When Losing Your Job Isn't the End of the World (Quite the Opposite, In Fact)

I was laid off two months ago, and despite the initial shock, it turned out to be an extremely pivotal, positive and meaningful moment in my life. 

Now, hear me out. 

Normally people don’t feel a deep sigh of relief after the shock of being laid off or let go subsides.

Because, let’s be honest: being the one who got cut while others weren’t can be a bummer and a huge blow to the ego.

Living without a steady paycheck, health insurance, or a 401K can be nerve-wracking.

And the worst part: leaving people who you really enjoyed working with can be really, really hard. And sad. The work friendships you spent hours and hours building up are gone in an instant.

When the universe knows what's best for you

I was feeling the need for a change and had been preparing for this moment without fully realizing it. I was cautiously squirreling away most of my paycheck into a high-yield savings account "for a rainy day," sensing that it would have to come sooner rather than later. I had been unhappy for a while and knew I’d have to walk away eventually. But instead of making the choice myself, it was done for me, and it kind of felt like the universe was coming together to give me a good ol’ kick in the rear to get out and get on with it!

When your job takes a toll on your health

It’s stressful to work in a job that you’re no longer passionate about and that is at odds with your personal code of ethics and values. The demands of my role, combined with my own inability to find balance, contributed to a decline in my health. Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and two other chronic illnesses. These illnesses were spurred on significantly by my job stress and not having the time and space I needed in order to take care of my health. If you’ve ever been diagnosed with a chronic illness, you know how hard it is to dig yourself out of that hole once you’re in it.

But back to why this was a “blessing in disguise” (AKA a good kick in the rear).

Since I was laid off, I have:

• Traveled over 900 miles with my pets to spend the remainder of the summer on a lake in the deep woods of Maine. So deep, in fact, that when you turn off all the lights, you can’t see your hand in front of your face. The stars here are incredible. This is the first time I’ve spent time at the cabin without having to work a 9-5 at the same time, or having this pervasive urge to constantly be doing, doing, doing. 
• Reignited my passion for content creation, invested in some new equipment, and started making content that I felt really proud of again.
• Negotiated several brand partnerships, totaling over five figures (and this is after having had only TWO brand partnerships in the last 12 months and letting my pages go dormant for several months).
• Continued working on improving my health and decreasing the daily impact of my chronic illnesses. This often feels like two steps forward, one step back, but in the end, still making progress. The body and mind are not separate entities, and integration of both is a key factor in my healing.
• Dusted off my acrylic paints and actually started painting again. No, I’m not great at it - but that’s not the point now, is it?
• Read over 30 books, most of which were in the psychological thriller genre, and a few in the “how to find your life passion when you aren’t really sure what you want to do anymore” genre. I especially enjoyed “The Mountain is You,” a very quick and inspirational read, and “The Source” which outlines the science behind the Law of Attraction, among other related things.
• Spent almost zero time on LinkedIn, despite the barrage of emails I keep getting about my old posts getting “5 impressions in the last week, please come back!” (LOL)
• Joined two small-group, invite-only Meta creator lab calls, connected with some very talented creators and learned some awesome tips and tricks. I also got a preview of a few upcoming updates to Instagram that I’m sworn to secrecy to protect!  
• Perfected AND stuck to my skincare routine. IYKYK. And yes, my skin is freaking glowing y’all!
• Enjoyed real, quality time with my family in a positive and meaningful way, which I haven’t been able to do since my college years.
• Reinvested my time and effort into a fitness routine that has helped me gain quite a bit of strength over 8 weeks, while supporting my healing body and exhausted mind.
• Began writing again. And…oh boy…I’m mentally exploring ways to maybe write a book. That’s a huge maybe. But we’ll see.
• Found joy and peace in stillness. This is not easy after pushing myself to be a go, go, GO person for most of my life.
• Opened my mind to exploring new life, career, and spiritual paths. My new motto: Just because I did it before doesn’t mean it’s right for me moving forward. Just because I haven’t done it before, doesn’t mean I can’t give it a try.

When losing your job is exactly what you needed to get your life back

I was laid off two months ago, and it turned out to be a catalyst for positive change in my life, giving me the opportunity to focus on my health, creativity, and overall well-being…as well as figure out what the heck I want to do with the rest of my time here on this massive spinning rock, hurdling through space. 

I'm sharing this publicly because I want others who might be going through a similar experience to know that a layoff doesn't have to be the end—oftentimes, it can be the beginning of something even better. It can be the beginning of getting back to finding you. It’s easy to feel fear or uncertainty in the face of such a change - because that’s what our society tells you to do! - but it can also be the turning point you need to slow down, reassess, and realign your life with what truly matters to you. 

Sometimes, being forced to step off the treadmill is exactly what you need to forge a new path forward.

I'll leave you with a quote from Greg McKeown that found its way into my email inbox this morning:

Don’t settle for the safety of inauthenticity. Be yourself. The right people will value you for it.

Here's to living authentically.