| Considering the Possibility of Thriving in a Painful Economy By Dr. Debra LeClair Psy. D. |
A woman I know very well named Donna got laid off last month from a high-level hotel management job at a time when she was getting ready
to buy a house. The layoff came suddenly and without actual warning. Donna is a single woman who is reliant only upon herself to pay her
bills. Even with this job, she has struggled to maintain her financial health.
I’ve told you the facts but let me tell you the truth. Donna didn’t quite know how to feel so she decided to allow any and all feelings to arise,
expecting the possibility that the ground might fall out from underneath. As much as this job satisfied many needs — good salary, prestige,
respect from some — Donna has known for a while that this isn’t the way she is supposed to best serve the world or herself. Oftentimes the
job required an inordinate amount of time and sacrifice. There was a great deal of dysfunction that existed within the corporate ownership
that permeated the employee climate of the hotel. She often expressed an intention to leave but couldn’t see how she could manage
financially. Her internal conversations were often grounded in self-doubt, revolving around asking “Is there really a better job out there? And
do I really have what it takes to get it?”
So here it was, a direct hit from the economic downshifts. But so far the panic hasn’t come. By recognizing this as a huge push of fate to
support her intention to find more satisfying work, Donna has been able to tap into the calm that exists on a very deep level – the same calm
that is derived from inner wisdom. This translates into a perspective that sees opportunity, feels the fear, but then rallies to the side of
excitement. So with a decent severance package and keeping a “this is happening to help me, not hurt me” attitude, Donna came to expect
prosperity. And she got it – she’ll start work in a few days in a position that is even more advantageous. A job that came looking for her. For
several weeks, she’ll continue to collect her severance pay and money from a project that arose fortuitously from a family member that was
well matched to Donna’s talents. In short, ONE source of income has now changed to THREE.
Before you say that this kind of story doesn’t happen very often, consider the overall picture. Is the current economy a chance to shed what
no longer serves our collective higher purpose? Is there any relief at all to having to shift priorities, allowing some things to fall away? Within
crisis, there always exists opportunity. So, if you find fear is dictating how you are living day-to-day, allow yourself to consider who you would
be without that fear. How would you then perceive the climate around you—especially as it relates to your job and career? With that different
mindset, what do you imagine will now be attracted into your life?
Debra LeClair Psy.D. is a life/executive coach, corporate trainer and psychologist who partners with organizations and individuals around
making positive and sustainable change. Debra helps those seeking career satisfaction, enhanced communication skills and improved
team/individual performance. She owns Full Spectrum Wellness LLC, a holistic health and learning center www.fullspectrumwellness.com
and co-owns Platinum Principle Training & Development www.platinumprinciple.com, a company that specializes in interpersonal
effectiveness training for organizations. For more information visit www.fullspectrumwellness.com.
to buy a house. The layoff came suddenly and without actual warning. Donna is a single woman who is reliant only upon herself to pay her
bills. Even with this job, she has struggled to maintain her financial health.
I’ve told you the facts but let me tell you the truth. Donna didn’t quite know how to feel so she decided to allow any and all feelings to arise,
expecting the possibility that the ground might fall out from underneath. As much as this job satisfied many needs — good salary, prestige,
respect from some — Donna has known for a while that this isn’t the way she is supposed to best serve the world or herself. Oftentimes the
job required an inordinate amount of time and sacrifice. There was a great deal of dysfunction that existed within the corporate ownership
that permeated the employee climate of the hotel. She often expressed an intention to leave but couldn’t see how she could manage
financially. Her internal conversations were often grounded in self-doubt, revolving around asking “Is there really a better job out there? And
do I really have what it takes to get it?”
So here it was, a direct hit from the economic downshifts. But so far the panic hasn’t come. By recognizing this as a huge push of fate to
support her intention to find more satisfying work, Donna has been able to tap into the calm that exists on a very deep level – the same calm
that is derived from inner wisdom. This translates into a perspective that sees opportunity, feels the fear, but then rallies to the side of
excitement. So with a decent severance package and keeping a “this is happening to help me, not hurt me” attitude, Donna came to expect
prosperity. And she got it – she’ll start work in a few days in a position that is even more advantageous. A job that came looking for her. For
several weeks, she’ll continue to collect her severance pay and money from a project that arose fortuitously from a family member that was
well matched to Donna’s talents. In short, ONE source of income has now changed to THREE.
Before you say that this kind of story doesn’t happen very often, consider the overall picture. Is the current economy a chance to shed what
no longer serves our collective higher purpose? Is there any relief at all to having to shift priorities, allowing some things to fall away? Within
crisis, there always exists opportunity. So, if you find fear is dictating how you are living day-to-day, allow yourself to consider who you would
be without that fear. How would you then perceive the climate around you—especially as it relates to your job and career? With that different
mindset, what do you imagine will now be attracted into your life?
Debra LeClair Psy.D. is a life/executive coach, corporate trainer and psychologist who partners with organizations and individuals around
making positive and sustainable change. Debra helps those seeking career satisfaction, enhanced communication skills and improved
team/individual performance. She owns Full Spectrum Wellness LLC, a holistic health and learning center www.fullspectrumwellness.com
and co-owns Platinum Principle Training & Development www.platinumprinciple.com, a company that specializes in interpersonal
effectiveness training for organizations. For more information visit www.fullspectrumwellness.com.
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The Applaud Women publication is dedicated to women in New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. It's purpose is to inspire, inform, and
applaud local women. The core of the magazine is our inspirational women's articles, most of which feature local women but occasionally we are
able to interview national women who we feel provide a unique inspiration for our readers. Our other articles cover topics of interest such as food
recipes, home, garden, beauty, health, fashion, dating, parenting, seniors, finance, business, hair care, skin care, advice, real estate, insurance,
weddings etc. Each issue has a feature section as well. Many of our articles are written by local business people who provide information
relevant to their business expertise. The Applaud Women website is also a resource center for local women including the most comprehensive
listings of Restaurants, Weddings, Female doctors and Hotels. It also includes a number of informational pages with links, articles and RSS feeds
to both local and national websites of interest to women in NH & n. MA.
applaud local women. The core of the magazine is our inspirational women's articles, most of which feature local women but occasionally we are
able to interview national women who we feel provide a unique inspiration for our readers. Our other articles cover topics of interest such as food
recipes, home, garden, beauty, health, fashion, dating, parenting, seniors, finance, business, hair care, skin care, advice, real estate, insurance,
weddings etc. Each issue has a feature section as well. Many of our articles are written by local business people who provide information
relevant to their business expertise. The Applaud Women website is also a resource center for local women including the most comprehensive
listings of Restaurants, Weddings, Female doctors and Hotels. It also includes a number of informational pages with links, articles and RSS feeds
to both local and national websites of interest to women in NH & n. MA.