I have to say, I've never been a big fan of change. Not a surprise really, I think if you asked most people they'd say the same thing. Changes can be exciting, yes. And changes can definitely be for the better. But this week, regardless of my personal feelings, everything changed.
My company, where I was employed as an IT Services Specialist, decided to downsize and eliminate my position. This was on Monday morning. I have to say, I had a feeling that was coming. Someone else had recently been let go, and the writing on the wall was pretty clear... they were cutting back on expenses and downsizing was one of the biggest ways to save.
Of course I went through the expected range of emotions - shocked, saddened, scared, bitter. I have to admit though, while I was afraid of change and I am still very uncertain of what the future holds for me, I also feel free.
I keep thinking about a story I once heard... it was on a management video I had to watch at culinary school. A manager of a company, let's call him Bob, supervised a small staff of employees. One of those employees, Jim, was a great guy but wasn't a real go-getter. When promotions were handed out, Jim always stayed in the same position. One day, Bob called Jim into his office to fire him. Jim pleaded for his job, but realizing that he would not get his job back he left willingly.
A year passed by, and Bob got a phone call from Jim. Jim thanked Bob for firing him, he said that he needed that drastic change to reevaluate his life. After he had lost his job, Jim went home and thought about his dreams and what brought him great joy in life. Jim had always made carved wooden boats for his children and his nieces and nephews, and when he was in his woodshop he felt like his life was complete... he was doing what he was supposed to be doing.
So losing his job propelled him to bring his dreams to life. He took some of his savings and opened a small toy store and studio where he could create his wooden boats. He thanked Bob for helping him to realize his dreams, and push him forward.
The situation is a bit different for me... I was a well-respected, loyal employee who lost her job due to major cutbacks at work. But now I have the chance to really think about what my dreams are, what would make me happy to go to work everyday. And that's food. But that's a story for another time.
In the meantime, I have been blessed by the love and kindness of many friends, and of course the constant love and support from my fiancé David. So I keep telling myself that I'll find a job, and that's much easier to find than all of my dear friends who have offered support, smiles, and just an ear to listen.
