Exposed. Embarrassed. Not good enough. These are all the things I felt in a season in my life where I felt like I hit rock bottom in my professional life. I was labeled a Jack of all trades and master of none and not in a good way. I was marked as a woman that could not lead people. I was ashamed and felt like a failure. But even amid my Joseph moment, God was doing a great work. What they meant for evil, God used it for my good and the good of all the people He would assign to me.
I want to take this time to be vulnerable, honest, and share with you about a time where what the enemy used for my setup, God used for my come up. I hope the words in this post speak to you and encourage you not only to believe in the plan that God has for you but believe that He shaped you and molded you to do amazing things.
"What the enemy used for my setup, God used for my come up."
2013 was the time that everything broke loose. I was kicked out of my role and functional department after being deemed someone who couldn’t make good decisions or lead people. My self-esteem was damaged, not just because I got kicked out of my department but because I was being used as a human piñata for my immediate supervisor and senior manager. They would make independent decisions about my team against my wishes. At one point, when a situation went astray based upon their decisions, the blame was placed at my feet. Things I said and did were taken entirely out of context and I became my manager's scapegoat.
They blamed me for the failure of their decision-making. Soon after, I was forced out and moved to a department where I had zero experience nor interest in going. I loathed the change. I was so disappointed and discouraged; I felt like I was at the bottom of the well, just like Joseph.
The dreams I had to be able to lead and progress in my career were shattered. Here I am, in a place where I never asked to be. Here I am, doing something I’ve never done before. Here I am, my confidence at the lowest point in my career, and I’m supposed to think things will get better? I prayed to God to help me, and sometimes it felt like I was having a one-way conversation. Little did I know that what my previous managers did “to” me actually set me on a new path to success.
A new department meant a new manager. I’m sure you can understand my trepidation after what I just left. But this manager didn’t create a negative predisposition due to my previous managers. On the contrary, she knew my work and saw my future potential. She understood that my confidence was bruised, and I didn’t like this change, but she struck a deal with me. In a one-on-one conversation, she promised to help me learn this new role successfully and rebound if I promised to try and see this from a new perspective and embrace the change.
"The pain from my previous season was only the vehicle that God used to send me to Egypt to set the foundation for my new path."
Well, let me tell you, lady, this involuntary change is precisely what God would use for my good. The pain from my previous season was only the vehicle that God used to send me to Egypt to set the foundation for my new path. In this new role, I earned my project management certification and garnered a plethora of new skills that have afforded me to run point on major multi-million dollar enterprise-level projects, exposure to C-suite executives, and two President’s Awards.
Just how God took Joseph from the pit to the palace, He can do the same for you. I’m not sure what has happened to you or what you may be going through now, but I am here to let you know as a witness to His power that He can do it for you too!
I learned a lot from this experience, but there are two main points that I’d like to share with you to help you through your current situation or prepare you for your future.
1. Involuntary change does not mean failure
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” - Genesis 50: 20
While your case may not be exactly like Joseph’s, I need you to understand that for everything that happens in your life, God will use it for your good. I could’ve easily given up when my previous managers tore me down. I could’ve easily given up based solely on how the circumstances looked. But God used what the enemy thought was a setup as my come up to become a better version of me. Joseph couldn’t get to the palace if he first weren’t found in the pit. God will take you from the pit and transport you to a place where you will learn to use your current talents while discovering new skills and methods to become a version of yourself that will bless others in mighty ways.
2. Embrace change with a new perspective
Changes, be it good or bad, happen all the time. The actual question is when change comes, how are you going to embrace it? Are you going to use it as a chance for improvement or use it as an excuse to beat yourself up?
I found this blurb in the Harvard Business Review:
“Convey a different mindset. Don’t talk about change as something to be controlled and managed. Have an attitude that any change - good or bad, big or small, expected or unwelcome - is an opportunity for growth and improvement.”
Based on my experience, you need to view change in a new light. Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this? What new skills can I get here? How can I contribute what I know to make things better?” I can’t say that my experience in transition was easy because it wasn’t. I was challenged like never before. No matter how challenging it was, I knew God was working and knew it wasn’t all about me. God has assigned a purpose in my life, and I was given this mountain to climb and show others how to get through it as well.
That’s why you’re here. You know you have an assignment from God. You understand that what God has placed in you is to help those assigned to you now and in your future. You CAN do this, and you WILL get through this. I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone. There are plenty of women that feel the way you feel and are going through the same battles you are.
I’d like to invite you to The Conversation, on Thursday, November 11, 2021. This is a safe space where you can connect, share, and learn from other corporate and professional women. I can’t begin to communicate to you the amazing connections and bonds that have been formed through these, and I want the same for you. Click here to register for The Conversation, and I’ll be talking to you soon!
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