The light finally shined again
I release articles every Wednesday to keep myself accountable. It provides a purpose everyday - to think of content, write it in a way that’s my own and that you, the reader, can understand, include my photos for example(s), and show consistency.
During this unemployment period, I’ve learned a lot. I think the biggest takeaway from losing my job was that in a way I lost my purpose -let me tell you what purpose means to me. It’s essentially a mission. The reason. The drive behind what I do. With no purpose, what am I doing? Where am I going?
These last couple of months I’ve lost sight of what’s driving myself forward. As we’re taught as young children, you go to school. Through elementary school, middle school, junior high/high school, to college you obtain knowledge to one day be a successful professional within your field of choice. We work hard our whole lives to land the job of our dreams. It’s etched in our brains that our job(s) is our “end goal” or “the place you’re suppose to end up”. When I didn’t have that for a brief period, I didn’t know what to do.
Will I get another opportunity to show someone/company my skillset? When will I get the chance to prove that I am worthy of an opportunity? That I will work my ass off, show up everyday, put my best foot forward, + make a name for myself.
The hardest part throughout this stage of life was that no one understood how I felt.
Stuck.
The kind of stuck where your boat runs out of gas in the middle of the lake and you need someone to save you before you crash into shore. I was that boat, lost at sea. I needed someone to grab my hand, take me along, and show me the ropes so that one day, I can float again on my own.
After months of wondering, waiting, being anxious, interviewing, complaining, crying, and getting shot down, someone finally threw me a life jacket and saved me. I couldn’t be happier that Colder’s extended me an offer to be apart of their digital marketing team.
One question they asked me in an interview was this:
"How did you spend your time while being unemployed?”
I couldn’t be more thrilled to answer a question. Although I didn’t express my hard fought battle of emotion while answering this question, I let my confident side take over.
It was important to me to try to maintain my skills as best as I could during this stage. Although this was a minor setback in my career, my goal was to keep my skills, knowledge, and professional interests up to date. So, I made a website. It tested me within design, content marketing, writing, social media, accountability/planning, and continued to keep me on a ‘schedule’. It allowed me to express my interests, do research, interview others, brainstorm topics, bounce ideas off my friends/family, receive criticism and feedback, etc.
Life is full of uphill battles as we all know. Some might be small, others might be life altering, but we get through them. Although I was lost in a dark tunnel for what felt like forever, I can finally see the light again.
Have you lost your purpose? If so, when? how? why? I’d love to hear about it. Comment below or send me an email :) I’d love to get through a hardship together. It’s important to have a great foundation + support system.