After five long and often unpleasant years, I was laid off from the company I had been working for.  It wasn’t some enormous toil on the office to have me there – unless, of course, you count all the ways I refused to suck up to keep my job.  I had a job to do, I had laid out the groundwork for the new system and I had implemented things just as I was told.  Following the rules to such an extent didn’t win me fans, and eventually turned out not to be the best way to run the office (though I was doing what I’d been told).  The easiest way to appease the three people who were uncomfortable with  my work (and their own blunders) was to let me go.  And it just so happened that one person wanted her old job back – and I was in the way.

In a way I was shocked, but I definitely wasn’t sad.  I came in, did my work, and went home to the rest of my life.  If I’d thrown myself into it wholeheartedly, we should have written me off entirely.  In my eyes, I would have been a fool doing a fool’s job, instead of an uninterested but intelligent person doing what I had to to get by.   And that’s the thing – when you start working on something you actually care about, everything changes.  Necessity is the mother of self-invention.

YSL image found at theerrantaesthete.com

There is a quite the necessity in heading out into an unfamiliar world, armed only with the tools you’ve gained along the way.   What do I do with myself, where do I go and how do I maintain a lifestyle I’ve become accustomed to?  I spent a few moments asking myself that.  Well of course, I’ve applied for school, I have Deco Modiste, I have a little work here and there for Totally Blown Glassworks, and I have my own little side project,  making crafty stuff to sell on Etsy.

I asked myself this very question and quickly realized:  You do what you can with what you have with where you are – to paraphrase Bob Dylan.  I have things to do!  Places to go!  And a few maxims to keep in mind…

Be a little fearless and ready to embrace the moment.  Be aware of opportunities that spring into your lap.  These opportunities may take a moment to build, but are worth a lifetime in experience and possibility.   Fretting about what you’re going to do with your time from here on out is silly when it blinds you to all the stuff you could be doing that could become your day job.

Make yourself accessible and user-friendly.  Put yourself out there, carry your business cards (which I had from before my unemployment) and toot your own horn – but in a way that will make it easy for your potential project to come to you.

Redefine the concept of money so you feel comfortable making it.  Maybe you realize you don’t need to make a lot of money to be very happy.  Most millionaires are uncomfortable being seen as rich.  Maybe it’s the connotations that the word “rich” brings to mind, or maybe it’s the fact that the work that rakes in the dough doesn’t make them feel rich inside.  Whatever the case, toil away at something that moves you and you’ll feel rich.  Or toil away at something simple and enjoy the richness of your life outside your day job.

Desire less.  Yeah, fashion/lifestyle blogger says, “what!?”  But learning to cull your desires for *newnewnew* and waiting for *the best* to come around may save you money in the long run, right? Look for things that are versatile, buy only if it’s not something you have, and make sure it will stand up to the wear and tear of your every day life.

Find a way to be generous.  Give your time where you can and good things will come.  Maybe you find that definition of “rich” that you feel comfortable having.  Expend effort, give a hand here or there.  Maybe intern or volunteer (totally qualifies as being generous with your time) and you may find that real opportunity you’ve been looking for.

Got any more tips for me babes?  Cos I could use them!