It's strange that I can speak of sudden, unexpected unemployment like a gift, laugh and see the joy and hope in it, yet I do. It feels refreshing in a way -- a clean slate. I could choose to freak out and fear financial ruin, but so far I'm doing what I need to get by and doing a good bit of contemplation.
It hasn't always come this easy, but as I look back, it has gotten easier over time. The first job I ever lost hit me hard. It was a tough lesson to learn that it isn't wise to let two co-workers decide between the two of them which of them will take the shift you want to give up. Another was rough because the employer fought my claim for unemployment benefits after laying me off -- way to keep it classy MCI. The first layoff during my professional software development years got under my skin, but with unemployment benefits and a healthy savings account it turned into a nice opportunity to put all my efforts behind completing grad school.
Now I'm facing this stint with no cash foundation to speak of and I'm still pretty much smiling and laughing about it all. Here's my chance to prove to myself that I can live on less -- something that I've been inspired to do (but not really motivated enough to do) ever since reading the book, Early Retirement Extreme. And even bigger, I'm seeing this as a golden ticket to building the coaching practice I've been dreaming about.
More about that is coming in the days, weeks and months ahead.
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