The Art of Funemployment

"I was smart enough to go through any door that opened." -Joan Rivers

I have never been one to follow a structured path. I didn't know who I wanted to be in my adult life, or how to take all the right steps to get there. Growing up I wanted to be a lawyer, and then a firefighter, and then a Harley Davidson riding badass, a child psychologist, a sports medicine doctor, a marine biologist? In no particular order. The path I have taken has been paved by a series of open doors. Doors that I discovered while chasing passion, while following role models, making mistakes, and through it all, always being true to who I was at that point in my life experience. Looking back at how I have come to where I am, and who I am on this very day, I would do it all over again in the same manner. Look for the doors, don't look for the doors, but happen upon them anyways, and go through. All those doors. All those lessons. I wouldn't trade any of them for the world.  

A little less than five years ago I walked through another door.  The first door in my series of doors that would be bitterly slammed in my face the day I was fired. I never envisioned myself in conversation where I was the comic relief speaking on the glitz and glam of "funemployment." But there I was, and here I am.  For the first several weeks following my termination I thought how wonderful it would be to reflect, and unleash in writing how awful it all was. How unfortunate, unprofessional, unkind, and ill informed their decision to let me go had been. Who wants to be burdened with that information though? The he said she said. None of that matters. People get fired every single day. What matters is that we have the power of choice in life. We can choose to be bitter. We can choose to be resentful, angry, unhappy, or... We can choose to be full of gratitude. We can choose to be the light that shines in the darkness. We can choose happiness. We can find the silver lining in the blackest of clouds. We can honor the raw emotions that make us all human, and then we can release what no longer serves us.

My job served a purpose for the last several years, but it no longer served me. You should never choose to exist mindlessly unfulfilled, and unsupported in any corner of your life. Getting fired woke me up to the fact I had been doing just that.  Never again. I am forever grateful for the community I was able to serve in my time there. I am forever grateful for the bonds formed, and the laughs exchanged with coworkers over the nuances of life actually. I am forever grateful for my community that has risen around me in relentless support over my many tears, laughter, margaritas, breakfast dates, and burritos. I am, and always will be forever grateful to the door that was slammed in my face. The door whose closing wind blew open the next door, and shattered the closed windows to let in every bit of light. Thank you!

First race of funemployment where I won so much more than a first place title. Where I won me.