“Being Unemployed was nothing more than a waiting room of revelations and realizations…”

May 11th, 2025

It’s no secret that the job market sucks or that you’re at a job you’ve been tightly holding onto for some form of security. Then, all of a sudden, you find yourself without one.

Whether you’ve been laid off, fired, or even quit, there’s a silver lining to all of this—your freedom.

And before you go biting my head off, I mean the freedom to make your next move. Life waits on no one, so the choice is yours on how you want unemployment to be the catalyst in changing your life.

The Day I Chose Myself

I commit to the memory of leaving one of my earlier jobs. I hated the atmosphere and work ethic and couldn’t endure it any longer. It was like wearing a top that you once adored—it is no longer fits your style.

One warm Wednesday morning, I decided I would quit—and I wouldn’t look back. The sweet feeling of handing in my printed resignation letter let me know that this job would no longer be a part of my reality.

I felt brave and free…but I was scared.

What would my loved ones think of me not having a job?

I had to accept that, at the moment, I was unemployed. There was no need to tax my body with stress when I was no longer obligated to obey the rigid schedule of working.

I’ll admit I felt guilty for a while, wondering if I had made the right decision. I started applying for positions, quickly succumbing to the pressures of being unemployed.

I let fear conquer me.

Just as I was about to repeat another daunting cycle, I came to the realization that I was in control.

I didn’t have to go into the same job field. I was free to do what I pleased.

Instead of trying to control everything, for once, I just let life flow. I was jobless but not hopeless. I had to meditate on my feelings and accept that being unemployed didn’t make me less than—because a job doesn’t define who I am. I was sick of being molded by society’s standards of work ethic and decided to restore my own definition of what it meant to be unemployed. It now meant the world was my canvas, and I had the liberty of painting how I wanted my anecdote to unfold.

Reclaiming The Narrative

I was slowly but surely recovering from being a shell of who I was when I was more optimistic. My mind might have been a little murky, but my heart was ready to shine light on my deepest desires.

Waking up at 7 a.m. was no longer a command but a privilege.

I had more autonomy over my life, so I wanted to make the most of it. It shocked me that the little things—like watching the sunrise and taking a walk in nature—were things I could never experience in a tightrope schedule. Yes, I was still on the hunt for a job, but I didn’t want these simple beauties of life to only be temporary moments. I wanted to experience this great feeling every day. I had to step back and ask myself:

Was I applying for a job because I knew it would leave me feeling emotionally fulfilled?

Or was I doing this to secure a title in society that I was apathetic to?

I knew I wanted to be happy, but what would happiness look like for me? Was it making more money? Having shorter hours? Not working weekends? Hell! Requesting vacation time without overthinking it a million times because I was scared of being denied? All I knew was that I no longer wanted to be a robot programmed to only work, sleep, and repeat the cycle. I wanted to be more daring and let life present me with opportunities that were once foreign to me. I am a creative, sensitive soul, so being at a standard 9-to-5 was a no-go, as it would quickly drain the exuberance I had. I wanted something rewarding yet balanced. I was already converging with the life I wanted. Being unemployed was nothing more than a waiting room of revelations and realizations I had to come to before entering the threshold of a more fulfilling lifestyle.

The End Goal Was Joy, Not Just Income

It was now time to act and take center stage, so luckily, I didn’t get cold feet. I started making a plan for what I wanted in my next role. Gone were the days of blindly applying for roles and hoping to hear back from employers like anticipating a Bumble match to message you back. I made a list of all the jobs I had applied to and started reaching out personally—because closed mouths don’t get fed. As I mentioned earlier, the job market is capricious, so not hearing back wasn’t surprising. The “Thank you for applying” emails? I didn’t bother reading past the subject line. I knew this was just one more job that fell through. I tweaked my strategy and started applying to roles under the impression that I had already received a callback. Gone were the days of spiraling into panic—I wasn’t going to let the spirit of desperation seep into my job search. I couldn’t back down now, as

I was on a mission to alter the trajectory of my life.

I started writing affirmations like, “I received the job I wanted, and it makes me happy,” so the universe would know I was open to receiving. I stopped treating my resume like just another attached file and started treating it like an excerpt from a bestselling book. I have so much to offer, so there was no reason to shy away from my potential.

Cover letters became Emmy Award-winning scripts—I sold my story as one that was relatable yet professional. After reading them, employers were sure to give me a call. The truth is it didn’t work as I anticipated. I guess this was divine intervention to embracing the path less traveled. I wanted to be upset but I knew in my heart, unemployment shined light on my path that I’ve been pushing to the side like a forgotten hobby for so long.

I need to redirect all my energy into my creative gifts instead of finding creative ways to chase after a job market that was never tailored for a creative soul like me.

The Undeniable Mindset Shift

With a fresh perspective and being able to see the glass half full—everything was now in my control. I had the pleasure of choosing wisely. I had already experienced what it was like to have less, so I refused to settle for less.

No more breadcrumbs—I was ready for the big plate.

Sometimes, unemployment presents itself as a tower moment, shaking things up to wake you up to something you’ve been avoiding for far too long. The qualities within you that have been dormant needed to be activated so you could rejigger your life. Life will play a game of catch with you. When it throws you the ball of change, it’s okay to catch it—even if it smacks you in the face. You might want to throw it back in rage, but in the end, you’ll see it was for your highest good. Unemployment has a silent power—it forces you to be uncomfortable so you can make the necessary changes to put yourself in a more aligned predicament.

And for me, unemployment was just the incentive I needed to reach a euphoria that had been waiting for me all along.