Two months ago I ended a Teams meeting with my boss feeling amazing. Not only had I gotten a raise and was told my position would expand to include more responsibilities, but they had approved me to continue working remotely so that I could move to Georgia to be closer to family. How amazing, right?
Six weeks later I was settling into my new home and logging back into work, ready to tackle my new project list, when I get a message from the HR manager asking if we could have a quick call. Silly me, I thought it was because I still needed to update my paperwork for my new address.
NOPE!
“I regret to inform you that the company has taken a new direction. We are eliminating most of our staff and because your position heavily focuses on internal processes, we no longer have a use for your department.”
In so paltry words… you no longer have a job.
They gave me FOUR days notice!
FOUR!
I’d just moved across the country, spent a huge chunk of my savings on the move, and on my first day back to work, they let me go.
I sat in this moment, really allowed the weight of it to register. To my surprise, there wasn’t the lung restricting grip of feel panic, which I surely would have felt a few years ago. Don’t misunderstand me here. This wasn’t an emotionless reaction. I was pissed off, filled with anger. I felt betrayed because this company, the people who claimed we were “like a family” allowed me to make this tremendous change and then pulled the rug from under my feet.
But I also felt relief. I've been working for someone else since I was 18 years old. Day in and day out. I reflected on the last year. 2020, covid, the Rona. How I put more time into myself and my work and had some really amazing months of sales. But every time the needle rose, I got a new project to focus on. There was something else to take my attention away from my work.
It hit me. This is my time to focus. The universe moves us in ways we could never imagine. I’m no longer in an apartment I grew to hate. No longer am I separated from family by a thousand miles. My new home affords me a dedicated space where I can put time and energy into my craft. I’m surrounded by creative, like-minded individuals who have already welcomed me into their community with open arms. By some divine way, I find myself right where I’m supposed to be.
So I’m taking this opportunity to focus on my work. To invest my time into my passion, my dream. I’m putting everything I have into this.
Things to look for in the coming month:
The official launch of Books&Bonnets, my new YouTube channel which will focus on my journey as an author, provide author tips, and where I’ll conduct interviews with other people in the indie pub industry, etc. The first video will be up next week!
Exclusive Ko-fi content. Supporters will get exclusive content released on Ko-fi (it’s a site similar to Patreon where supporters can subscribe or donate to creators.) You can follow me on Ko-fi here!
New release schedule updates. Now that I have the time I’m going to be pounding the keys. Yesterday I got over 4K words for the first time in months!
I have all this and so much more planned. So stay tuned!