It’s been one of those weeks. They called us in for a meeting Monday morning. We had no clue what it was to be about. To put it simply, they told us they were closing down our department in our office (which is in Winston Salem) and our jobs had been eliminated.
I had the least tenure of those of us who were released….and that was almost 13 years.
I won’t go into details, because those are private. Unlike those at many companies, we were presented with a severance package that I believe was fair. I am grateful.
But it’s time to look to the future. When it gets down to it, every day (not just when forced to change) you get to choose the direction of your next steps and how you take them. One of my ten most favorite words is providence. God’s opportunity and God’s provision and God’s preparation. I believe in it.
I feel at peace. I feel prepared. Being the analytical type I have taken it to the worst case scenario and yes, I can survive even that. I suspect I won’t have to. I’ve analyzed how to avoid that, too.
My next steps will be taking the paths that lead to my next adventure. I like to work. I enjoy challenges and even enjoy change. My goal is to find a place to land where my skills are needed….and where I look forward to Monday mornings. And I won’t be alone on this journey. My tribe will surround me. They’re good ones.
Truly, the timing is good. For a lot of reasons. And I’m at a good place to begin again, change it up, and breathe.
What’s funny is I was feeling overwhelmed before. Now I am not. I think it is “supposed to” work in the reverse, but that doesn’t work for me. I will consider this a gift. And whatever lies ahead, it’s going to be OK. It will be a good divorce.
“The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual. Remember: Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!” – Earl Nightingale
In the Box, Out of the Box 