What Rafiki Taught Me About Letting Go (After a Layoff)
"It's times like this my buddy Timon here says: you got to put your behind in your past." -Pumbaa
If you’ve been laid off recently, take a deep breath.
You’re not broken. You’re not behind. You’re not the news headline. You’re a human who just experienced something that shakes identity, confidence, and rhythm, all at once. And you’re far from alone.
But before you lose all hope and open the Ben and Jerry's in front of the TV watching reruns of Dawson's Creek in your favorite sweats with a glass of wine (wait... that doesn't sound TOO bad), let’s talk about something that can change the way you move through all this: radical acceptance.
The Rafiki Philosophy of Career Chaos
Remember The Lion King? Simba’s moping around, haunted by his past, and Rafiki, everyone’s favorite chaotic monkey therapist, appears out of nowhere...
He hits Simba on the head with his stick (aka, your layoff). “Ow! What was that for?” Rafiki grins: “It doesn’t matter! It’s in the past!”
Then he swings again (the job market, ghost recruiters and application black holes), and Simba ducks. “Ha! You see?” Rafiki says. “You can either run from it… or learn from it.”
That’s radical acceptance in one scene. You acknowledge what happened and you don’t let it define your next move.
Step One: "Hakuna Matata!" - Timon, Pumbaa and Simba
There’s no fast-forward button for disappointment. You don’t have to slap on a brave face or pretend you’re “fine” after an earth rattling event.
Radical acceptance starts with honesty: “This sucks and I definitely don't want this. But I can’t change it and I don’t need to let it control me.”
Feel it, name it, breathe it out. Then take one small step forward, no matter how tiny.
Step Two: "Being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble." -Mufasa
There’s real power in recognizing what’s actually yours to influence.
You can control:
How you respond. (Your attitude, your effort, your next steps.)
Your story. (How you explain this chapter, “laid off” or “redirected.”)
Your daily rhythm. (Even small structure keeps motivation alive.)
Your self-care. (Food, rest, and connection are not optional.)
Your community. (Reaching out, staying visible, being human.)
You can’t control:
Corporate restructures, AI “efficiencies,” or budget shifts.
The market.
Ghosting.
The timing of your next opportunity.
The past. (Rafiki voice: “It’s in the past!”)
When you stop spending energy on what you can’t influence, you free up energy to invest in what you can.
Step Three: "I laugh in the face of danger." - Simba
This is not about being fake-positive or toxic-positivity. It’s about survival.
Laughing at the absurdity of it all gives you your humanity back. Post a meme. Name your resume “The Comeback Tour.” Text your friend something ridiculous about “re-onboarding into society.” Maybe you give yourself a promotion to "Chief Nap Officer." Rename your job search spreadsheet “Operation Plot Twist.”
You’re not trivializing the pain, you’re reminding your nervous system that you still have joy, perspective, and power.
Step Four: "What's a motto?" "Nothing, what's the motto with you?" -Simba and Timon
A layoff can feel like a personal rejection, even when it’s not. It messes with identity, belonging, and stability, which means it’s not just a career event, it’s a human one.
So take care of the human, YOU.
Sleep. Move. Hydrate.
Eat something that isn’t leftover conference-room snacks.
Talk to someone, a mentor, friend, therapist, or peer group.
Celebrate the smallest wins (yes, updating your résumé counts).
Set boundaries on doom-scrolling job boards - 9am-5pm schedules work here too!
You don't rebuild from burnout. You rebuild from rest.
Step Five: ”It Is Time!” - Rafiki
Here’s the thing about radical acceptance, it’s not resignation. It’s recognition. It isn't saying “I’m fine.” It’s saying “I’m real.”
You don’t have to love what happened — you just have to stop resisting it long enough to move through it.
You are not “unemployed.” You are in transition. You are not “rejected.” You are being redirected. Speak kindly to yourself. Words have wings.
When you stop fixating on the closed door, you finally notice the dozen open ones nearby.
The Circle of (Career) Life 🦁
Here’s the thing, The Lion King isn’t just about kings and savannas. It’s about identity, fear, courage, and coming home to yourself.
Simba spent years hiding, haunted by what he thought he’d done wrong. He lost sight of who he really was until Rafiki held up that reflection and reminded him: “You are more than what you have become.”
That’s the moment you may feel like you are in right now. It's not the end. It's not the downfall. It's the plot twist.
Radical acceptance is how you get there. It’s how you remember your power when life tries to convince you that you’ve lost it.
So, take a page out of Simba’s story. Look at what’s behind you, nod at it, and say, “It’s in the past.”
Then lift your head, step into the light, and roar again.
You’ve still got that fire in there and you’ve still got your pride (pun intended). The next chapter? It’s all yours to write.
✨ Remember who you are. ✨