Business, Bankruptcy and Beginnings

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”  T.S. Eliot

The market is tough. And volatile. And turbulent. And not what you thought it would be when you bought that business a while back. Remember how you took your entire life savings and used it to buy that proven winner? And how the market crashed on you last winter, or this spring, or two weeks ago?  And how you have been trying to figure out how to make the business work, even though your heart knows that you are kidding yourself? And how you have been counseled by your lawyer and your accountant to file for bankruptcy? And how you wind up sitting in some career transition management professional’s office crying your eyes out?

Stuff happens! Though it really doesn’t ever impact you until it happens to you. And you are the one who is losing the business that you worked so hard to build. You are the one who is losing the business that you plowed your every last dollar into it to make it go. You are the one who is dealing with the stress and frustration and angst of going bankrupt. So what do you do when you are losing your business and going bankrupt? While I for sure don’t have answers, I do have some ideas.

You cry.

You hurt.

You ache.

You go around in a daze.

You don’t sleep at night.

You feel embarrassed, ashamed, sad and scared.

You experience a roller coaster of emotions.

You find someone to talk with.

You share your story.

You get some help.

You seek competent counsel.

You wade through the muck.

You realize you are not so alone.

You tell yourself that you started once, and that you can start again.

You think about courage.

You think about other people who have walked in your shoes.

You wonder about your motivation.

You take stock of what really matters.

You stop worrying so much about what everyone else thinks and start focusing more on what you think.

You forgive yourself.

You forgive those who need forgiven.

You figure out that you will figure it out.

You commit to a new start.

You begin again.

You rebuild one breath at a time. 

You promise yourself that you can and you will start over.

You start sleeping a little better.

You give yourself a break.

You lick your wounds.

You swallow your pride.

You heal to the best of your ability.

You respect yourself.

You reach out.

You catch yourself laughing.

You notice that you’re a little more relaxed.

You tell yourself that you have learned some lessons, even though you’re not exactly sure what they are.

You get back on life’s freeway.

You buckle up.

You hang on tight.

You put yourself into drive.

And you get going – again!

With your eye on the road ahead.

“Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb but how well you bounce.”  -- Vivian Komori

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