I Was Fired 3 Years Ago.
It’s been Gladiator, Million Dollar Baby, And The Shawshank Redemption Ever Since.
As you can tell, I watch a lot of visual entertainment. When it comes to genres, I don’t discriminate much, but my preferred go to categories are thrillers, drama, suspense and of course, action.
I’m a man, come on.
It just also happens those genres accurately describe the life I started the day I was called into my SVP’s office about three years ago, and then the HR rep calmly read the precisely tuned legalese telling me my job had been eliminated. Actually my entire team was eliminated in a bloodless coup d’etat, but there’s not need for additional characters or storylines. A lot of stuff was said but all that translated through the haze in my script of that dialogue was a gruff “Get the f* off my lawn!” a la Pixar’s “Up” which was affirmed when I was walked right out of the company premises precisely fifteen minutes later.
“Gentleman, you had my curiosity. But now you have my attention.” — Django Unchained
The gentleman in this case as I idled my car outside of the Starbucks on 5th Street was Life, and yes, it had my attention. As I processed the abrupt pivot in the plot of my drama, it quickly dawned on me that something profound had happened to me. No, it wasn’t the end result of a bloody takedown scene, or the sudden despair of the main character in a suspense movie about to do something drastic.
The truth is, I was faced with a hardcore dilemma — “Now, freaking what?”
“Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” — Dead Poets Society
It has been almost three years since. It has been an action packed timeline with a number of spectacular failures, depleted savings, near hits and mind-numbing disappointments as I made the decision not to go back into corporate and instead attack problems that were exciting and challenging from an entrepreneurial standpoint. I am now on startup #3, living (teetering) on the edge, and hustling my butt off like Jerry McGuire. It is not for everybody, shoot…I am still figuring out if it is for me, but at least the suspense is not a movie for me, it is my day to day. I have learned so much in the last three years about what my thresholds are, who my true friends and champions are (numero uno: my wife, Ngozi), what I am very good at (plus conversely, what I am not good at), and most importantly — decluttering the BS (chasing the big title, booking family lunches and coffee with friends via my exec admin, corner offices, Delta Diamond/Starwood Titanium privileges, corporate politics, cable TV, useless mentors, and many more) from my narrative.
My income has suffered terribly, but my sleep is so much better. The fancy restaurant visits have stalled, but I feel much healthier. I’ve lost my corporate big dog status, but my sphere of influence is much tighter and more potent. There is plenty of stress, but the kickboxing bag at X3 takes the brunt of it. It isn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s getting done. If I do fail again, if I do go back to corporate, this time it is with eyes wide open. I am a much wiser man today than the plot device I embodied sitting in that office three years ago.
“Here’s looking at you, kid.” — Casablanca
I write this as a reference point for anyone who is interested, anyone putting together a screenplay that ebbs and flows nicely for their characters. Definitely not living the dream, but is there such a thing?
Please indulge me as I end with the awesome excerpt from “Most People Won’t” by VC Bryce Roberts:
Most people want to be fit, most people aren’t.
Most people want to build a successful business, most people won’t.
Most people want to be the best version of themselves, most people aren’t.
Most people have dreams they want to fulfill, most people won’t.
Everyone wants to quit something, build something, be something, do something. Most people won’t.
How many things have we wanted? How many opportunities have we craved? How many broken things have we wanted to fix? And how many of those have we shrunk from. Hid from. Or, excused away.
We’re not alone. Most people won’t.
But every once in a while someone puts themselves out there. Makes the leap. Faces rejection or failure or worse. And comes out the other side. Better. Changed. Bolder.
Most people won’t. Which means those that do change everything.
Just a quote. Not a prescription, not even advice. Just some food for thought.
Great weekend, my people <winking emoji insert here>
Chidi
This story was originally posted on LinkedIn
