So, it’s been a while since my last blog post. Life happened, sorry.
I have been unemployed since February 2017 when the company I worked for downsized. I lost my 10-year job one fine Thursday morning. I remember the boss trying to find the right words to break it to me while I was staring at the glorious bright blue sky outside the office’s giant windows and knowing that the Lord has answered my question of whether I should stay or move on. It was a day of mixed emotions – relieved that I did not have to tender my resignation, sad that I wasn’t brave enough to make the decision myself, and excited to find my self outside the limitations of the corporate world.
Being unemployed is a blessing not easily recognizable because it goes against the grain of what we consider as a blessing – that is, something that is conducive to happiness. Not having a steady source of income is definitely not going to give you happiness. But, looking beyond the paycheck, you will recognize the many layers of hidden blessings that come with that official “last-day-at-work”:
- You begin to appreciate the smaller bills in your wallet. You become more cautious of spending that you now only spend for things that you really need or absolutely want. No purchases that end up piled with other “i-might-need-this-extra-staple-wire-remover-in-the-future” box. Only happy purchases happen.
- You get to spend more time doing nothing – and by nothing, I refer to activities you do that do not bring you stress – like over-sleeping by 10minutes or taking a full 20-song playlist bath time or just sitting at the coffee table with your mobile phone in hand.
- You begin to discover what truly matters for you. Ran out of coffee beans? Instant coffee will do for a day.
- You see your family off in the morning, and you are there to welcome them back when they return. You are there to give them the warm hug they do not know they need until they get one.
- You learn who your real friends are
- You find out more about yourself and what you are capable of.
- You spend more time talking to God. You call on Him because you need to know that He is looking after you. You call on Him so that you will feel comfort and confident that even if you are unemployed, He will be providing for you without fail.
Yes, I lost my job, but I did not lose my passion. In fact, since that fine Thursday morning, I have figured out that there is so much more that I can do. There’s so much to learn about my capabilities and my limitations – that it still catches me off-guard. This is bound to be a journey that will be worth more than the 10-year stint in one place.
If you are going through a similar season right now, know that you are not alone. Much more, know that this is a season when you will see how the Lord is directing your path towards where He wants you to go and where you should be. Keep the faith and keep moving forward!
HelloKathie 
I love this! I’m so sorry about your job! They do say that when one door closes another opens and for you it is the joy. Happiness. And life! Keep on moving!
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Thank you for the encouragement! Yes, we just gotta keep on moving and trust that the next door is right around the bend!
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That’s right!!
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We are on the same boat kathie, only on different waters. Indeed it was such a disappointment for me at first being up in the corporate ladder then be chosen on the cost reduction? I said to myself, why me? Have they not given credits to what I have served the company on their struggle when they pirated me for a specified job to execute. And now that all is well, my service was ended. But truth to that is i learned to appreciate “real world” and “life” outside the office! Like finding extra bills from my kids uniform pockets, loose coins scattered around our house and in the car, excessive spare things we don’t use nor never used at all and dishing them out. Finding more “me time” to check on health and wellness and more I have been closer with God. And finally he has answered it all. Truly, that “pause moment” is given to us to ‘Be human again” and enjoy what matters most in life that we don’t see/ ignore within the 4 white walls of our offices or cubes. Cheers to our unemployment KCD! -ALM of AAA
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I so,so love this ALM! Being unemployed does not mean we lose our life, in fact, we actually gain more! I believe we are fortunate to be in this situation because we get to see what really matters in our lives! Add to that, it is during times when our boat is rocked that we are able to let go and let God move and keep is steady. Keep on pushing forward and may you continue to recognize and enjoy all the blessings that come your way! Ang dami dami nyan! xoxo, KCD of AAaa
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“Have they not given credits to what I have served the company on their struggle when they pirated me for a specified job to execute.”
I can very well relate to this statement even when it wasn’t cost reduction that had me leaving.
This is not to say that I have not been inevitably subjected under that kind of scrutiny at some point, as well. It undeniably hit my ire, of course. But then, it also lent me to ponder on my own take on the matter.
That cliche that ‘No one is ever idispensable’ has never been more true.
On my part, it didn’t matter if I had consistently been instrumental in helping the company literally survive a brand by coughing up new product lines, new designs and even system improvements that on a normal grind, may be quite impossible to conceive and render especially with already very limited time and resources.
