What I'm going to do right now is go back -- to February 11th, 2014 when I was sitting up in my room, sipping on my favorite wine and scouring the Internet for new job opportunities with my newly updated resume.
And it wasn't because I was bored and needed something to do, it was because I was let go from my job the day before.
I'll start off by saying that I wasn't shocked nor emotional about being let go, but honestly the most relieved I have ever felt in all my 25 years of living. For a while, I had this gut-wrenching feeling that I knew I wasn't made for my particular position, but I refused to give up anyway.
My mom could tell from our phone conversations that I wasn't happy. I remember bluntly telling her tearfully, "I feel like I'm failing" over the phone just days before I was let go.
I had mentioned it to a few of my mentors, but assured them I could turn it around. Even my closest friends at the time knew that something was up, but because of my stubborn nature, I refused to believe that I wasn't good enough to for my "dream job." When come to find out, it wasn't at all my dream job, just a gateway to prepare me for what was to come.
During those short six months of employment, I was exposed to a number of great experiences, but I always remained mindful of the reason WHY they hired me. And trust, I played on those strengths in and out of the work place. Even in the midst of facing adversity, I never lost sight of what I knew I was good at. While my "dismissal" was shocking to others, it gave me an opportunity to finally take a moment to discover what I really wanted to accomplish in my career.
There's always a test in the testimony.
Last year's "plot twist" taught me that in order to be the change I wish to see, I have to boldly (and strategically) seek opportunities in which to have my voice heard. In the words of my homie fellow blogger Michell Clark, I has to quickly learn how to "put myself on." For me, this was a challenge to see how creative I could be with the resources that I had at my disposal. From blogging more about my passion for millennials and social media, to asking for help from mentors, family members and former colleagues, I slowly and purposefully started to rebuild the foundation of my very young career.
Within 34 days of being let go, I was hired by a company that I've grown to admire greatly, and surrounded by amazing individuals that not only wanted me to succeed, but to help me along my professional journey too. Just a constant reminder that God will never give us more than we can handle.
A lot of times when a particular job doesn't work out, we're quick think it is because we weren't good enough. We spend time questioning what went wrong, where we made our mistakes and what we could have done better. And while that is all completely necessary, we must also take time to appreciate what and who we learned from in that experience, and how it was a necessary part of our life's journey.
Looking back, I'm grateful for the short-lived experience I had, and the doors that it ultimately opened.
So the next time you find yourself in a moment where you feel as though you've failed, don't panic. Cry, scream, throw dishes – do whatever you need to do and LET IT GO. As the great C.S. Lewis once said, "There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind."
Be great!
Chasity
If you know me personally, then you know that I love to get my groove on from time to time. Since the tender age of eight, I've always loved the art of dance, even though I was never classically trained.
