It is said that God will move mountains to show you His will.
Have you ever been sitting on the mountain when it started to shake and crumble to the ground? Pretty scary stuff.
Ten years ago on November 12, 6 days after this picture was taken, I was fired from my corporate sales job. Within just a few days, I went from award-winner to fired. From primary breadwinner with the coveted (yes purposeful word there) six-figure income to zero. From a record-breaking year to seemingly nothing.
While this major event set me on the trajectory to find Jesus and follow His direction, it was a huge blow to my ego (and my identity, and my bank account!). This led me in a new direction I never planned: teaching ambitious women of faith how to redefine hustle through my coaching, speaking and writing. It’s often left me awe-struck and wondering how did I get here? Do I actually get to do this? 🙌🏻
In honor of this 10th anniversary, here are three lessons I learned from being fired:
- Your work and your achievements do not define you.
Not your role or your title or your promotion or your salary. Anchor your identity to these things and you’ll be upended when worldly things shift (and they always do). Only God has the authority and power to define you. Anchor your identity in Him alone.
- Don’t lean on your own understanding.
There’s a reason Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us this. Our understanding never gives us the whole picture. Only God has that perspective. Leaning on God doesn’t mean that there won’t be struggles and pain and hard times. But it does mean that during those times we will have a sense of peace and purpose, and an ability to think clearly as we ask Him for, and receive, direction.
- God redeems everything.
He will bring beauty from the ashes that you may be living among today. Now, it may not look the way you want or might imagine. But He prunes away what isn’t working to leave what does work to bring more fruit. And what’s left will be for your good and His glory. That is His promise to us as we are connected to the vine and His nourishment.
Go listen to this week’s podcast where I tell the whole story of that fateful day 10 years ago. And grab a copy of my 4 keys to Redefine Hustle, which is what came out of this experience that He gave me to share with you!
