30 days to the job you love - Day 16

With 200,000+ tech layoffs in 2023 and more being let go in early 2024, it is easy to get discouraged. Personally, I have many friends who were and are affected. For those whom I worked with, I am grateful that our paths crossed.

For 30 days, I will post a tip each day to encourage you and give you some suggestions on how to stay motivated during your job search.

Day 16

While it's normal to experience a range of emotions during a job loss, maintaining a positive attitude can be a powerful asset in navigating through the challenges and emerging stronger on the other side. One strategy that helps me maintain a positive mindset is reading about individuals who have overcome extreme situations.

1. "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. Despite being head of the neurology department at a hospital in Vienna, Frankl lost everything, including his social status, home, family, and even his name, when he was forced into a Nazis concentration camp. However, he realized that even in such dire circumstances, one still has the freedom to choose one’s attitude. He wrote, "We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. ... they prove that everything can be taken from a person except for one thing: the last of human freedoms - the choice of attitude in any given situation, the choice of one's own path." Whenever I feel discouraged, I remind myself of Frankl's story and use it as motivation to choose a positive attitude.

2. "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank. As a young girl, Anne was forced to hide from the Nazis in the attic for years. Despite the fear of being discovered and imprisoned, living in cramped quarters, and facing uncertainty, Anne remained hopeful and optimistic, finding comfort in her writing. She said, "I don't think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains." Her story reminds me to focus on the positive aspects of life even in the face of setbacks, inspiring me to navigate through life's challenges with a mindset of gratitude, forgiveness, and hope.

3. "Life Without Limits" by Nick Vujicic. Born without arms or legs, Nick faced numerous obstacles growing up, including being bullied at school. Despite this, he refused to let his physical limitations define him. Nick is now a best-selling author, happily married with kids, and has traveled to speak in over 74 countries, inspiring millions of people along the way. As Nick himself has stated, "We have a choice - either to be angry about what we don't have or to be thankful for what we do have." Whenever I think that life has dealt me a bad hand, I think of Nick. If he can have a positive attitude and overcome such challenges, then surely I can do the same.

In life, we often face situations that we cannot control, but we can control how we respond to them. Losing a job and looking for a new job can be a daunting experience, but reading about those who have faced and overcome even more challenging situations can give us the hope and courage we need to stay positive and face uncertainty head-on. Like a phoenix that rises from ashes, we too can rise above our challenges.

"I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains." - Anne Frank