Easy Come, Easy Go...

I arrived to work at my usual time yesterday, when my colleague stopped by cubicle to quietly let me know that layoffs were happening and that two writers were already gone.  A few minutes later, my manager stopped by and asked to meet with me privately.

He simply told me that the company was going through a reorganization instituted by the new CEO who arrived last August, and that I was being laid off with several others who worked for my manager. After six months, just like that,  I lost a permanent full-time  job, along with the perks that I didn’t have for the two years I worked as a contractor: the  health insurance , sick leave, accrued vacation,  401(k) plans, stock options, and the 20 minute commute.

It seems so straightforward now, as if it was somehow scripted to happen the way that it did. Yet,  as I look back over two years ago when I began this journey, every step that I have taken along the way haven't  been as orderly as I would like (see my post Changing Times). There have been many forks  along the way, where my choices have brought me to a place where I am today. Along with those choices has been the endless chatter of Doom and Gloom (or those self-centered fears of losing what I have or not getting what I want)  that made me constantly worry about would happen if the other shoe fell.

Well, at least for today,  the other shoe has fallen on solid ground.  As has happened many times before, I've updated my resume and my LinkedIn profile, as well as  contacted recruiters who know me.  But I have also made the choice today to ask for help from friends and colleagues, and they gave encouragement and support in return. I also asked God on a daily basis to direct my thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonesty, or self-seeking motives (see New Year's Resolution).

I realize that I am only really responsible for the footwork, and that I need to turn over the outcome to God, who is my ultimate employer. There always has been a meaning, purpose, and plan for my life, I just have to remember that it’s not up to me to know (or understand) all of the details.