Since being let go from the position with Echo, I’ve been slowly processing everything. When I tell people about it, I don’t really know how to label the experience. While it feels like failure…getting fired always feels like failure…it really wasn’t failure.
The company made some money because I was there. It was the most attended conference yet. And we got some great feedback from the experience.
The problem was, I wasn’t the right person for the job. I wasn’t the right person for that particular area. And let me explain precisely why that isn’t failure.
Imagine an orange tree. This orange tree produces delicious oranges—perhaps even more oranges than an average tree. It’s an above average orange tree.
Now imagine you find this orange tree in an apple orchard. It produces delicious oranges in this apple orchard. But that’s not the right place for the orange tree. You’d think nothing of uprooting that orange tree and moving it where it belonged. Would you?
I’m an orange tree. And the Echo team was an apple orchard. The apple orchard is extremely successful. And the orange tree is extremely successful. But they don’t necessarily belong in the same place. And that’s ok. Neither entity is a failure.
That’s precisely what happened. And as I’m able to accept that, I’m able to go out for coffee and laugh with my old bosses. I’m able to play Call of Duty with the team during their daily games. I’m ready to hold my head up high when I go to lunch with my old co-workers.
I want you to remember this concept next time you “fail”. Maybe it isn’t actually failure. Maybe you’re simply an orange tree that needs to be moved from the apple orchard.
Don’t let that phase you. As soon as you recover from the move, squeeze out as many oranges as you can and keep going. Be fruitful.
This is such a great outlook on what seems to be a failure. It’s all about perspective. If a situation doesn’t quite go your way, change your perspective. All things work together for the good for those who love Him; a truth that Paul gave us in the bible to help us change our perspective. Good luck with all your endeavors, Jonathan.
Thanks so much!
To me it feels like the wisdom in this post is summed up in this statement
<blockquote cite="I want you to remember this concept next time you “fail”. Maybe it isn’t actually failure. Maybe you’re simply an orange tree that needs to be moved from the apple orchard."
That’s a good tweet right there… maybe even a quote poster…
Thanks for setting a good example for us.
Thanks! I like the idea of tweeting that…but I fear it won’t make sense without context. People will think I’m peddling fruit! 😛
To add to the analogy. One reason you are able to still produce good orange juice (sounds weird but I am sticking with the analogy) is that you processed it well. (Yes, the folks at Echo did it well also but even if they had been crappy in the way the said, “Adios” it is up to us whether we will handle it well of get bitter over it.)
Too many folks blame, accuse, end up getting bitter and for the rest of their lives and ministry produce bitter, nasty orange juice and can’t understand why nobody wants what they have to offer or why what they produce isn’t life giving.
Gotta stay sweet. Getting canned, stepped on, crushed, abused, mistreated, etc, etc – all that is just part of life (and part of producing orange juice). We have to make sure we give the bumping and bruising to a big God and stay sweet trusting He is in control and in the end it will all come out juicy. 🙂
Haha. Thanks dad. Though I fear you might have taken this analogy too far. 😛