30 days to the job you love - Day 1

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 1

Practicing an attitude of gratitude helps me through difficult times. When we are in the middle of a setback, such as being let go from our job, everything seems dark and bleak. We fail to realize that we still have all other conditions for happiness, such as clean air, fresh water, clean clothes, and a warm bed. When we have a cold and can’t breathe, we wish to be able to breathe easily again. But when we can breathe freely without any congestion, we never really notice it as a blessing. Losing a job can be devastating. But the skillset and the experience you gained are still with you. With that skillset and experience you can find a different job or reinvent yourself for a better future. You are still the same wonderful person you were the day before you lost your job. One organization may not have the blessing of keeping you employed, but that means you will be a gift to another organization. Keep your chin up and count your blessings.

Below are 3 different gratitude journals that I published over the years. Each week, there is an inspirational quote and space to write down 3 things I’m grateful for. The more I practice noticing wonderful things around me, the more wonderful things happen to me.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PDH6ZYH?binding=paperback

Today, I’m grateful for:

1. The wonderful colleagues that I worked with at Blue Ridge Power EPC. They were hard-working, talented, and selfless. Everyone from the construction, quality, commissioning, procurement, legal, project execution, estimating to engineering teams – I am grateful and blessed to be on the same team as you. You had my back and went above and beyond to help us get projects to the finish line. I learned so much during my time there. Thank you for welcoming and embracing me with open arms.
2. My husband – I spent an enormous amount of time at work during the last 2 years with lots of travel. My husband took on many extra responsibilities at home, more than his fair share. During a recent interview, someone asked me how I was able to handle so much workload. I told him, “I am blessed with an incredible husband – who is my supporter, and my rock.”
3. All the experiences – the good and the bad. I remember late nights working with the team, the camaraderie, jokes, and tears. I remember the seemingly never-ending crises and the not-too-happy moments. I remember the bullies. I hold happy moments in my heart and learn from the bad experiences. Life is full of different experiences – the good and the uglies, just like a day must have darkness to have daylight. There is no fragrant lotus without the mud.

It is hard to notice good things when we experience a setback. But the world is still full of good things. By making a choice to deliberately write down things we are grateful for, we are encouraged to get up, and go back out to build a better future.

“Often people ask how I manage to be happy despite having no arms and no legs.  The quick answer is that I have a choice.  I can be angry about not having limbs, or I can be thankful that I have a purpose.  I chose gratitude.” – Nick Vujic