Thursday, December 18, 2008

Turning the Tide on a Job Loss

By Estee Taschereau

What we do in life gives us value and shows the world who we are. Many of us focus that outward expression into their work. What then do you do if your job disappears? Where is your value?

Our work, like many other aspects of our lives, is based on an exchange of energies. We give service, time, or knowledge. In exchange we receive a paycheck, sometimes even a bonus. We may benefit in many other ways that are less tangible, such as team work, a handshake, or an accomplishment that will promote us in the future.

There is truth in the statement that our energy flows where our attention goes. Much of our energy does go into our work. For many of us we use our workplace for a portion of our self expression and social interaction since so much of our time is spent in the work environment. This is why leaving a job can be so devastating when it has become the nucleus of our lives.

Leaving a job is a big change in our live. It's not so bad when you hop from one job right into another, but when the economy is challenged and finding a new job is not so instant we can fall prey to worry, and question our value.

Losing a job will always impact our lives. The primary focus is on the loss of income, and this level is important and real. We must care for our day to day needs. Many of us feel other levels of loss as well, for our jobs often give us a sense of value and worth as well as routine and interaction with others.

It cannot be denied that the most effective solution is to gain new employment or return to our old job. In the meantime we can turn around this unfortunate situation by looking inward and using this incident as a tool for self improvement.

Focus for a moment on the other areas in your life that give you're an outlet of expression. You might be in the church choir, or assist in your child's team events. There can be other areas of value on this list, like your exercise program, interactions with friends, or something as simple as walking the dog. Those routines can give you a sense of comfort while you reconnect the work aspect of your life.

Change can give us an opportunity to release and realign ourselves, letting go of those things that have built up over many years. We don't always recognize how big a load we carry! In part two of this series we will explore some easy to use techniques for self awareness and release. - 15784

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