Fail Forward Friday - Life's Greatest Plot Twist
What if the worst day of your life turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to you?
Today, I’m diving into my own story of getting fired from a job I adored, and how that seemingly devastating moment became the catalyst for my wild adventure into coaching and transformation.
Trust me, I didn’t see it coming either!
We’re chatting about the three Rs of radical trust: resisting the urge to find immediate meaning, releasing our attachment to how life “should” be, and receiving those unexpected gifts that come from chaos.
So grab your favourite snack and get comfy, because we’re about to turn those plot twists into pure magic!
Episode Summary
In this deeply vulnerable and transformative Fail Forward Friday episode, Heather shares the devastating moment 23 years ago when she was made redundant from a job she loved and excelled at. What seemed like the worst day of her life became the catalyst that launched her into coaching, NLP, hypnosis, and transformational work - creating a life beyond her wildest dreams.
The Story
Twenty-three years ago, Heather sat in a sterile meeting room hearing the words "we're making you redundant" from a job she absolutely loved. The devastating blow shattered her fundamental belief that doing your best would keep you safe. Through tears and sleepless nights, she wrestled with questions about her worth and future. What she couldn't see then was that this wasn't the end of her story - it was life's greatest plot twist, pushing her from corporate safety into the wild, uncertain path of transformation work.
Key Topics Covered
- How devastating setbacks can be life's way of redirecting us
- The difference between falling and learning to fly
- Why some gifts only reveal themselves in hindsight
- Releasing attachment to how life "should" be
- Finding the unexpected gifts hidden in chaos and uncertainty
- Transforming endings into extraordinary beginnings
Chapters:
- 00:08 - Transforming Devastation into Magic
- 02:01 - From Redundancy to Reinvention
- 02:49 - Embracing the Unexpected: Plot Twists in Life
- 04:47 - Embracing Transformation: The Power of Plot Twists
- 06:31 - Embracing Uncertainty and Choosing Happiness
The 3 R's of Radical Trust
- Resist the urge to force immediate meaning - Some gifts only reveal themselves in hindsight; trust that clarity comes when you're ready
- Release attachment to how your life 'should' be - Let go of your script and make space for something better than you could imagine
- Receive the unexpected gifts trying to emerge - Stay open to what wants to come through, even if it looks nothing like what you expected
This Week's Transformational Exercise
- Write down your devastating plot twist - Capture every raw emotion and fear from a major setback
- Letter from your future self - Write from the wiser version of you who has embraced the 3 R's
- Ask the powerful question - "What new story am I willing to step into?"
Community Challenge
Share your biggest plot twist moment using #PlotTwist and tag @ChoosingHappyPodcast - let's redefine failure as the beautiful beginning of magic.
Resources
- Website: www.choosinghappypodcast.com
- Connect with Heather for transformation work
Heather Masters
Next Fail Forward Friday Episode
Join us next Friday as we continue failing forward and turning setbacks into comebacks.
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Transcript
What if the worst day of your life was actually the best?
Speaker A:23 years ago, getting fired from a job I loved saved me.
Speaker A:Today, I'm sharing how life's biggest plot twist taught me to trust uncertainty and transform devastation into magic.
Speaker A:I'm Heather Masters, and this is Friday Fail Forward on the Choosing Happy podcast, where we turn our endings into extraordinary beginnings.
Speaker A:I still remember that day like it was yesterday.
Speaker A:Sitting in that stuffy meeting room, hearing the words were making you redundant from a job I absolutely loved and where I genuinely excelled.
Speaker A:I felt like the floor had dropped out from under me.
Speaker A:I actually went into shock and they laughed.
Speaker A:I cried alone on the tube afterwards, questioning everything.
Speaker A:My worth, my future, my entire identity.
Speaker A:How could this happen to someone who gave everything to their work?
Speaker A:Who really excelled?
Speaker A:The sleepless nights that followed were torture.
Speaker A:I wrestled with the devastation, wondering how I could possibly face forward again.
Speaker A:I was at the peak of my career when I'd been made redundant.
Speaker A:A fundamental belief that had propped me up for decades had been shattered.
