Job Loss and our Fight to Restore our Value
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.
For most of us our work takes a great deal of our time and energy. Our training drives us to learn and develop our career, leaving our personal and social development in a secondary role. While it is true that earning or producing what we need for our day to day needs is important, placing too much emphasis on this role can be devastating when something goes haywire in that area.
When we place the bulk of our value in one area it can be devastating when that avenue for self definition dries up. Finding we are the target of a layoff or firing can quickly strip us of the outer shell that we use to define who we are.
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.
Take a look at your forms of expression. Has your work been the core of your universe, or do you have sufficient outlets in other areas of your life for exchange with the world? Count your blessings, right now. What other areas do you connect to in your life? This list can include family, friends, animals, charity, exercise, hobbies, worship, and even something as simple as tending to your garden.
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.
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