I'm looking at "layoff" trending. Again. And I'm seeing a lot of the usual surface-level takes about economic shifts, market corrections, the 'resilience' of the workforce. All true, to a point. But what we're not talking about, not really, is the deep, suffocating shame that comes with it.
It's not just about the loss of income. It's the silent internal narrative that kicks in: *I wasn't good enough. I failed. I'm expendable.* That's the real gut punch. And for so many, especially those high-achievers who've tied their entire identity to their work, a layoff isn't just a career setback; it's an existential crisis. It triggers that primal fear of not belonging, of being cast out.
We preach "hustle culture" and "grind until you drop," and then when the system drops you, suddenly it's all "self-care" and "pivot." It's performative vulnerability without doing the actual, messy work of confronting that shame. That's what frustrates me. It's a pattern we keep repeating. You can’t heal what you refuse to name. So, when you look at that trend, I want you to ask yourself: what part of *your* identity is so wrapped up in external validation that a system shift could shatter it? And what are you doing *today* to build something more resilient inside yourself? No safe words.