Two layoffs. Two different companies.

Less than a year apart.

Maybe I’m just too volatile.

Maybe I’m too obsessed with good grammar.

Hell, maybe I’m just too damned old.*

*40 is the new 30 people – get with it!

Last Friday, as we packed 10 months of toys, notes, cards, and other riff-raff I’d acquired into one box, I felt a strange peace come over me that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Call it serendipity, but I got the sense that the universe was sending me a rather strongly-worded message.

Since then, I’ve come up with a million and a half backup plans. While not a huge believer in a higher power, it seems that whatever is out there is wanting me to go for something bigger. Maybe that explains my calm approach to this situation. Or, I’ve grown as a person and am less petty.

In any case, here we go again.

The fact is that I am not a freshly-minted college graduate.

I’m not a millennial either.

What I lack in  Snapchat filters I make up for with a wealth of knowledge, a passion for learning, and the capacity to adapt.

Also, you get a fountain of trivia with a steel-trap-like brain when you work with me. I remember important details about those around me. That alone is invaluable.

What I know is this – I can choose to wallow in self-pity and wonder what I did wrong or I can say f**k it and keep going. What I’ve learned from these experiences have become more valuable than I ever could’ve imagined.

As my now ex-boss gave me a lift home last Friday, I realized I have confidence. Yes, I kept my confidence in the face of a whole new set of odds. I have my life team and an unmatched support network. I know what I’m capable of and how much potential I have.

I’ve spent the last year helping others write their stories in resumes, cover letters, and much more to get them better jobs. I truly believe, for the first time in several layoffs that my time is now.

What can I say? Confidence is a valuable asset!

As is using correct spelling.