The life of a consultant can be tenuous. Today's love affair with a client can be tomorrow's "You're not quite giving me what I need" client. Sometimes the script can flip so fast that you're left wondering what happened, especially when all you've been given is positive reinforcement.

Such as where I find myself today, as I've had a consulting assignment end rather drastically, without notice, and without anyone saying my performance was bad. As a matter of fact, I had received praise last week while I was still at home on vacation for the job I was doing.

Still, it is what it is, and as a consultant, the client, and by client I mean the "entity" client more than the "individual" client, can make a decision based on whatever criteria they wish to at almost any moment, and then that's that. So, today I'm preparing to go back home and start anew, as it is each time a consulting assignment ends.

Still, I will admit that I spent most of the day and evening yesterday trying to figure out why things changed. One thing most people don't learn is that there's a time to ask the question "why" of someone and a time not to ask that same question. The qualifications for asking are actually limited, because most of the time people ask the question to help them come to grips with the emotions of whatever has transpired, and yet when they get the answer, not only do they not like it and want to argue with it, but it will just give them something else to stay on their minds and lengthen the time it takes to move on.

So, what are the qualifications? One, if there's a possibility of learning something that might help you in the future. Two, if there's a real possibility of changing the immediate outcome. That's it; anything else is more for vanity than progress, and the consternation it will cost you isn't really worth the effort, plus why make both parties suffer any more mental stress?

So, instead of that, go through the process for feeling better. Take some time to get beyond the shock, talk to someone if possible, don't forget to eat something but eat within moderate limits, try to get a good night's sleep, and, if you need, give yourself a couple of days to deal with it, then put it aside and get on with life. One reality is that you may keep it on your mind for a long time, but you can bet that the other side forget you after a day. Why let someone else have that kind of power over you?

I'm already moving forward; as a consultant, I have to. Are you moving forward through your disappointments also?