a plus, he knew that his age would be a minus. Most employers wanted younger employees to train and mold, because they werenât set in their ways.
He massaged his temple, trying not to let himself get stressed out over a situation that hadnât occurred yet. He realized that he was letting fear get the best of him. Fear of being without a job. Fear of not being able to provide for himself and his wife. And most of all . . . fear of failure.
He reminded himself that God had not given him the spirit of fear and composed himself when he heard the office coming to life. People were chatting and settling into their workstations. He focused his attention on his work until 9:00 A.M. , when he joined the rest of the team for their weekly staff meeting. They sat around the conference room table, listening to their manager talk about the state of affairs. Greg took copious notes and on occasion looked out the large window, catching a view of the clear sky.
He stopped writing when he heard his boss say, âIâm sure many of you have started hearing rumblings about a possible downsizing.â His tone sounded serious as he adjusted his burgundy tie. He sighed. âIâm disappointed to inform you all that itâs true.â
Outbursts exploded throughout the room. Greg felt like walking out of the meeting. He struggled to stay in his seat.
âWait,â he continued, holding up his hands to shush the crowd. âLet me finish.â The chatter turned into a low roar, a dribble, then finally ceased. âCorporate hasnât given us any names of affected personnel. We donât know what theyâre basing the cuts on, or how many people will be impacted.â He leaned on the long table. âI can assure you that Iâll fight to keep each and every one of you. I wish I had more to tell you.â
His words offered little comfort to Greg. He zoned out for the rest of the meeting, thinking about what he needed to do next. He thought about how his résumé needed to be updated. Even if he wasnât on the chopping block, he didnât like feeling vulnerable. He disliked leaving his fate in the hands of his employer. Maybe he had become too complacent and needed to explore other options, anyway.
He then thought about Shania and how she had turned her passion for cooking into a successful career and thriving business. He wondered if he had an entrepreneurial spirit lying dormant within.
When the meeting ended, Greg couldnât get out of there fast enough. He gathered his belongings, went back to his desk, and logged off his computer. He then grabbed his briefcase and headed to his first appointment of the day.
A few hours later, Greg had met with all of his appointments and secured two new policies. That helped brighten his spirit, but he still didnât feel like going back into the office; he had too much on his mind. He apologized to Franklin for reneging on lunch and decided to take the rest of the day off.
When he got home, he didnât see Shaniaâs car in the garage. A part of him felt disappointed that she wasnât there for him to talk to. Maybe that was for the best; since despite Franklinâs prompting, he felt that anything that came out of his mouth at this moment would be all death and no life.
He decided to wait until he found out whether he was getting cut or not before involving her. No point in making Shania worry if she didnât have to. She already had enough on her plate.
He needed to clear his mind, so he changed out of his business attire and into riding clothes. He put on his helmet and took a ten-mile ride on a motorcycle trail that meandered through the deciduous woods along a creek.
As he traveled the concrete road, pushing against the wind, his previous fears resurfaced in his mind. He knew that he didnât have control over what was happening at work, but he knew one thing for certainâGod had his back. That belief helped him to
He massaged his temple, trying not to let himself get stressed out over a situation that hadnât occurred yet. He realized that he was letting fear get the best of him. Fear of being without a job. Fear of not being able to provide for himself and his wife. And most of all . . . fear of failure.
He reminded himself that God had not given him the spirit of fear and composed himself when he heard the office coming to life. People were chatting and settling into their workstations. He focused his attention on his work until 9:00 A.M. , when he joined the rest of the team for their weekly staff meeting. They sat around the conference room table, listening to their manager talk about the state of affairs. Greg took copious notes and on occasion looked out the large window, catching a view of the clear sky.
He stopped writing when he heard his boss say, âIâm sure many of you have started hearing rumblings about a possible downsizing.â His tone sounded serious as he adjusted his burgundy tie. He sighed. âIâm disappointed to inform you all that itâs true.â
Outbursts exploded throughout the room. Greg felt like walking out of the meeting. He struggled to stay in his seat.
âWait,â he continued, holding up his hands to shush the crowd. âLet me finish.â The chatter turned into a low roar, a dribble, then finally ceased. âCorporate hasnât given us any names of affected personnel. We donât know what theyâre basing the cuts on, or how many people will be impacted.â He leaned on the long table. âI can assure you that Iâll fight to keep each and every one of you. I wish I had more to tell you.â
His words offered little comfort to Greg. He zoned out for the rest of the meeting, thinking about what he needed to do next. He thought about how his résumé needed to be updated. Even if he wasnât on the chopping block, he didnât like feeling vulnerable. He disliked leaving his fate in the hands of his employer. Maybe he had become too complacent and needed to explore other options, anyway.
He then thought about Shania and how she had turned her passion for cooking into a successful career and thriving business. He wondered if he had an entrepreneurial spirit lying dormant within.
When the meeting ended, Greg couldnât get out of there fast enough. He gathered his belongings, went back to his desk, and logged off his computer. He then grabbed his briefcase and headed to his first appointment of the day.
A few hours later, Greg had met with all of his appointments and secured two new policies. That helped brighten his spirit, but he still didnât feel like going back into the office; he had too much on his mind. He apologized to Franklin for reneging on lunch and decided to take the rest of the day off.
When he got home, he didnât see Shaniaâs car in the garage. A part of him felt disappointed that she wasnât there for him to talk to. Maybe that was for the best; since despite Franklinâs prompting, he felt that anything that came out of his mouth at this moment would be all death and no life.
He decided to wait until he found out whether he was getting cut or not before involving her. No point in making Shania worry if she didnât have to. She already had enough on her plate.
He needed to clear his mind, so he changed out of his business attire and into riding clothes. He put on his helmet and took a ten-mile ride on a motorcycle trail that meandered through the deciduous woods along a creek.
As he traveled the concrete road, pushing against the wind, his previous fears resurfaced in his mind. He knew that he didnât have control over what was happening at work, but he knew one thing for certainâGod had his back. That belief helped him to
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