“And there will be job eliminations…” read a company-wide email from our CEO last Friday.
I was immediately triggered. The memory of layoffs I experienced just two years ago came rushing back, the feelings still fresh in my mind. Experience as the teacher whispered, “You have to look out for yourself.” So, I started doom-scrolling on LinkedIn to see what jobs were available.
But then I paused.
I realized that while experience can teach valuable lessons—like warning a child not to touch a hot stove—it can also be harmful. Sometimes, it keeps us trapped in anticipation of pain, even when the present moment doesn’t warrant it.
Moments like these rob us of the ability to fully experience the present for what it is—good, bad, or neutral. They blur the line between reality and our imagination.
A recent conversation with a coworker illustrated this perfectly.
After our VP’s “Ask-Me-Anything” meeting, I caught up with a coworker from my team. He was convinced we were doomed. “It’s obvious our org will be a lot smaller,” he said.
I blinked in surprise. I had walked out of the same meeting feeling cautiously optimistic. Our VP had said, “Each of you are doing the right work for the organization.”
Both of us had attended the same meeting. Yet our takeaways were polar opposites.
This stark difference in perception reminded me how much our individual interpretations can be shaped by emotions and past experiences. It also underscored a truth I often need to revisit: When uncertainty strikes, our subjective judgment is not always reliable. That’s why it’s so important to anchor ourselves to objective facts.
Here’s what I know for certain:
- There will be layoffs in the coming weeks.
- Layoffs will impact corporate employees.
- Teams that “coordinate work” or “do the same work” will be affected.
That’s it. No more, no less. Everything else is conjecture.
This episode brought to mind a fundamental discipline of Stoicism (a school of philosophy that originated in Ancient Greece and Rome), which has guided many through uncertainty and adversity:
Discipline of Perception: See things for what they are and do our best to remain objective in any circumstances
Our ability to perceive situations clearly and with discipline often determines the trajectory of our success and happiness. As the Stoic philosopher Ryan Holiday puts it:
“You will come across obstacles in life—fair and unfair. And you will discover, time and time again, that what matters most is not what these obstacles are, but how we see them, how we react to them, and whether we keep our composure. This reaction determines how successful we will be in overcoming—or possibly thriving because of—these obstacles.”
As for me, the story of these layoffs will unfold in the coming weeks.
But in the meantime, I declare:
- I will choose to focus on the facts. No more, no less.
- I will choose to control what I can—my thoughts, actions, and reactions.
- I will choose to see opportunity in every situation.
Elevate Everyday 