"All the masterpieces of art contain both light and shadow. A happy life is not one filled with only sunshine, but one which uses both light and shadow to produce beauty." - Billy Graham
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Unemployment: Month 18
Life is good. It gets better. Everything will work out. Eventually.
I have to admit, this has been one of the most difficult subjects I've ever written about, in my life. Not specifically unemployment, as both my husband and I have been through that a few times in our 25 years of marriage. But long-term unemployment. That part is new. And very difficult.
It's almost beyond words.
Being unemployed can be many things. You go through stages.
First, shock and disbelief.
Second, search and rescue (for a new and better job).
Third, adjustment. To whatever changes you have to make to survive until you can start earning paychecks again. Cutting expenses, canceling services, payment arrangements, etc.
Long-term unemployment cuts you down to the core.
Questions.
Who are you? Why does no one want you? Will you lose everything you've worked so hard to provide for your family?
The answers may come quick or slow.
Who are you? A treasured child of God.
Why does no one want you? Because they won't look beyond their business bottom line. And, the vast pool of younger, cheaper workers.
Will you lose everything? Maybe. But God, your family, and true friends, will always be there for you.
You will survive this.
Copyright 2011 by Michelle Jones. All rights reserved.
Founder of Living a Better Life®
Visit BetterBudgeting.com for your free membership and ebook gift.
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Copyright 2011 by Michelle Jones. All rights reserved.
Founder of Living a Better Life®
Visit BetterBudgeting.com for your free membership and ebook gift.
Like this post? Share with a friend! :o)
2 comments:
If I might, there are a few other things that you will experience. The old, 'I'm filling out applications and sending out resumes by the bushel basket, but no one is calling me back' syndrome. Hang in there, if we had our druthers, we want the people on the other end to call and offer a job the instant that they see our application; but we also know, that's not going to happen so a huge dose of patience is called for here. Another 'problem' is the "I'm so tired of this and I don't seem to be getting anywhere" syndrome. You get up morning after morning, spend the day (each and every day) combing the internet for possible job openings and one day you wake up and go ... "really? Another day of that?" And you just don't do it that day, you take a mental health day and blow it off. It's okay, jobs are posted and closed all in one day, so you'll hit it again tomorrow and you'll be okay. Just don't surcome to the temptation of taking too many 'mental health' days and try to make sure they aren't in a row.
Finally, don't count yourself out. Don't look at the qualifications and say, "Oh, I don't have (fill in the blank) so they'd never look at me." My favorite phase became, "If I don't apply, I don't give them the chance to turn me down." Bottom line, if you don't apply, that is one job that you are SURE that you will never get. No, apply, apply, apply, even if you just think that you marginally are qualified for the job. It's the hiring folk's job to figure out if you're what they are looking for, let THEM make that decision, quit taking their jobs away from them. Quit talking yourself out of jobs.
I know all to well all those feelings. I was unemployed for 1 and a half years. I now have a part time job(i was working full time) at half the pay. It is even less than what I was receiving for uneployment benfits. But I am grateful to have this job and be able to put food on the table. My husband sometimes gets some overtime and I use that to pay medical bills or to save some for heating oil. I glad we don't have any credit card debt and our cars are paid for. I just keep telling myself we will survive this.
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