When I was 23, I got made redundant and felt heaps sad about it- it was the GFC and for once, the idea that “you work really hard and will always do well” kinda exploded in my face: “What a crock of bullsh*t”- I was pretty shaken because I identified so strongly with working hard and proving myself to a workaholic guy who collected Bentleys as a hobby and took three day “holidays” to Hawaii in between matters. I imagine if he didn’t do the job he did in the austere, strange environment that we worked, he was probably a really interesting, kind guy. We just never got to see it because that place was like a heavy strangle-hold of “Act like a REAL GUY and EXCEL”.
I looked for a job amongst a scarce desert of job listings and at the time, my mum who prefers to the words “grit and challenge” to “hugs and support” imparted some perfect wisdom while I emotionally ate my way through three king-size Mars Bars:
“Don’t worry about where other people are at- at some stage, everyone will go through the same thing. It just happens at different times for everyone. In the end, our lives are all pretty similar, just in a different order: experiencing big happiness, confidence, feeling like you’re invincible, grief, sadness, loneliness, loss, love, break-ups, unemployment, growth, finding yourself, questioning your worth, sickness, health, gratitude, cocky douchebag tendencies, humility, softness, taking care of others and yourself.”
She said this all in highly emotive Korean, so I’m translating it loosely. But in that moment, I realised that she was pretty frigging correct.
If you look back on everything that’s happened, it’s all unfolding in its perfect timing. Everything is there to combine, align and nestle itself amongst the colourful tapestry that represents your life story— and while it can feel impossible in the moment, it’s also reassuring to know that it’s all happening for a reason 🙂
