In my post yesterday I recounted the last time I got laid off from a job. It wasn’t a pleasant experience when it happened. However, it turned out to be on of the best experiences of my life. There is…more to the story.

I am part of a professional organization here in in Texas for data management professionals. Yes, I know. It may not sound appealing to you, but I really enjoy it. A couple of months ago we had a day long workshop in DFW. There were several wonderful speakers that day. I was honored to have the opportunity to introduce the speakers after the lunch period was over.

It was awesome. I was reviewing the agenda for the day and the bios for the speakers that I was to introduce. I quickly realized that I had the honor of introducing the man who had fired me from my previous position. Yes. You read that right. The guy who fired me in yesterday’s post was the man I had to introduce in front of several data professionals in DFW.

Holy crap. Really? I have to introduce the guy that fired me? Really? Those were the thoughts that initially went through my head. I quickly realized something different. This is the man that did me an amazing favor. He gave me the opportunity to choose something different and find myself in someplace new.

On the day of the conference, I made my way over to him. He has started a new business (he no longer works for the company that I talked about yesterday) with the CIO of our former company. I shook his hand and a glimmer of recogination crossed his face. Our former CIO came over as we were talking and said, “You look familiar. Do I know you?” I smiled and replied, “I used to work for you, but don’t worry. It was a big company.” She smiled and apologized.

I spoke with both of them for several minutes during a break of the conference. I got the opportunity to do something I never thought I would do. I thanked him for firing me. He looked perplexed. “I fired you? I am sorry. I don’t remember. I had got let so many people go, it really became a blur.” As bad as that sounds, it made sense. The company we worked for was very large, publicly traded, and in a lot of debt. A LOT of people got left go.

He was very pleasant and it was very good to tell him thank you. Looking back 4 years now I didn’t know I would be in this position. I didn’t know the day I got let go from my job would be a pivotal day in my life that I would be so grateful for. I didn’t realize that May 2, 2016 would be one of those days that I would always look back at with gratitude.

I am convinced that our circumstances are what we make of them. If we feel defeated, we will be. If we choose to overcome, there is a great chance we will. Being let go from a job was not an ideal situation, but it is overcome-able. As are most of the things we encounter.

I am thankful. I am grateful. It has not been easy, but it has been worth it. I pray you feel the same way too.

I think the title of this post says it well. I’ve been fired from a few different jobs in my life. None of them have been pleasant experiences. The last time it happened was four years ago tomorrow. May 2 is the day that changed my life. In a very good way.

I had worked as a data analyst/business analyst for the same company in Oklahoma City for almost 9 years. I remember very clearly sitting in a meeting that day discussing a project we were working on. I really enjoyed the project team and the overall mood of the meeting was very upbeat. As the meeting was coming to an end, I looked at my computer and I saw that I was receiving a call from our division’s vice president. My feelings went from good to uncertain in a hurry.

Up to that point I had been on very good terms with that VP. So, I went back to my office and called him back. I told myself there was no need to jump to conclusions. There could be a very good explanation of why he was calling me. It didn’t have to be negative, right? When he answered the phone he said, “Please come to my office. Thank You.” He hung up. No, this wasn’t going to be good.

There have been a few instances in my life where I can recall a moment in time with perfect clarity. It was a beautiful day. It was 15 minutes till nine when I walked out my office door and headed over to his office. I remember feeling a mixed range of emotions. Was I going to be fired? What was going to happen to my family? I remember the feeling of fear starting to come over me. I also remember taking a moment to pray. I prayed, “God, I don’t know what’s about to happen. Give me the strength to face whatever it is with honor and dignity. I know you’ll take care of me.”

I knocked on his door and it opened. There were three people in the office. The vice president, and another man and woman. There were very few formalities. He simply told me the times were hard and a cut back was necessary. He then introduced the woman next to me as a member of the HR team. He told me that she would lead me through the rest of the conversation. He stood up and walked out of his office. I had worked for him for two years and that was all he said to me.

Have you ever seen the movie Moneyball? There is a scene in the movie where Brad Pitt’s character teaches Jonah Hill’s character how to fire someone. Jonah walks in the room, says less than 10 words, and the conversation is done. It was painful in how inhuman it was. I never thought I would experience something like that. That is exactly how it felt when that VP walked out of the room.

