3 things: Reflection, vulnerability, and my own personal path towards "The New."
Thank you for finding our little corner of the interweb! This is where we'll put out some ideas with regularity regarding hiring trends, strategies, and sometimes just a bit of introspection and inspiration. With believe in the power of employment, and all it does for the soul and self confidence, and here to be a part of your career journey!
With that in mind, we'd like to share an article that we've posted on LinkedIn regarding COVID, the year that has been, and how to overcome your own personal demons to find "The New" in your life.
Feel free to read and share with anyone that appreciates a real, vulnerable and hopeful share, as we are all in this struggle together! Enjoy, and share with someone who needs to hear this.
With that we bring you "The New":
"May you live in interesting times."
So states the ancient Chinese proverb (curse?) I loudly retort for all of us, and declare these times TOO interesting!
Despite the year that has been, with chaotic lockdowns, personal meltdowns, political and racial reckonings, the fear (and sometimes yes, the realization) of death, I aim to offer 3 things:
Reflection, vulnerability and my own personal path towards "The New". I also hope to impart a smidge of wisdom and inspiration, so let's get it done!
Reflection
They say you can't know where you're going unless you know where you've been. This past year has been a complete manifestation of this phrase. Let me break it down, starting globally and narrowing it to the home front:
A global health crisis the likes of which hasn't been seen in 100+ years (thanks for repeating history Spanish Flu). Don't believe me? Read this 7-minute article from History.com for a good kick in the COVID head. (Spoiler alert: The "Flu" was politicized and lied about too!)
Multiple racial reckonings with deep rooted, historically significant, and sadly repeated mistakes, with yet to be determined solutions (Note: Get comfy with having uncomfy race discussions white America. Time to truly listen, learn and become allies to our neighbors who don't look like us!)
Unemployment crisis leading to food and housing vulnerabilities not seen since the Great Depression. My 10 year old daughter darkly quipped "is this the GREATER Depression daddy?".
My own personal (challenging) journey dealing with clinical depression, and owning my personal health to find a way out for the sake of my family and personal survival
PS: Are you a parent with underage kids? Added bonus to learn to home school as a parent/teacher while trying to earn a living, huzzah!
Statistically speaking, the chances of "you" my patient reader relating to some or all of the above is about...99.99936%. By the way, 72.3% of all statistics are made up on the spot..work with me. :)
Why am I rehashing everything we already know? Despite the above challenges, I'm extremely grateful to report that I've discovered..."The New"!
What is "The New" you ask? It's about new perspective, purpose, ambition and dare I say hope? If you're waiting for the punchline, it's coming! However, it's always darkest before the dawn, and I promised vulnerability, so here goes:
Vulnerability
Here is a list of my own vulnerable insecurities in no particular order; perhaps some resonate?
Depression: For those that know me, I've been characterized as high energy and optimistic, and I can now add to the list that I've been "clinically depressed". Waking up feeling empty, numb and uninspired is draining. However, faking a joyful smile and pushing forward for the sake of your spouse and children is almost as difficult to live with as the negative feelings themselves.
It's a total negative feedback loop, which by the way, if you have a choice between depression or hope, choose hope! Real depression is not an experience I'd wish on anyone, and this is coming from someone who was lucky enough to dodge the "cancer" bullet.
Unemployment: News flash, I've been hiding the fact that I've been unemployed, and on unemployment for the first time in my adult life, since last summer. Hey, have you heard the one about the unemployed recruiter? I haven't either, but talk about the cobblers kid's not having shoes!
My micro-plight doesn't compare to those that have lost their homes, suffer from food insecurity, or the inability to find new work, so I'm extremely grateful for the government help and life experience. It was an opportunity to discover "The New" however, and I'll get to that..
Apathy: I KNOW I'm not the only one thinking we're living in a world that darkly resembles Groundhog Day (SIDE BAR: Did you know the film was deemed by the US Library of Congress to be preserved in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant"?! Go Punxsutawney Phil!)
Did anyone else get a rush of adrenaline the first time they actually packed the car and left their house after lockdown #1? Or do you recall experiencing the scary thrill of buying groceries, dare I say, INSIDE the store? All of a sudden, the mundane became both intimidating and a bit magical, to NOT live the exact same day as the previous 39..
Shame: As a white male, why did it take until I was 44 years old, with a Hispanic / minority heritage to realize the depths of systemic racism, and the real and persistent plight my minority friends struggle through every day just to survive? Why did it take THIS moment, with the tragic and unjust passing's of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, to open "white" eyes, as opposed to the countless souls that died senselessly before them?
Yes, I just dumped my downers on you, but hey misery loves company, and there's an inspiring point! Which brings me to..
"The New"
My own life B.C. (Before COVID) resembled that of many Americans; too fast and too much, with a yearning to find moments of reprieve (ah, the holidays). It turns out, "The New" boiled down to slowing the @#!% down, taking about 23 breaths, and asking questions like "what AM I doing?" or "what do I believe" and "WHY have I not done THAT yet?"
All of sudden, I found myself playing in the yard with my daughters and laughing on a random Tuesday morning, getting the family a fish tank, taking a 6 week road trip across the country, quitting my job for childcare reasons, founding a new company, and doing wellness checks on my elder loved ones and long lost friends.
The list of "new" experiences is endless, but why DIDN'T I do all that before? I submit that it takes jarring, powerful, and even historical moments like this to reassess the way we think, live, adapt and evolve. "The New" it turns out was always right in front of me. It just took (and is continuing to take) a sledgehammer of reality to my over-stimulated brain to realize and act on it.
So what does "The New" look like for you?
If there was ever an opportunity to discover it, now IS that time! Shed your previous behaviors, live with DARING, caring, and unabashed optimism, and act on all the little things that you've always wanted to do or be. Live with less, be more vulnerable, become an ally, take positive action and learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
This past year of upheaval can truly be the kickstart that our lives, and quite frankly our world needed to reset and be reborn! For another quick reminder in history, check out the "Roaring Twenties" and buckle up kids!
If you need an empathetic or encouraging ear, reach out, I'm happy to listen! And to you I offer an amended proverb and say, "may you THRIVE in interesting times...and find "The New."