By Judy Young

I’m a flight attendant with a major airline, and I’ve been with the company for over 21 years. I started back in May of 1999 as a customer service representative in Chicago. In January of 2001, I transferred to become a flight attendant and was based out of Washington, D.C.

Even though I’d already been with the company for almost two years, I still had to go through the full probation period as a flight attendant. My first official day off probation was September 11, 2001. In my mind, that day was going to be a celebration! Flight attendant training had been intense—fail during training or probation, and you’re sent right back to customer service, complete with a bow on your head. And I wanted nothing to do with that walk of shame. I dotted every “i,” crossed every “t,” and followed every rule to the letter. I fully intended to do a big, goofy HAPPY DANCE on September 11, 2001.

But as anyone over the age of 22 knows firsthand, that day required almost anything but a Happy Dance.

By October 1, 2001, I was laid off. And if I’d still been on probation at that time, I wouldn’t have just been laid off—I would have been fired. And this was with a perfect record—never late, never even called in sick.

To say I was devastated would be the understatement of the century. I was stunned, shocked, angry, heartbroken… you name it. Most of all, I was confused. I had no idea what the future held. I didn’t know what I’d do for work. I felt completely numb.

Six months later, I was recalled to work. I’d never been part of a union job before, so the whole process—layoff, recall, seniority—was brand new to me. But I was so happy to go back! I had made the best of my time off, spending every moment I could with my dad. My mom had passed away in December of 2000, so that time with my dad ended up being a gift I didn’t even realize I needed.

Five months later, the Iraq war began—and since I was still one of the most junior flight attendants, I was laid off again. I didn’t do a Happy Dance about it, but I also didn’t fall apart. This time, I thought, “Ah, another vacation!” I wasn’t thrilled, but I wasn’t angry or depressed either. I understood more about how it all worked, and I looked forward to more time with my dad.

Six months later, I was recalled—again.

Fast forward 17 years. By now, I’m thinking I’m finally in the clear. I wasn’t senior by any means (people my age had decades on me—they started flying at 18 and planned to keep going until 80), but I wasn’t at the bottom of the pile anymore. I actually had people junior to me.

Or so I thought.

Then COVID-19 hit. And despite having 21+ years with the company, I was laid off again. Was I surprised? Yes. Disappointed? Definitely. But sad? No. This time, my reaction was: “What’s next?” How can I use this time to reinvent myself? What new opportunities can I explore? What other streams of income can I create?

The same situation—three different times—but my perspective shifted dramatically each time.

First time: Absolute devastation, uncertainty, sadness, anger, fear, worry.
Second time: Vacation.
Third time: Opportunity. What’s next? What else is possible?

This is the Law of Relativity in real life. Nothing is inherently good or bad—it just is. It’s all about what you decide it means, relative to everything else. The first time, my job was everything to me, so losing it felt like losing everything. The second time, I had context—I’d been through it before and knew it wasn’t forever. I could breathe. The third time, I saw the space it gave me to redirect and grow.

The only thing that changed was my mindset.

_________________

•   To discover how to start choosing more effectively now, read The Jackrabbit Factor (FREE!)  
•   If you want more step-by-step guidance on creating the life you really want, join me in the Mindset Mastery program.
•   If you want my help overcoming that giant obstacle right in front of you, learn more and sign up for Genius Bootcamp.