Cisco is not a bad company now, nor then, in the hayday.
The best thing the common everyday person can do, who is attempting to stick with it for the long haul:
A. Max your 401k, stick to index funds.
B. Max your ESPP.
C. When your ESPP vests, (fully realized) sell your original sunk cost into a Roth IRA. You can do this for $7k a year. Buy simple index funds. Never pay taxes again. Diversify. Not your money.
D. I stayed for 16 years, did the above, making just over $110k a year (guessing you make more :) ).
E. See a financial planner, stay away from big debts (expensive car loans, big mortgages; you can easily get your net worth over $1.5M).
F. Then it's your call, on what you want to do with your life...if they do LR ye eventually...
G. It's not what you make, it's consistent planning, and seeking a good financial planner.