Lending my own story —
Some 4 years ago, I had been called by this certain retail company for the same mission to pioneer and provide solutions to a certain disconnect in their corporate processes. What began as a pleasant opportunity, however, evolved into a constant tug of war between passion and need which had me throwing in my own share of personal sacrifices versus what the organization aimed and stood for.
If it was ever worth noting, it was a retail company which had no sense of a 6-month or (how much more) a full year of forecasting, planning and production and simply refused to go along such lines as it ambitiously wished to thrive in the market for at least the next 5 years. Anything discussed prior will always be put on the sidelines in the name of a sudden ‘eureka’ that just had to intervene in the midst of it all.
Even with such nonesense along with receiving a minute pay and the lack of proper incentive, I stayed. In the name of wanting to ‘grow’, thought I could wing it. I could influence change which was what I had been there for, to begin with.
So yes, it had always been a mad circus of corporate dreams and reality for all involved.
If ever it had been worth it or not?
Fast forward 2016, the gesture only encouraged the management to want to take more for less instead of giving it some credit and led me to my last straw – resign.
To this date, after garnering further revenues from my designs sans the royalties the company refused to grant me since re-negotiations, concerns regarding my last full pay has still yet to be resolved with no ITR to prove where the rest of my meager income went.
I would assume, your companies may have been kinder in this regard and had you going home with a significant separation pay to work with, soon after. A chance to move forward with something, on hand. In the least, there had been some form of conciliation, right? (I could not grasp the proper word… age problems :D)
How unjust is unjust? Life just never seem to be fair.
When life happens, sometimes, we may think that we are getting the worst share of the bargain. But it’s good to take note that even as we may feel like something has been unrightly taken away… this is quite far from the truth.
We have this certain notion of what we think we want or need (maybe even at a point of desperation). But life teaches us that there’s no such thing.
We believe and tend to bind ourselves to people, places, things (and what not) only to find oursleves at the point of exhausting its significance or meaning in our lives. Whereas, we don’t really need all that clout.
When we begin treading the same path over and over without noticing how such pursuit may have become futile? Eventually, life will happen if only to tell us (or more like, to push us) out of our comfort zones, to shake us up to finally flip the page of our stories that should lead us to the better chapters of our journey.
It might not seem at all like that as we begin to feel estranged with the sudden sense of ‘nothingness’ when there are not even anything else to grab sense of, soon after what used to be is finally over.
While it may not look like so, it could be more comforting to realize that life may just be saving us, after all – Who knows? – maybe even from ourselves.
Since that point when I tendered my resignation, I have began to regain my self-pride and reaffirmed my sense of integrity which I found was slowly deteriorating as I tried to keep up with the company’s demands. I would be a hypocrite not to admit believing how I needed that job, too. That job was supposed to be my platform towards something ‘better’, later on.
It had me reasses my personal vision against the direction that I had chosen to take since and so far.
While I can’t help assume how things at your end could be a lot better off than where I just came from, the same truth remains.
When life happens, nothing is really lost. It’s more like one of those significant moments of reawakening that should take us to where we should be and re-direct our sails to – our true purpose.
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I agree. Our career tend to consume us that we do not see that we are slowly losing ourselves; and only when we are forced to be in a situation we did not plan to be in, do we begin to find our true self. All the best to you, and may you find more of yourself as you keep pushing forward.
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Kathie, I’m always in awe with the talents that God has blessed you with and more so for sharing these to many people. This entry gives people the courage and a positive outlook on what might the future hold. Cheers to more entries!
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Thank you, Lot! Blogging does take a different kind of courage. Not easy to put thoughts out there, but I believe each of our stories can be an encouragement to someone else; so if mine can help pull someone out of a rut, then it has served it’s purpose. Keep on smiling!
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I have always said that Someone up there ☝was always looking after me. After 10 years of corporate life I decided to leave the work place and venture (again) on my own. This time more determined and more confident.
Now I am discovering a whole new world, very different from what i left behind.
You will do fine. He will always be there. Just trust Him and He will guide you. 😊
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Not following instructions. This is just me. Osang
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Hahaha! Love it!
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Hahahaha! Love it!
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Hi Kathie! I’m so happy for you. You know that I’m going through a ‘season’ too and it’s just a matter of breaking out, or breaking away, or whatever you call it. Love the authenticity of this piece. Keep on inspiring others, girl!
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Hey Dahl! You will find what you are looking for if you keep still and listen. I must admit it gets tough and scary being on this season, but knowing that I am not alone and acknowledging that through this phase, I get to be a testament to how the Lord will ALWAYS provide – may trabaho o wala 🙂 I wish you the best, my friend!
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