Then, something strange happened. The HR representative was a very kind person. You could tell right away that she did not like the situation anymore than I did. She very quickly and apologetically told me that there was a severance package. I took a deep breath. She continued to talk about additional things the company would provide as a part of the severance.

She continued to struggle. I finally stopped her. She was having a hard time. I smiled and said, “Ma’am, you’re doing a good job. I know this isn’t easy, but the terms you have given me are fair. Thank you for the way that you’ve handled this.” She gave me some additional details and then I was lead out by the other gentleman in the room. He was a member of corporate security.

I had worked for the company for a very long time. I felt insulted that a member of security had to lead me to my office to collect my things. However, to my surprise, that gentleman was also kind. We talked briefly and he admitted he didn’t like the situation any more than I did. I thanked him for that as I gathered my things. Before I knew it I was sitting in front of the building in my jeep, numb, in shock, and unemployed.

There is a detail in the story I’ve left out so I could reveal it now. That morning, May 2, 2016, contains another moment that I will never forget. It happened before I went into work. I was sitting in my jeep in that same spot in the front of the building just two hours earlier. There was a different prayer that I said that God was about to answer.

I remember pulling up to the building. I was in a shirt and tie. I remember the tie being a bit tight around my neck. I looked in the rearview mirror after I had shut my jeep off. I was tired. I was frustrated. And I looked up to heaven and I said these words, “God if they would give me severance, I would leave. I don’t really like it here anymore.” True story.

OK, back to my earlier story. I now have my personal effects in my jeep and it was time to figure out what I was going to do next. So, in true David fashion, I went to Starbucks. I needed a coffee and I needed it fast. I wasn’t ready to talk to anyone yet and I needed to sort out my thoughts. When I got my dark roast and sat down, I realized I was more peaceful than I had been in a long time.

As I sat in the coffee shop and sipped my coffee I knew it was time. I pulled out my iPhone and I called Marixa. “Babe, I just got fired. But before you panic, I did get the severance and we will be OK for a little bit.” She surprised me with her reaction. “I know we will be OK. Now, come home, take a nap, and we will figure this thing out.” I love this amazing so much.

After that conversation ended I called a former manager from the company that I had just left. She had retired a few years earlier and I wanted to let her know what had happened. I asked her if she knew of anyone that was looking for someone with the skills I had. She mentioned there was a company in Texas looking for someone just like me. She told me to fill out an application and she would send a reference letter that very day. I did. She did. Three months later, my family and I moved to Texas and I started a new job. It is a good story that I will tell some other time.

I know times are not easy right now. The story I told above is not everyone’s experience when losing a job. However, I want to emphasize two points about this story that I believe are relevant to everyone.

1. I was in a job that I had really grown to dislike. I wasn’t happy when I went into work. Nowhere close. It became very clear to me with the prayer that I prayed that morning. It wasn’t a planned prayer. It was me admitting to God that something wasn’t right. Many of us don’t realize there are other work situations out there that can utilize out talents and abilities so much better and provide for us as well. (I recommend Dan Miller 48days.com and Chris Guillebeau sidehustleschool.com if you are trying to find work that is more you.) Life is too short to stay somewhere you hate.

2. Getting fired is just a part of working. It doesn’t mean that I was a bad worker. Tons of awesome people lose their jobs every day. It is possible to do things right and still get the axe. It is up to us, when it happens, to provide evidence to our next employer of why they can’t live without us and keep doing awesome work. I was afraid losing my job would hurt me. Nope. It freed me up to do work I love even more.

I pray that whatever situation you are in right now you know that God loves you and has a plan for you. If you are doing what you love…awesome! If you are toiling at something you hate…there is something better out there. If you are displaced and looking…keep moving forward. God has you. Trust him.

I can’t believe it has been 4 years. I can honestly say, I am so thankful I got fired this time.

So thankful.

Knowing is not enough; We must apply. Wishing is not enough; We must do. – Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe

I did not understand this quote when I was younger. I had always heard that knowledge is power. So, I gathered all the knowledge I could in the form of books. It doesn’t mean that I ever read the books, I just had them sitting on my bookshelf. Knowledge right there at my fingertips. It was powerful right? Please. What use is a book you won’t read?

Many times when I have found something new I want to learn I would buy a course or find videos to download on a topic. I am an auditory learner and, in my mind, it made sense that videos or lectures could be a very good way to learn. The same with audiobooks. I would happily gather the material… and never listen to it. second verse same as the first.

