David Bowie Was Right

Turn and face the strange. 

Change is the only constant in the universe. When we control it, we embrace it. When it surprises us, we fear it. Nevertheless, change comes, disrupts, and sometimes, the turmoil wrecks live and careers. For instance, compare quitting your job to pursue a new path versus redundancy. One is exciting and dynamic and energizes your being, while the other plunges the strongest into depression and worries about impending bankruptcy. Even when you control the change, it can be stressful.

The Center for Creative Leadership has a lot of tools for taking control when fate thrusts change upon you, and key among these is building resiliency—self-care, building your social connections, practicing gratitude, and most importantly, embracing new perspectives. 

At the beginning of the pandemic, one of my largest clients of 22 plus years sold his business, and I lost a big chunk of my income. As the conditions worsened, prospects dried up, opportunities went away. Over the years, my network had either retired or moved on. Many of the contacts I was hoping to call on for work were simply not there. I took classes to bring my skillset up to date, but the portfolio I had no longer applied to the current business environment. I tried rebuilding my network, but it never got any traction. 

Things were dire.

Change is the only constant in the universe; I kept reminding myself. And throughout my career, I came out of every recession or personal setback stronger and wealthier than I entered. Why? Because change is also an opportunity, a cliché, but a truism, and often difficult to see when you're watching your career disintegrate. 

My life partner, who went through a similar transformation some years before, worked to shift my focus. You can try this exercise: list five things that you use to define yourself: parent, partner, copywriter, business owner, expert are mine. And five things that identify you: gender, sexuality, ethnicity, age, spirituality. Then give that list to a stranger and ask them to cross off three things from each list. From now on, this is who you are. When you look at the lists, it can be devastating. The characteristics you use to define you are gone, leaving you with a shell. Some people who try it get angry, others reject it outright. Except, it's just an exercise, and you are still you. 

It's true in real life too.

So, now try another exercise. Make a list of your values without relying on the other two lists, and through this lens, look at who you are. Now, examine your world through these new eyes and find what matters to you and see the opportunities there.

For me, it meant embracing a career path that is more difficult but more rewarding. Something I've been putting off or dancing around for years—fiction writing. The job I took to help me pay the bills is no longer drudge, but that which helps me reach the goals I set in my new career path. And everything I did before, I now see, is the experience I was gathering to prepare me for this change. I'm still in marketing, but I have a new client. Me.

Change is the heart of the Great Resignation, which is actually a Great Shuffle. If you're in it too, it can be daunting, scary, and invigorating. If you're an employer, open your eyes to these new people at your door. The people knocking are energized, and they want to be with you. Again, embrace the change. It is a tumultuous time, but not as some say, the end times. More like those awkward pubescent years, and who knows what we'll be when we reach the end. 

Take control of the unexpected change by taking care of yourself first. Do the things that bring you joy. Strengthen those professional and personal relationships and take an inventory of your values. And then realize that what you lost is not who you are. Turn the world around in your hand, look at it from all sides, and then open your eyes and embrace the change.