All in a Day's Work

A small, but very functional space.

DAY 5

of the 30-Day Blog Challenge, 2011

It's no secret that I've experienced job loss before. This happened not once, not twice, but three times (a lady…sorry, had to say that).

The first time it happened, all I wanted to do in the days that followed was sleep, and maybe make brownies.

The second time it happened, I shipped out, and told myself I never wanted to live in New York again, how overrated the city was. Besides, I also had a wedding to plan: my own.

The third time it happened, I soldiered on. It also helped that I had a part-time writing and editing job that paid very well so I could somehow live decently without going flat-out broke. That, and I have a very generous and hardworking husband who can tell when my wallet's close to empty even without my mentioning it.

So, what is the moral of the story? You simply have to look at the big picture, or wait for enough time to pass so you can see and find meaning in the larger scheme of things. I've always said in this blog that there's a reason for every setback. Had #1 not happened—had I not lost my "dream job"—I wouldn't have met my co-author, Marsha Irving, with whom I collaborated on the Freshman 15 fitness book.

If #2 hadn't happened, yes, I would have had a lucrative proofreading and editing job with a popular fashion retail brand, but I probably wouldn't have gotten around having that fantabulous wedding, AND, I would still have undiagnosed lumps lurking inside my breasts. I'm serious.

If #3 hadn't happened, I wouldn't have been able to embark on the Travel Series, among many other "pluses" and experiences that have occurred since so far. (A number of them, leading to the job that I'm doing right now.)

When something sad happens with one's career, it's almost always a jump-off opportunity to pursue a different kind of success, except that the experience is disguised in a very unpalatable package. To me, it's exactly like a break-up, given how I take my jobs seriously. One still has to go through the requisite living-in-pajamas-not-wanting-to-get-up-and-eating-ice-cream phase, but past the pain, heartbreak, and aggravation is a journey that opens up doors to new opportunities.

Meanwhile, the three instances above are partly, if not, majorly the reason why I have three jobs right now—one, I do full-time, while the other two, part-time and at a very languid, leisurely pace. I have a working home office that can accommodate my writing, editing, and printing needs. While I've had to streamline my freelance writing career at some point early this year (I no longer contribute to the newspaper back home) I tend to welcome assignments without much hesitation. I'll take the $400 articles, next to the $5 tasks, next to the pieces that pay in Philippine pesos that my husband wishes I no longer did because they take up time and pay the equivalent of a trip to Whole Foods (not complaining!). Still, I do not discriminate; work is work, and I'm happy to be doing what I'm doing.

PS—
Have you experienced a career slump lately or have just been feeling down? You may want to read/reread the Inspiration Series :)