Speaker A:If I did my best, and my best was really good, I would be okay here.
Speaker A:My best had been pretty outstanding.
Speaker A:It felt like my life had ended, and in a way, it had.
Speaker A:But here's the thing.
Speaker A:I couldn't see through my tears and through the shock.
Speaker A:I wasn't falling off a cliff.
Speaker A:I was finally learning to fly.
Speaker A:That forced ending became the opening I didn't know I desperately needed.
Speaker A:It shoved me out of a job where I excelled and onto the wild, uncertain path of coaching, NLP, hypnosis, and transformational work.
Speaker A:23 years later, I'm living a completely different life.
Speaker A:A life I never could have dreamed about from that techie job.
Speaker A:That redundancy wasn't the end of my story.
Speaker A:It was the plot twist that changed everything.
Speaker A:When life hits you was its biggest.
Speaker A:Plot twists.
Speaker A:Remember the three Rs of radical trust.
Speaker A:First, resist the urge to force immediate meaning.
Speaker A:Your brain wants to understand why right now?
Speaker A:Why have they done this?
Speaker A:Why me?
Speaker A:But some gifts only reveal themselves in hindsight.
Speaker A:It's okay not to know why things happened.
Speaker A:Trust that clarity comes when you're ready to receive.
Speaker A:May feel difficult, but trust that this is a gift you just haven't been able to see inside the box yet.
Speaker A:Second, release the attachment to how your life should be.
Speaker A:That script you wrote for yourself.
Speaker A:Sometimes life has a better one.
Speaker A:Let go of the story you thought was yours and make space for something you never could have imagined.
Speaker A:I have a sense there's a lot of us who could do with hearing that today.
Speaker A:Third, receive the unexpected gifts trying to emerge in the chaos, in the uncertainty, in the fear, in the devastation.
Speaker A:Something is trying to be born.
Speaker A:Stay open to receiving what wants to come through, even if it looks nothing like what you expected.
Speaker A:Now, here's your transformational homework for today.
Speaker A:Think back to your own devastating plot twist.
Speaker A:A lost job, a relationship that ended, a dream that crashed, a plan that fell apart.
Speaker A:And write down exactly how it made you feel.
Speaker A:Don't hold back.
Speaker A:Capture every raw emotion, every fear, every moment you thought you wouldn't survive.
Speaker A:Next, imagine your future self who has learned to embrace the three Rs I mentioned earlier.
Speaker A:Write a letter from that wiser version of you to where you are today.
Speaker A:What would they tell you about resisting the rush for answers, releasing old scripts and receiving new possibilities?
Speaker A:Finally, ask yourself this powerful question.
Speaker A:What new story am I willing to step into?
Speaker A:Let your imagination run wild.
Speaker A:Daydream.
Speaker A:Play with it.
Speaker A:What if this plot twist is exactly what you needed?
Speaker A:What would you do if there were no limitations?
Speaker A:Your story matters, and I want to hear it.
Speaker A:Share your biggest plot twist moment, the one that felt devastating but turned into something incredible using plot twist and tag me at Choosing Happy Podcast.
Speaker A:Let's redefine failure as this beautiful beginning of magic.
Speaker A:And talking of magic, I have two spots on my facilitating magic coaching this quarter, so do drop me an email if you want the details.
Speaker A:And don't forget to subscribe and leave a review for the podcast because it helps me reach more people who need to hear that their endings might just be their most beautiful beginnings.
Speaker A:Join me every Friday as we continue failing forward and turning our setbacks into our greatest comebacks.
Speaker A:Until next week, remember this life scripts its own magic.
Speaker A:When you have the courage to trust the uncertainty, your plot twist might be the best thing that ever happened and you just can't see it yet.
Speaker A:Choose brave.
Speaker A:Choose trust.
Speaker A:Choose Happy.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this week's episode.
Speaker A:If you enjoyed it or think it would be valuable to others, please do share.
Speaker A:And if you really enjoyed it, please leave me a review.
Speaker A:It really helps the podcast.
Speaker A:All of the links are in the show notes and I look forward to seeing you next week on the Choosing Happy Podcast.
Speaker A:Sam.
