The state of affairs

As I write this, it’s day 1 of my first week unemployed. I hold no ill will towards my former employer. They did the best they could with what they had. They had to make difficult decisions that they knew would impact people’s lives. I know I couldn’t have done that. I wish them the best and that their work is successful.

That said, this doesn’t work out well for me! I’m stressed, it’s not fun being laid off. But you take what lessons from the experiences you have. You write them, overanalyze them and try to get to the core kernel of truth. Then you do your best to live by those kernels of truth.

What are my kernels of truth? That communication and writing are incredibly important. It’s not just a skill that you use to promote or market yourself. It isn’t something that want to farm onto other people. It’s a core human trait that you need to grow and train inside yourself.

Making friends and maintaining friendships is also a kernel of truth. It’s not enough to say “we’ll stay in touch” or reaching out once a year for New Years or Christmas or pick-your-holiday-of-choice. You want to be involved in people’s lives, be there to help them, to talk them through things and to support them and be supported in turn.

So here I am, sitting in my office with basically the same setup I had at my former employer, trying to reestablish myself and figure out what’s next. As I said, this is hard. Every part of me wants to go sit on the couch, watch mindless YouTube and Instagram reels and just dissociate. But I can’t let myself wallow too long. There are too many people who are important to me who are depending on me.