I think it may be that I like the idea of doing those things more than I really wanted to do those things. I wanted to gather the knowledge, but I never sat down and examined why. Why did I feel the need to collect the books or the materials to learn if I had no real desire to learn it? Was it that I didn’t want to learn? Or I was focused on the wrong things?

By contrast, there are many things in my life that I know how to do very well. There are many areas where I have excelled, if not mastered, the topics of study. (I use the word mastered very lightly here. There is always room to improve in any area.) These are things that I am passionate about or have felt the need to accomplish because it takes me closer to my goals. In short, the areas of my success are there, in large part, because of the things I’ve actually done, not just the things I’ve learned.

I give you this example. Growing up, my mother was to cook in the house. If I wanted something to eat she was usually the one that fixed it. (The only exception to this is that she taught me to bake when I was nine or 10. I could make some mean brownies.) If I was hungry for real food though, she was the one that made it. I am very thankful for her and the way that she took care of me, dad and Chris. There were tough times but I never went without a meal.

When Marixa and I got married I knew how to make two things: steaks on the grill and burritos…But most of the time I bought the burritos from Taco Bell. We learned how to fix a few more things over the years, but cooking was never one of those things I thought that I would be very good at.

One day I was watching a show called Mexico: One Plate at a Time on PBS. It was hosted by a wonderful chef name Rick Bayless. Rick and his wife spent many years in Mexico studying the culture and the food and he is now a world renowned chef. On the show that day Rick was demonstrating how to make salsa. I remember being captivated as I watched. The ingredients were beautiful. The process was simple. I could almost smell the salsa through the TV. He was so gifted at what he was doing he made it look very achievable. I was hooked.

Right after the show was done, I gave Marixa a hug and told her I was going to the store to get ingredients. She smiled and sent me on my way. Did I know what I was after? I had never bought a tomatillo before. The green leafy wrapper around it was strange, but I was undeterred. I paid for all of the ingredients I had in my cart and went home to see if I too could make a delicious salsa. Believe it or not, I did.

If I ever have the chance to meet Rick Bayless and shake his hand, I want to. I would love for him to understand my gratitude. Like he has with many other people, Rick taught me that cooking was something that I could do. More than that, he inspired me to not just learn about it, but to actually do it.

To me, that’s the difference between the two positions. There are things that we learn and do nothing with that, in the end, don’t hold much value. There are things that we learn and we immediately do. There’s so much power in that. As I write these words, my head is filled with so many examples of where this is true in my own life. For the good and the bad.

I am making the choice today to DO. I challenge you to DO the same.

For the the past few months I have been playing Super Mario Odyssey on the Nintendo Switch with my boy. This is been made very special by the fact that he is very good at the game and I am somewhat of a novice. I have been amazed at the details in the graphics in the captivating nature of the story. In classic Mario fashion, it’s a very enjoyable game. More importantly, I have thoroughly enjoyed playing it with my boy.

It is made me think back to my first experience with a Nintendo. My boy tries to tell me that he’s been playing the game longer than I have… please… I often remind him I have been Nintendo since about 1988. (Maybe 1989 or 90…its been thirty yeas…that is the point.)

I remember when my dad took me to get that original Nintendo system. I remember walking through the store. I remember looking at the system and the games that were for sale. The only game system I had ever played games on was the Atari. (Who remembers Pitfall?!) From the pictures I saw on the Nintendo box the Atari was about to be old news.

One memory that sticks out very vividly is the game that I chose him to go along with the new Nintendo. Obviously, it came with Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt. My dad offered to give me an additional game aside from those. I chose a game that had Mickey Mouse in it. My dad tried to talk me into something different. I’m not sure what game he had his eye on, or if he was just surprised in my selection.I was convinced and what I wanted. Incidentally, I enjoyed that game for quite a while.

I also remember that I once stayed home from school for a day so I could beat a game called Bionic Commando. (I remember telling my mom that I wanted to stay home because I didn’t feel good. She knew me well enough to know that I needed a break day. She has always been cool like that. I have no idea where I got a hold of that game to even play it, but I remember playing hooky and having the best day beating the bad guys.

My favorite times were playing Super Mario Brothers for hours on end. It was challenging. It was fun. For this 11-year-old boy, I really enjoyed that game. But now, I enjoy it because of my son. The old one was cool, but the new it’s so much better because I get to share it with him.