Keep Your Feet Moving

"As you start to walk on the way, the way appears." 

Rumi

There is a lot of doom and gloom out there right now. Much of it is warranted. And it can be paralyzing.

But I keep coming back to something Morgan Freeman said — advice he gave to his own children — and it has stayed with me ever since.

"If you keep going, someone will always, always give you a hand."

I believe that. Because I have lived it.

Over the past four years building Giant Steps, LLC, most of my opportunities have come through people who know me, know my work, and know that I will follow up. They can call, refer a potential client, ask for a meeting, lunch, or a visit — and because I am not starting from scratch, they know I am ready to respond. That readiness is part of what makes the referral possible. Especially the urgent ones.

And I believe the same is true for anyone in a job search right now.

The Hard Truth About This Moment

I know this is a difficult time. People navigating layoffs aren't just managing a job search. There is the loss of income and identity, dwindling savings, family pressure, and the exhaustion of carrying all of it. And for many people, there is also the anger of hearing it after fifteen or twenty-five years of service over a doggone email.

But here is what I also know: it is simply easier to help someone over the finish line than to get them running from a cold start.

The people who want to support you are already out there. They are inclined to make the warm introduction, offer the pointed advice the night before an interview, or put their name behind a recommendation. They aren't looking for you to have all the answers. They just need to see that you've started.

This Is an Invitation

None of this is meant as a judgment of where you are. It's an invitation — to get your feet moving, and to keep them moving. Because that's when the help finds you.

Rumi said it. Morgan Freeman said it. I've watched it play out in my own career and in the careers of the people I've had the privilege of working alongside.

The way appears when you start to walk on it.

Ready to Take Your Next Giant Step?

If you are navigating a career transition right now, here are two places to start:

Download the free eBook — Your Next Giant Reset: A Career Comeback Guide walks you through a four-phase framework for navigating a career transition, from gathering yourself to building real momentum in your search. It's free. No catch. Download it here →

Read the full issue — This week's Giant Steps with Leilani Brown newsletter includes five specific moves to help you start, stay in motion, and become easier to help. The playbook is for paid subscribers, but the invitation is for everyone.Read it on Substack →

Leilani M. Brown is the founder and CEO of Giant Steps, LLC, a strategy, culture, and governance advisory firm. She is the author of Your Next Giant Steps, From Campus to Career, and Your Next Giant Reset, and hosts the Giant Steps with Leilani Brown podcast. Learn more at giantstepsllc.com.

Do Well. Do Good.