Yesterday I lost my job. The way we say that. Lost my job. Can't find it. Lost it. I don't know where it went because there wasn't much conversation. I have never lost a job before. I have left jobs. I have left jobs because of mergers, or not having access to the opportunities I felt I needed. I have regretted leaving jobs. I have missed my work families. I have felt solid in some decisions and uneasy in others. All part of life I know, but some of those changes have been hard life lessons. I was lured away from a great job to come to this place, perhaps that has been the toughest career lesson for me. A lesson I don't feel I needed to learn but one I hope to look back on with a renewed perspective one day, pieces falling together in a way that I couldn't have imagined. Today it doesn't feel quite like that.
Today my takeaway is varied. I am going to focus on what I have gained, instead of what I have lost. I have gained:
Time. With my family. Time with my girls, time with myself. Time with my husband. Time with my friends, even if it is time on the phone or facetime. Time is a gift.
Space. To focus on something I have neglected a very long time...my health. Focus on my mental and physical health.
Perspective. When you are at a job where you aren't treated right, it can weigh down your soul, it can make you doubt yourself or question your path. I have a renewed perspective.
Gratitude. Though it may be hard for me to find a job in this economy, I have gratitude that I live in Canada where they have programs like Employment Insurance for people in my circumstances.
Many people have lost their jobs., thankfully my husband still has his. I am going to take this moment and be better for it. If you are in the same boat, don't let this sideline you. You have all the power in the world to seize this as the opportunity it is and come back stronger, ready to inspire others with your ability to bounce back.
-Amanda
