The art of getting up again

Published on Jan 27, 2025 by Matt Bud, The FENG
Being Out of Work

You have to kind of feel sorry for folks who have never been unemployed.

I know it may sound strange to say this, but if you have never been knocked down, you may not know that not only will you get up again, but that you may be a better person in many ways when you do. I hope that members of The FENG know this.

If you have never known defeat, you may think you are invincible. But we should know that NO ONE is invincible. At some point everyone you know experiences a major setback in their lives that shakes their world to its very core.

Early in my life I envied many of the people I encountered. They seemed so happy and so successful that I often wondered what was wrong with me. Sure, I was usually happy in my life, but was true success going to pass me by?

As I have grown older and got to know many of the people I once envied, I have come to find out that unbeknownst to me they had suffered many setbacks in their lives. It was just that I didn’t know them well enough at the time to be aware of it. There are very few people in this world any of us would really want to trade places with if we were required to not only take their success, but also any and ALL baggage they have.

Having a few setbacks in your life is what gives you the strength and the skills to deal with all the NORMAL things that happen to EVERYONE.

Job search is only one of many difficulties you must face in life, and in the greater scheme of things, not one of the more difficult ones. At the time you are forced to wander the world in search of gainful employment, it can seem like you will be unemployed forever. There is something about a steady paycheck that is comforting. That said, you aren’t your paycheck.

Your job or position in life is only one part of the equation of that which is you. One should never let the inconvenience of needing to seek employment totally take the wind out of your sails.

Getting knocked down is going to happen. The important part is getting back up again. And, even if you get knocked down a second time, you need to have the strength to just get up once more.

Those who stay knocked down have given up. I hope you find the concept of giving up as alien as I do. Always fight the good fight and give life all you have.

It’s an art form that all of us need to master, and you can take as much time as you like to do so.

Regards, Matt