Thankful to Be Laid Off in 2009

Yes, you read that right. I am thankful that I was laid off in 2009.

You may be wondering how I could say such a thing when millions of Americans have lost their jobs and so many people are struggling to find work. I am no exception. I dutifully fill out job applications and send out resumes every week, only to be told "Thanks, but no thanks." And I'll admit, I'm worried, but I'm not quite freaked out yet.

Maybe it's because my former employer was so generous to me in the way of severance. Or because I have such an amazing partner and wonderful support from my friends. Maybe it's because I watched Oprah's take on the law of attraction and "The Secret". Or maybe it's because I'm strong in my faith that God will provide and everything will turn out ok.

Whatever the reason, I was ready for a change in my life. You see, I had already been laid off in a way at the beginning of the year. After 10 years with my former employer, I was working in a job I loved in a department I loved. Then came the news that cutbacks were necessary in our department. I was the one with the least seniority, so I was the one who had to go. But because of my experience and longevity with the company, they opted to transfer me back to a department and position I had held nine years before. While I was devastated, I was grateful to still have a job. And so I accepted the transfer, determined to do the best job I could do.

Fast forward six months and I was ready to poke my eyes out. I was doing the best I could under the circumstances, and I wanted to remain loyal to an employer who had been so good to me. After all, they had elected to transfer me rather than to let me go. I owed them something, didn't I? But doing a job that I had already done and learned everything there was to learn from was kind of like being told in 12th grade that you had to go back to kindergarten and start over. Yes, it was a paycheck. Yes, it was security. Yes, it was a job in the midst of a recession.

But I could slowly feel the life being drained out of my soul. I was losing motivation, and struggling to keep a positive outlook. I guess I was going through the normal feelings that others feel when they lose their job. Only I did have a job, but I felt like I was stuck in a rut with no other options.

So when the call came that I was to be laid off for real this time, I had a mixture of emotions. I was sad to be leaving a company with a great reputation and where I had so many friends. I was also uncertain as to what to do next, because working there was all I had known since graduating from college. And I was relieved, like a weight had been lifted from my psyche. And before me, I could suddenly see the endless ocean of possibilities that I hadn't been able to see before.

Now it's six months later, and I've done many of the things I had put off before because I was too busy working. I'm taking care of some health issues, visited family, reconnected with old friends, and started writing again. I've met an extraordinary community of writers and started working towards achieving long forgotten goals.

Looking back, I don't know if I would have been able to find the motivation or energy to do these things if I was still working. It's almost as if I needed to be laid off to ask myself, "What next? What do you want from life? How are you going to achieve it?"

My mother always tells me that everything happens for a reason. Maybe the reason I was laid off is so that I could focus my energies on finding my life's purpose and achieving it. It may be naïve and unrealistic, but all I know is that I'm starting to do just that.

So yes, I am thankful I was laid off in 2009. And I am excited to see what 2010 will bring.