No Job, Who Dis?
Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it. I've been unemployed now for almost three weeks. I've never been unemployed in my life. I've had three jobs since college, none of which have been in the field I studied. Each time I changed companies, which has only been twice, my last day fell on a Friday, and I started my new job on a Monday. I realized this in the previous job I held for six years. I barely took any time off. I was always too busy prospecting, closing, and chasing ink. The one vacation I did take, I took with my mom. We went to Jamaica for a week. It was one of the best vacations I've ever experienced. We brought a stack of books, and each day our mission was to get a prime spot at the pool looking out to the ocean and read. Well, that and I wanted to try every frozen cocktail they offered at the poolside bar. But even on that trip, I still brought my work laptop, I checked my email daily, and I even took a couple of calls. I was never fully present. I never found a work-life balance. I never took the time to stop and smell the roses until I was forced.
In some ways, I believe I brought my unemployment on myself. Contrary to what some might think, I'm not referring to my performance. See, I had my three best months during this pandemic, right before I was given the news. I was 200% of my goal in June, 250% in July, and 185% to plan in August during a PANDEMIC. I'm proud of that. That performance wasn't enough to save my job. All of my blood, sweat, tears weren't enough to keep my job. This was supposed to happen. I would have never chosen to leave my position on my own. Never. The universe had to force it, and it did, and I couldn't be more grateful.
My days don't look much different than they used to. I still wake up, pop a k-cup into my Keurig, steam some oak milk, and jot down my gratitudes into my favorite journal. That hasn't changed. But the rest of the day is vastly different. I work on the podcast. I do projects around the house. Do you know that I still have holes in the drywall I need to hire someone to fix? Why have I not crossed that off my list yet? Because I was always working. I'm a workaholic. There I said it. My unemployment has made me stop and smell the roses. It's allowed me to be present. I took a trip up north to visit my family. This trip, I didn't have to retreat to my childhood bedroom to jump on a call, to respond to an upset customer, or to strategize on how to get one more deal in before the month-end. It was freeing.
The real freedom has come with getting paid (severance) to essentially, follow my dreams. I have four months to make it happen or be well on my way to doing so, and I could not be more excited. I love being creative. I love people. I love storytelling. I am getting to do all of these things. The more I pursue my passion, the more opportunities reveal themselves. I feel as if my eyes are open, my wheels are turning, and I feel alive. I'm thriving in retired life.
With this newfound freedom, I also feel like I've had an energy shift. I talked about it on this week's podcast. These new vibes must be so strong they're bringing all the boys to the yard. I went on three dates last weekend. It's incredible when you're not having an inner battle or being pulled in multiple directions, and you've been working on yourself how you can show up for yourself. I have never been so excited about this new chapter, this new adventure, and this life pivot. I didn't even know I needed this. Stay tuned to see what happens next. I know I am eager to see what else the universe has up its sleeve.
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