Over a period of many, many years, I had taken on more responsibilities at work. Not all of them were expected of me, but of course they were welcomed. I had become an assistant without the title, someone trying to punch above his weight class. It was the way I thought I would eventually get promoted.
To be fair, I did end up playing the corporate game quite well. Eventually, I became an assistant. Chiming keys hanging from the side of my pants, special codes that allowed me to negotiate prices and close sales when situations called for it.
A narrative began weaving itself inside my head. I was becoming too valuable, too important for the people above me not to notice. I believed this so strongly that I thought the hard work would inevitably pay off. Part of me believed that playing the long game was playing the smart game. Running my own store someday, making the big bucks, as they say, felt clearly outlined in the cards. Time was my only rival.
Of course, it did not quite pan out that way. My position as an assistant was the highest echelon I ever achieved, and eventually I walked away from it all with a broken heart. The narrative had been an illusion, a small lie that gave me an extra push during the days when I questioned every choice I made.
I remember imagining some kind of collapse in my absence. I thought there would be reverberations, an echoing effect. After all, I was doing so much. I was appreciated. I was important, or so I told myself. But life was about to teach me another lesson, the kind that humbles us.
Nothing happened.
That was the conclusion I came to. I was quickly replaced, not because I lacked value, but because there was a job to be done and there were always people ready to take it. The system needed to continue chugging along, and learning how to dance to that rhythm was already written into store manuals long before I arrived.
I had to rethink my own sense of worth. Of course it hurt. How could it not? But over time, I learned to accept it, even if it contradicted every smile and every word of gratitude I had ever received.
Life moves on, and sometimes the boat we are currently voyaging on is simply no longer meant for us.
And you know what?
That is OK.
The boat and its crew will be OK.
And so will I.
— MenO
The saying, "Don't be irreplaceable because you'll be unpromotable" is my story. In a telecom company, my director's boss was bragging to his boss about the database and integration systems I wrote. He said something like, "Don't think of stealing him." That year, a mass layoff took away my position.
Was there a reverberation? I saw a scramble, but corporate policies kept laid-off employees away out of fear of espionage. The company collapsed under scandal within a couple of years, eventually selling to a competitor.
I had not heard that saying, but I do think it can ring true at times
Which reminds me of a wise phrase my father used to tell me that his father had told him, and which I never forget: "Never do bad to anyone, because doing good isn't necessary either."
a wise man for sure
Many people experience unexpected feelings of being replaced shortly after their departure or some other reasons. I experienced this when I was in the corporate world. This emotional response can be confusing and even upsetting, leading to questions about why these things/feelings arise so quickly. No matter what, we need to move forward positively in our career and personal growth.
looking back, do you feel relief?
Well, to be honest, I felt relief in the long run. That was the sign for me to step out of my comfort zone.
life goes on.. thats a good thing actually.. it allows us to figure out that we can just sit back and let the current take us.. or we can paddle hard if that is what we want or need to do.
life just is... a simple phrase that sums it up perfectly
i like that wording.. ;)