For 17 years I was on my own hamster wheel day after day – you know how that is, right? Get up, get the kids up & off to school, work a full day in a corporate job, pick them up on the way home, make dinner, have homework & family time, get them ready for bed, & flop down into bed in an exhausted heap by 11 PM. And repeat the next day.
I was simply going through the motions. My reasons were valid: I was a single mom, had a mortgage, and made a very decent living. The thought of not doing what I was doing, even though it did nothing to get me excited, was more daunting than to do something different. I admit it, I was afraid of the unknown and of putting myself out there.
Then a blessing happened – my company was reorganizing and they made it known for 5 months in advance that some big changes were coming that would affect many people. To say that going through those 5 months wondering if I would get laid off or not was painful is putting it mildly – it was agonizing! By the time they had put off the decision for the third time, I was silently pleading to myself that they lay me off. This job that I so relied upon just wasn’t worth the turmoil and angst… there had to be something better than that! And I was tired of the hamster wheel life.
When I got word that I was laid off, there was a deep sense of peace inside me. It’s really hard to explain, especially given the tough economic times we’re in. But I was peaceful nonetheless because I had reached a very important place and realized some deep insights.
I was honest with myself about how I would feel if I was offered a job to stay with the company (I felt like crying, so that told me something!) I began, for the first time ever, to ask myself what would I want to do for work if I did get laid off (the sky was the limit and I sure had fun in the exploration!) and I got clear on what it was about my workdays at the company that I loved most (to help me figure out what I did want to pursue and incorporate into my new endeavor).
I’m fortunate to have gotten a decent severance package that gave me the ability to step into the unknown with some financial security. That was a big factor, for which I am grateful! But it wasn’t the only factor that gave me wings to do what I do now. It was getting clear on what I liked, what I didn’t like, what I would want to do, and what I wouldn’t ever do again.
Now, two years later, I have stepped into what I love: partnering with people who are living that same type of life, to help them clarify what’s most important to them and their own hearts. It was and still is an amazing ride, and one that was truly a gift in showing me possibilities beyond the hamster wheel.
This article was written by Melissa Cronan. To get more great advice from Diva Toolbox Media Diva Melissa Cronan, visit her website at: http://www.possibilities-coaching.com/