Losing a job is painful.
Losing yourself in the process is worse.
Leonora Mbithi’s Forced Reset is the book I wish I had during my career transitions in 2015, 2022 and 2025.
At Ksh. 2,500, this is not just a read.
It’s a roadmap. It’s therapy. It’s perspective. It’s a gentle but firm hand on your shoulder whispering:
“Breathe. This is not the end of you.”
The book is vailable on:
- 🛒 Amazon
- 📚 Nuria Bookshop
- Direct purchase from the author
Connect with Leonora:
1️⃣ When the Rug Is Pulled (And You’re Still Standing)
I have lost jobs three times in the NGO/development assistance space.
- 2015 – I wrote Plight of the Jobless
- 2022 – I Didn’t Lose My Job. They Lost Me.
- 2025 – Nine Months In: On Curve Balls, Closed Gates & Carrying On
- 2026 – One Year Since I Lost My Job.
If I had read Forced Reset during any of those seasons, I would have RESET differently.
Leonora reframes job loss not as failure. But, as interruption. A divine comma. A strategic pause.
She writes:
“Your value is not your productivity. Your story is bigger than any single chapter.”
Pause. Read that again.
When you are in between jobs, LinkedIn promotions can feel like personal attacks.
Where everyone’s “excitement to announce” becomes an emotional trigger.
This line alone is worth the Ksh. 2,500! 🤓
2️⃣ The Uber Moment We’ve All Lived
One of the most unsettling scenes in the book unfolds in an Uber.
Leonora is taking her children for skating (thank you, unexpected free time).
Then her mum calls, with expectations. She is the firstborn. The fixer. The dependable one. The one who holds everyone else together.
And inside? She’s unraveling.
Though a sixth born in my family, that scene hit me hard.
She describes how anger announces itself:
“When anger takes over, you’ll know it. You replay scenarios obsessively and snap at loved ones over small things.
If you’ve ever smiled publicly while privately grieving your career, you will feel seen.
Leonora does not romanticize unemployment.
She dignifies it. She names the emotions. She dissects them. Inviting you to process instead of pretend.
3️⃣ RESET: Recognize. Evaluate. Strategize. Establish. Transition.
What I appreciated most was the structure.
RESET is not motivational fluff. It’s a framework:
- Recognize – What just happened?
- Evaluate – Who am I beneath the job title?
- Strategize – What next, intentionally?
- Establish – What foundations must I build before I move again?
- Transition – How do I re-enter work integrated, not desperate?
Her self-review (Evaluate) section is deep (introspective) work. She writes:
“As I examined these patterns, several core values emerged: I needed intellectual challenge more than routine mastery.”
That line punched me gently in the chest.
Because I, too, crave intellectual stretch more than comfort. Yet sometimes we cling to routine because it pays.
Leonora reminds us:
“Success in the RESET process isn’t measured by how quickly you find your next job. It’s measured by how intentionally you use this unexpected time.
Integration over speed.
Clarity over panic.
Healing over hustle.
I wish I had known that in 2015. In 2022. Even in 2025.
Truth is? I’m still transitioning. One year on. Still counting. This book feels like a companion for the road.
What drew me in most were Leonora’s reflective segments. Quick actions and worksheets at the end of each chapter.
Her honest processing and the real-life transition stories. Not just hers, but of others who’ve walked this road.
They don’t just inform your mind. They stir your heart. You don’t finish a chapter and shelve the book.
You pause, think, journal, and quietly begin to change.
Who Should Buy (or Gift) This Book?
🎓 Young professionals navigating uncertainty
👩🏽💼 Mid-career leaders facing redundancy
🏢 NGO and development sector professionals
👨🏽👩🏽👧🏽 Firstborns carrying family expectations
💼 HR leaders supporting laid-off staff
🎁 Anyone gifting courage instead of flowers
If someone you love has lost a job recently, don’t just say “It will be well.”
Gift them Forced Reset.
Why This Book Matters Now
In the development sector especially, funding cycles end. Projects close. Donor priorities shift.
In 2025, something unexpected happened.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a 63 year-old premier development agency, went through the wood chipper.
If institutions of that scale can be decimated, none of us is insulated. Which is why RESET is no longer optional. It’s essential.
Jobs disappear quietly. Or suddenly.
Leonora speaks from lived experience. Not theory.
Her honesty makes this book trustworthy. Her vulnerability makes it relatable. Her framework makes it practical.
And her voice? Steady. Wise. Grounded.
Further Reading (If This Resonates)
If stories of resilience stir you, you may also enjoy:
- Mastering Mentorship: Insights from Kingston Ogango’s Guide
- Stillness That Speaks: A Gentle Review of Meditations for Spiritual Growth
- 🏁 Retirement Is Not the Finish Line
- 🌿 Ashes of My Soul
- Fighting Cerebral Palsy: A Special Mother
Resilience has many faces. RESET is one of them.
💛 If you are in a transition season, this may be the most practical Ksh. 2,500 you spend this year. Or if you know someone who is, it may be for them.
Comment Prompt
Have you ever experienced a “forced reset” in your career or life?
What did it teach you about who you are beyond your title?
Let’s talk in the comments.
#ForcedReset #CareerTransitions #Resilience #NGOLife #BounceBack #KenyanAuthors #GrowthCommunities
I write because people’s stories matter. If yours is ready to be shared. Triumph, tragedy, or something in between, my inbox is open. 📩 j.mungai@hotmail.co.uk
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We experience this all the time in the consulting world, where we are forced to reset at contract end. Applying for new gigs always feels like the routine part, and the comfort that comes with regular pay. Intellectual challenge means discomfort and irregular pay, which is what I’ve recently delved into, and now working at it aggressively. Perhaps interesting to put all of us together in a room and share our stories.
Meanwhile, thanks for the well written piece, cheers brother!!