unexpectedly) where it ended for me. I had to move on and find something else. 

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I was replaced by two others who were paid less than I was and could combine their efforts to do my work (to save the company someone on the payroll). This came as a massive shock to me. I was blindsided and would have never guessed I would be asked to leave. 

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This situation was a difficult time for me. I thought everything was going great, but little did I know things were about to change indefinitely for me. 

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I was pulled into the boss's office and found out they no longer needed my services. This was at a company where I worked for two and a half years. Had proven myself and my worth time and time again. And is an excellent example of how fast things can change in your life. 

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After the news, I knew I had to take action and move on immediately. There was no point in moping or being upset about it. While I was mad, I used that as fuel to drive me into action.  

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Fired to Immediate Action

Finding another job was necessary, and I wanted to move on immediately. I went into full execution mode and started calling all of the contacts in the industry I knew. 

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I told them the situation and said I needed to get out fast and work somewhere else. By the end of the following week, I was gone (2 weeks before when they said I could stay until). I thought staying would only prolong a relationship that no longer served me in my life. 

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I had a job lined up and worked somewhere else within seven days. I was much happier, earned more money, and could create my schedule as I wanted. The new opportunity was better than my previous job and served my life better too. 

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Why it Matters

The main point I want you to take away from this story is this: you will go through many difficult times in your life. You will be challenged often, and those experiences will make or break you. 

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You decide right then and there who the person you want to be is. Do you want to be resilient? Get up fast and keep going. Or will you choose to stay down, feel sorry for yourself, and make excuses as to why you can’t move on? 

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The choice is really up to you. After adversity comes opportunity. And I’ve come to realize that, more often than not, there are substantial life-changing opportunities right under your nose. 

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If you take a close look around in your life, you may be able to see these opportunities. But remember, seeing an opportunity is only part of it. Acting on the opportunity is the hard part. Taking the risk, jumping to something new, and trying something different. 

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Conclusion

Adversity will challenge you many times throughout your life. 

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You decide who you want to be in difficult times: the person that gets up or stays down. 

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Challenging times breed opportunities. After you are challenged in a particular place in your life, you are often given a massive opportunity for the better. Whether you decide to act on this opportunity or not is entirely up to you. 

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Are you going to let difficult situations define you? Or are you going to step up and make the best of it? The answer is up to you.

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Focus on building your resilience muscles. Have a positive attitude, keep your eye out for new opportunities and never give up. 

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Chris M Wilson