31 Days Ago

Exactly 31 days ago I was laid off from my job and I never dreamed it would take me this long to find a new one.  The waiting, not knowing, waiting, feeling let down, waiting, feeling powerless, waiting, feeling unsettled and more waiting has been a challenge to say the least.

For the last 10 years I have been a real estate software system administrator, but throughout the last month I have often wondered if I should just go out and get any job I can find locally (Staples, any office job, etc) just to have some income.  While the logical part of my brain says "Yes, we need some money!", I feel like the voice deep down inside is saying to just hold on and the right job will manifest very soon. 

I have applied for 5 positions, had multiple first calls and 3 phone interviews so far with another scheduled tomorrow.  I am hopeful that at least one of these will work out; however, it would be nice to have more than one offer to choose from.

One thing all of this time has allowed me to do it get back to writing blog posts; in the beginning I was pretty down and just tried to stay busy as to not think about my current situation...and frankly, I just had a mental block from all of the stress and uncertainty.  However, once all of the busyness came to an end I have found the writing to come more easily than it ever could have in those first couple of weeks.

In addition to writing I've been able to do the following:

1. Clear out a bit of clutter from our home...not near as much as I should have, but definitely more than I had cleared out previously  
2. Knit adorable baby bibs for 2 friends who have recently had little girls :)  
3. Get into a routine of exercising each morning and getting up early, which I never did even before the job loss
4. Work more on tweaking our budget
5. Take a webinar about becoming a financial coach...I definitely want to get into that one day!
6. Reconnect with family and friends  
7. Think and dream about our future
8. Reconnect with myself and my passions

A friend shared this on Facebook yesterday and it seemed perfect for the season of life I am going through right now.  It's such an awesome reminder that God is there and that He will never leave us regardless of how hopeless we may feel sometimes.

Meraki (n.): The soul, creativity, or love put into something; the essence of yourself that is put into your work.

I'm thankful to have had this time to regain my meraki and reconnect with myself and the things I am passionate about. Until then sweet friends, may you live your life with passion, creativity and love :)