How an Ex-Google Engineer Rebuilt His Life - (And 7 Ways You Can Too)

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You Haven’t Lost Everything - You’ve Just Begun Again

This week’s issue is about resilience, reframing, and rediscovering what’s already in your hands - even when life feels like it’s fallen apart.

What’s In Store:

• A story of starting over (from Google to Uber to strategy)

• 7 powerful mindset shifts when you feel like you’ve lost everything

• Action plan: How to move forward using what you still have

• Linked And Lift Picks (Book, Podcast, Quote of the Week)

• Weekly Poll: How do you restart when things fall apart?

  

✨ You Haven’t Lost Everything

I watched an interesting story the other day, and I can't stop thinking about it.
An Uber driver, who was once a data analyst at Google, but he lost the job.
Just like that, the title, the salary, the security - gone.

He could’ve told himself what so many do in that moment:
“I’ve lost everything.”

Instead, he asked:

“What do I still have?”

He tracked rides like a spreadsheet: routes, timing, income, even weather.
And guess what he found? On rainy days in certain zip codes - he made 4x more.

He wasn’t just driving anymore. He was optimizing.
He didn’t get his old title back, but he gained something better:
A roadmap forward, based on what remained.

🧠 7 Ways to Reframe “I’ve Lost Everything”

1. Ask: “Is That Really True?”

The feeling might say “I have nothing.” But pause and question it.
Truth is: if you're still breathing, still thinking, still here - you still have something.
And that something can be built upon.

2. List What You Still Have

Grab a notebook. Jot down:

• Your skills

• Lessons learned the hard way

• Relationships that survived the storm

• Strengths that got you this far

When you see it laid out, you realize: you're not starting from zero.
You’re starting from experience, knowledge and skills gathered throughout.

You’re not starting over. You’re starting wiser.

3. Set a Small, Winnable Goal

Not “fix my life.”
Start with something modest.

$500. A week of calm. One new client.

Big wins start with small targets.
Give yourself something you can actually reach - then build from there.

Micro-wins fuel macro momentum.

4. Monetize What’s In Your Hands Right Now

What skill or hobby could bring in $50, $100, or more - even temporarily?
What can you teach, fix, write, or deliver?

Don’t overthink it. Start with what’s simple and soon.

Start there. Start now. Let movement create meaning.

5. Let Someone Witness Your Journey

You don’t need someone to fix it. You need someone to witness it.
Text someone: “Can I talk something out with you?”

Sometimes healing begins with a single person saying:
“You’re not crazy. I see you.”

Shame fades when spoken aloud.

6. Choose Delusional Optimism

Kids believe in things before they happen. And often, they’re right.

The future’s uncertain - so why not imagine the best version?
If you’re going to be delusional, let it serve you.

Believe that things can turn around - even if you can’t see how yet.

7. Get Your Vision Out of Your Head

Write it. Record it. Pin it to your wall.
Give your dream a physical form. That’s how it starts becoming real.

🚀 Action Plan: From Breakdown to Breakthrough

1. ✍️ Write down 5 things you still own (internally or externally)

2. 📞 Call or voice-note someone - not for a solution, just for support

3. 💡 Find one “quick win” using a skill or resource you already have

4. 🗺 Sketch your comeback - even if it's a scribble on a sticky note

   

📚 Linked And Lift Picks

📘 Book: Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
🎧 Podcast: How I Built This – stories of resilience and reinvention
💬 Quote: “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” – J.K. Rowling

📊 What’s Your Take?

👉 Vote here and see what your fellow readers say next week!

Closing Thought

You’re not empty. You’re evolving.
Even in loss, you’ve kept the one thing that matters most: You.

You might not have the title, salary, or certainty you once had.
But you do have something just as valuable: your story, your skills, and your ability to start again - smarter this time.

If you’re ready to stop waiting for things to “go back” and start building forward with what’s in your hands, start by making yourself visible.

The LinkedIn Visibility Playbook shows you how to build an impactful presence on LinkedIn - and get seen by the people who matter.

📥 Download your free copy and begin where you are:

I Want to Hear From You!

Your resilience is powerful, and your story matters more than you know.
I’d love to hear:

💬 What’s one thing you still have that you’re building from right now?
💬 What’s one small win or act of strength you’ve had during a hard season?

Hit reply and share with me. Whether it’s a full story or just a sentence. Your words could be the encouragement someone else needs to keep going.

Also, if there’s a topic or challenge you want covered in a future issue, I’m all ears. This newsletter is here to serve you - wherever you are on your journey.

Also, if you have ideas or topics you’d love to see covered in future issues, let me know. I’m here to help you grow.

📩 Share the Lift: Know someone navigating a tough reset or starting over? Share this newsletter with them. This story might be the spark they need.

Let’s keep lifting each other up, one intentional step at a time.🌟

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See you next week! 🚀

Founder, Linked And Lift

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