Thrive, not just survive!

The last day I worked a traditional #9to5 was probably one of the saddest, and yet, as I would come to realize, best days of my life. As I set at my office desk packing up my small box of personal items and discarding papers that would have no meaning behind these walls, there was a realization that came over me, I'd just become #unemployed.

A day later my new found fate hit me; I set reflecting, followed by crying, then angry, and back to crying. By the second week, it was clear that I needed to come up with a new strategy if there was any chance at redemption.

The first day, it was opening the curtains to let in a little sunshine, I'd been told vitamin D was a great place to start. I worked my way up to throwing away a pile of balled up tissues and candy bar wrappers that had taken over my bed and admittedly, out of character for me, even on the floor - please don't judge, I was doing the best I could under the circumstances. After finally coming to grips that I was jobless it was time to get to work doing the immediate next thing... Cleaning my place and organizing my closet. Okay, okay, I know this is not what you were thinking, but I'll explain.

I have always considered cleaning and organizing therapeutic, so I decided to turn my newfound joblessness into a positive. You could say I was willing to take a win of any size at this point; a spotless place and meticulous closet had me feeling pretty darn good about myself! Now, ready to finally take on job searching, I was armed with a quality, updated resume; freshened up my interview skills; put together several "she's the one" business outfits and of course the pièce a resistance: a warm smile. My new job awaited! Unfortunately, my job search started to feel more like a day in Vegas - full of possibility, but not hitting it big and just short of selling my soul.

Funny enough, though I was still jobless, there was something #empowering about being able to choose what my future looked like, and I liked it! This process was allowing me to find the real me that had gotten buried, unidentifiable in my previous position.

So months later, when I gave up the job search and decided to start my own business, #ElementsofDelight, it came as a result of all the other events in my life that lead up to that day. If you are the person saying to yourself there has got to be something better than this, be assured there probably is, but acceptance is the first step! I can honestly say that my unemployment journey has put me on the path to finally thriving in life, not just surviving, and for this I am #grateful.