Monday, December 1, 2008

I've just been notified... notified that I am being laid off on Christmas Eve. Isn't that the best Christmas present? Not only have they laid me off, my high-tech company has reduced their severance package just in time for this wave of RIF's.




I'm processing this information trying not to freak out, putting up my shelter and security hackles. I've already set up my "How Am I Going to Live" Spreadsheet to see how long I can possibly live without a paycheck. Not long enough, I tell you.



In the few weeks I've known, I've been thinking about how this new economy might keep me from getting back into a corporate situation during a time of many companies having hiring freezes. I've been brainstorming though, about smaller jobs that I could do and actually enjoy that might add up to one big one.




You might recognize this concept from Barbara Sher's book, Refuse to Choose. The idea is that many people do not grow up with just one future profession in mind. You know those people that have wanted to be a firefighter from the time they were five or a dancer that still has her 40 year old ballerina tutu. While those people exist, I am not one of them.




I didn't grow up with any passions that were that clear... and for a long time I thought I was the only person in that place. In my few years, I changed my focus and passion like a woman changes clothes.




  • I enjoyed doing gymnastics, so I wanted to be an Olympic gymnast.


  • I loved to write stories, therefore I couldn't wait to be a novelist.


  • I composed on the piano, so I soon saw myself as a famous concert pianist.


  • I have always tried to capture beauty on film and thought I could be the next Ansel Adams.


  • I loved all animals, so I could picture myself as a vet.

Even now, in the midst of trying to figure out my next venture, I am intrigued by many different paths...personal chef, dog walker, bookstore/cafe owner, childcare, woman's empowerment workshop leader. And the list continues.


So, I'm trying to be hopeful that I'll end up where I am supposed to. It's nice to know I'm not locked in to any one thing. Want to join me for the journey of figuring all this out?

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