When Endings Lead to New Beginnings: Finding Growth in Uncertainty
“Without the ability to end things, people stay stuck, never becoming who they are meant to be, never accomplishing all that their talents and abilities should afford them.” – Henry Cloud
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The past few weeks have been tough, not just for me but for so many others. Friends and family have lost everything in the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, while others are grappling with layoffs sweeping across the tech industry. This past week, I experienced my own moment of upheaval: I lost my job as part of a company-wide workforce reduction.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t caught off guard, yet at the same time, a part of me saw it coming.
The surprise came because, well, losing your job is never something you plan for. It’s jarring to have your career trajectory interrupted on someone else’s terms. In the last few days, I went through all five the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
Denial—shock and disbelief. I couldn’t wrap my head around it at first.
I was surprised because, in my world, social media is indispensable. For all its flaws, it’s a vital virtual space for every company—big or small—and for individuals working to build their personal brands. Social media has the power to make or break reputations. It’s where people connect, share their thoughts, air grievances, and celebrate victories. Conversations on these platforms shape perceptions, ignite movements, and build relationships. To me, deprioritizing a key area of the business felt counterintuitive. I’ll likely never know why this decision was made and I’ve made peace with that.
Anger. Stage two hit me hard—frustration, helplessness, and a sense of injustice. Honestly, I still feel it sometimes, and I know it’s valid. We pour so much of ourselves into our work—our time, energy, and sometimes even our tears. Many of us make personal sacrifices, whether it’s spending less time with family and friends to work those extra hours, skipping meals because someone wants to discuss something “urgent,” pushing vacations to “later” because they conflict with a “big moment,” canceling doctor’s appointments for last-minute meetings added to our calendars by leadership, navigating office politics because “that’s just how it is,” or losing sleep to meet tight deadlines. Some days, it feels like you’re giving up pieces of yourself just to keep things moving.
The energy it took to navigate those daily battles left me drained. I gave so much of myself to my work, and while I’m incredibly proud of what I achieved, it’s still frustrating to watch it all come to an abrupt end. It feels unfair, and that’s hard to sit with—but it’s part of the process.
For those who’ve been there or are going through it now, it’s okay to feel angry. That anger is justified.
Right now, I’m navigating stage three—bargaining.
The desire to regain control is real. Writing this blog post is evidence of that. Losing my job was tough, but it’s just a job. It doesn’t define who I am.
I’m learning to focus on what I do have. I still have the incredible things I built and accomplished during my time there. I still have my skills, my friendships, my dignity—and that’s empowering. This setback doesn’t define me. And for others going through what I’m going through, it doesn’t you as well. It’s important to be intentional about not connecting one’s self-worth to a job, title, or company. In my instance, it softened the blow.
Next comes depression, or so they say.
For me, this stage is tricky. I’ve always been a positive person, someone who sees light at the end of every tunnel. But moments of sadness do sneak in from time to time, and I allow myself to feel them. Grief is part of the process. My routines, once so structured, have shifted, and it’s taking time to adjust. But I know I’ll find my rhythm again.
Finally, there’s acceptance.
This is where I’m heading. While the sting of loss doesn’t disappear entirely, I feel myself moving toward peace and a new reality. My new reality involves reconnecting with former colleagues, mentors, and friends and I’m looking forward to doing this. It involves exploring new opportunities and learning new skills, it’s a time for discovery and creating something great for myself.
Endings are hard, but they are also beginnings in disguise. I’m learning to embrace mine.
Lastly, to everyone who has reached out—thank you. Your support has meant the world to me, and I’m extremely touched. To those who are reading this article and learning about this for the first time, don’t hesitate to reach out even if it’s just to say hi.
