I have been unemployed/self-employed for seven months now. It seems like just yesterday that I was laid off. But time has gone by, and I have learned a few things.
I had originally decided to focus on editing and virtual assisting, things I can do from home. And I have applied literally everywhere. And, for the most part, I haven’t had much luck.
Have I given up?
Hell no.
Here are some things I have learned from this experience so far:
1. Anything that is worth it is worth fighting for. I have a number of health issues, and I knew once I was laid off that the type of work I was doing wasn’t going to work for me anymore. I took a risk in not pursuing that type of work in favor of work from home jobs. It’s not that I don’t want to work. I realized I was in a unique position to try to change careers. It hasn’t been easy, and it hasn’t been fun, but I still believe this is the best thing for me at this stage of my life. And so I keep keeping on.
2. Sometimes you simply need a break. My former job was very stressful, especially toward the end. I had been living in a constant state of stress so severe I had lost 2/3 of my hair. I just realized about a month ago that gee, my hair came back. Because the stress was mostly gone. I had been working through severe fatigue and chronic pain and all the work stress and I didn’t even realize how much stress I was really under. This is because I never once did an internal mental health check. I just worked and worked and worked. And towards the end, two jobs. It was taking its toll on me and I am grateful for the break to get myself back to where I need to be, mental health wise.
3. Sometimes you think you know what you want, but you’re actually wrong. This is a recent discovery. I believed that there was something I wanted, and when I attained it, I thought all would be well. But I was very wrong about it. Next time, I will think long and hard before doing anything, even if it’s something I believe will be good for me. The reality of it may be completely different.
4. You need to believe in yourself. I have been saying since the beginning that I know I can make this happen. I just needed time. And I still do. I was basically knocked on my butt by something, but I am still kicking. When others doubt me, I always tell them that I can do this, that I will do this. It’s just a matter of when. It’s just like getting published. It was my dream since I was a kid. And in 2012, I self-published my debut novel, Fey Touched, through Turtleduck Press. My journey was a bit sideways, and not quite the way I’d envisioned, but I made it happen and that’s all that counts in the end. Like that dream, I will continue to believe in myself because I know I can do it.
5. Your life can turn out looking much different than you envisioned years ago. When I was in my 20s, my dream was to be a news reporter and photojournalist. I studied both in college and got my degree. And then, as it turned out, I was not able to get my Driver’s License due to my paralyzed eye muscles. Back then, I didn’t see that as an obstacle — it was going to happen, one way or another. Then my loans came due and I needed a job to pay them off, so I stayed within the office administrative field. I got experience in virtually everything, including managing offices, so I just stayed in that field for over twenty years. And now, because of my health (which started going south around age 22), I am attempting to change careers. When I had envisioned myself being a journalist twenty years ago, I had no idea how things would play out, or how my lack of a Driver’s License and my health would change the game. But that’s totally okay, because I did discover fiction, and I’ve accepted that that is no longer what I need. But sometimes, once in a while, I think about that dream and marvel at the twisty, sideways and strange way I arrived at my current career. And it kind of blows my mind.
So, sure, things changed for me in just twenty years. I’m not bitter about it. I’ve accepted it. I think a big part of life is being flexible and trying new things. I didn’t want to give up working entirely, so this gives me an option that is better for my health and well-being. Because that’s important, too.
Those are some of the things I’ve learned from the past seven months. I hope by the next time I do an update, I’ll have good news and maybe more lessons. Because you never stop learning on this journey called life. And if you’re not quite sure of your destination, have faith. It will see you through to the other side.