Unemployed

All before the tender age of 25, I was laid off and fired from a total of 4 jobs. I was broke and broken. Depressed and angry. Ashamed and embarrassed. And Feelings of Worthless and unworthiness oozed from my pores. The side effects of no longer being a contributing member of society burned deep.

When I graduated from college, in 2009, the possibility of actually encountering job loss was something college never prepared me for. Things like writing a resume, what to say and not say on a job interview and how to successfully boil ramen noodles in a microwave were all life classes that I signed up for. But unemployment 101, was never one.

I can still remember the first job, out of college, I was let go from. It was a “data entry analyst” position that I was assigned to via a temp agency. This my friends was a fancy way of saying I changed old addresses on people’s bank accounts. After 2 years, of successfully changing addresses, I received a call stating that my position had ended and I was no longer needed. Crushed. At the time I didn’t know which was worse. The fact that I wasted my time working at a temporary position for over 2 years or the fact that I received this termination call while sitting at my desk at work. Talk about embarrassing! As I had to muster up enough humility to collect all of my belongings and do the true walk of shame.

It was tough guys. It seemed as though I couldn’t catch a break! Job loss after job loss, horrible boss after horrible boss and not so pleasant working conditions made me feel as though I was on an episode of punk’d with Ashton Kutcher. At some point, I began to look at jobs as men. You have to experience a super shitty one to appreciate a good one. But as the old saying goes, if you get knocked down 9 times you get up 10!

Here’s the secret and the light at the end of the tunnel I want to give anyone who is currently in the thick of unemployment. I want you to FEEL your way to your ideal place of employment. What do I mean? As I was going through, my own challenges, I began to feel grateful that I already found an amazing job. I began to thank the universe for good pay, great co-workers and a phenomenal boss. And guess what? I received every single affirmation I articulated! Instead of ASKING for a great job, I want you to go into each prayer with thanksgiving.

What I’ve learned is asking for a thing implies to the universe that you don’t have it. So never supplicate but always APPRECIATE the thing you most desire.

Job loss sucks. It takes a toll on you mentally and physically. But remember this. “UN-Employment” is simply an experience. And like any experience, that you will go through in life, it will either make or break you. As I look back over my own experience, with job loss, I realize that as bad as it was it taught me several life lessons. It taught me resiliency, discipline and the true innate power that I had the entire time. Know that you are a creative being. And that your thoughts, intentions, words, and FEELINGS create your reality.

So chin up babe. Look back at yourself in the mirror, and REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE. You got this.

Love & Light