Daily Living: “The Difference Between a Winner and a Loser”

“The Difference Between a Winner and a Loser”
by Amy Chan

“Just when you think that life is steady and predictable, the universe throws a curve ball at you. Last week I was laid off. Since I know I contributed a lot of value and put my heart in soul in to my work, I was surprised. Call it corporate restructuring, a career transition - but really, whatever pretty words you try to name it, the bottom line was, within weeks, I'd be unemployed.

In my career I've sat on both sides - I've been hired, fired, recruited and promoted. I've also hired, fired, recruited and demoted. I'd like to think that regardless of what side I've been on, I've always acted with class and respect. Today, maybe I'm immune to reacting with distress and extreme emotion. Or maybe I've just embraced the reality of business. You can give your all to a company, even call them your friends and family. But really, at the end of the day, you are a number, with a price tag and very quickly can be in the "position eliminated" pile. Nothing personal - it really isn't. Expecting more from the corporate machine would be unrealistic and likely come with huge disappointment. I'm not being a cynic, I just understand that at the end of the day, business decisions must be made to further the benefit of the company, and sometimes this comes at your expense.

I've come to learn that you cannot control how others react or how they conduct themselves. All you can do is stick to your values and principles and always act with professionalism, grace and dignity. I realized that what happened was a challenge - and challenges are actually blessings in disguise. They stop you in your comfort zone and give you the opportunity to grow. In these moments, this is where you can choose to be a winner or a loser. The only difference between the two is the attitude and perspective in which you choose to see things.

With that being said, I decided that not for a second, would I allow a "woe is me" attitude control me. From my experience so far, these challenges - be it a breakup or a career change - always happen for a reason. I truly believe that when one door closes, it's because another door is meant to open. If you are caught up in feeling negative, blaming or playing victim - you may just miss that next door.

Choose to win. Choose to be better, every day. Try harder - put in the effort and the hard work to make things happen for you. Aim further. If you settle for less or put a limit to how far you can go - you will always stay within those self-created confines.

Some words of advice a wise friend told me - in your career, you always have to be "moving water." Be it a flowing river, or the crashing waves of the ocean - always be moving. The minute water stops moving and stays still, it begins to rot. This applies to your career growth - the minute you stop learning, stop growing and stop facing challenges, your energy, creativity and zest begins to slowly die. To resilience. To the choices we get that will ultimately shade our lives in gray or in bright, vibrant colors. To the people who's unwavering support and belief empower you to never doubt your value. To moving water. To the challenges that enable us to grow bigger, better and stronger.”

- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

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To read more of Amy's blogs, visit www.amyfabulous.com

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