Resilience is a big word, a word I guess I can't spell, thank you spellcheck. Ha! We've had some tough years and 2020 was a doozy. But today I'm focusing on our resilience because I know we can bounce back, better, and stronger together. You with me?
I was laid off recently. The second time in my career. The first time we nearly lost our house and part of me this time around wanted to completely panic and imagine myself back there with all of the fear that came with it. However, luckily, we learned a great deal from the first time this happened. And letting fear take hold is not the answer. If you're feeling similar, take a deep breath. It's not the end of the world, it's the beginning of a new chapter. A new chapter that can be exciting instead of scary.
My advice, counter-intuitively, be grateful for the hardships. I've learned and grown the most from difficult experiences. Yes, they were stress-filled and ugly. But on the other side, I'm thankful for each and every one of them. Without them, I wouldn't know as much about myself or what I'm capable of, as they've pushed me in ways that good experiences just can't. Plus, and this isn't just icing on the cake, but the meaty goodness, I gained perspective. Never discount gained perspective! I don't take for granted the things I used to because I know how valuable they really are because I know what it was like to live without them.
So how am I looking at this new challenge? I'm choosing to look at it as an opportunity for growth again. Maybe it's just what I needed? I'm going to de-clutter, spend some extra time with my family and our goat herd, make more soap, paint some stuff, write more, and be excited about this next adventure.
That first job loss, when we almost lost our home, it made us look deep within and figure out what we really wanted out of life. It wasn't a shiny new car or a fancy title. It was family and health. It took time and a lot, I mean A LOT of work. But it's the main reason we moved to the country, built a house, a barn, and now spend a large chunk of our time outdoors, enjoying our hobbies, spending time with our kids (furry and non-furry), and just enjoying life.
Best advice to anyone in a similar boat - figure out what you want. Sometimes that's the hardest part. I spent most of my early adult life thinking I had to follow a specific path just to find out that not only did it not work for us, but it wasn't what we wanted in the first place.
So take it from me (if you take advice from odd people that live in a tin can (Quonset) in the middle of the woods), be resilient, bounce back from this hardship bigger and better than before, knowing what you want, and working towards it every day.
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