Six months since "doomsday" and I'm better than ever!

Guess what? It's been six months since I was downsized. It feels like it's been years. I'm healed. And I'm a new, improved "me."

How did I get here?

I guess when you're faced with adversity, you have no other choice than to be brave. And when your world kicks you on your ass with a 3-month-old baby at home, a mountain of debt and a husband with a business degree who was never able to find full-time employment in a crappy economy, you dig deep to find some guts ... and some hope.

My journey is by no means complete. There's still a lot left up in the air. However, I can take a break and a breather for the time being. For that, I'm very thankful. So how did I get here? Let's reminisce.

Proof dreams do come true! Installment one: John Bellsmith extraordinaire

John and his coworkers. A talented staff!

I'm on a wild ride. Last summer I was counting down the days until Emerson entered the world and I could go on maternity leave - about seven weeks paid time off from work. How heavenly. After a crazy busy summer at the office, I was READY! Little did I know then that I'd return to work from maternity leave for a mere three weeks before I would encounter more time off (that whole being downsized thing).

Now I'm in an interesting place. I'm embarking on a journey to figure myself out and potentially be my own boss, but things are going slowly and the money is winding down, so it's likely I'll need to return to work full time and pursue my freelance career on the side.

However! I'm driven by motivation and inspiration, and I wanted to bring my readers a glimpse into the life of someone I respect dearly. Someone who is successful being his own boss ... someone to inspire us and to prove that dreams really do come true. Please give a warm welcome to my friend John Bellsmith of Bellsmith Graphic Design. 

A 30 day deadline until the bank account runs dry, yikes!

Photo courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu.

OK, life's about to get real. Very real.

Four weeks. One month. About 30 days. Is it a long time? A relatively short time? I suppose it depends on how you look at it.

For me and my family. It's short. Agonizingly short. Why? Because it represents the amount of money we have left in the bank that will cover our living expenses for that period of time. In about one month, my severance package will be spent and the outlook for additional money coming in is poor. Wow. That went fast.

Dream It, Do It - The Playlist (installment two)

Photo courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu.

I'm back after a couple weeks off from blogging. I got busy! My freelance gig took a good portion of my time and had me up until 4 a.m. a couple nights. My mind was tired, so I spent the rest of my free time recovering. My mood also has taken a downturn since I last blogged. I lost my mojo. I had one cryfest, and at 30 years old, hugs from my parents still helped make me feel better. Is it the weather? It's 39 degrees and rainy today. Now I'm not one for hot weather, but I could use some sunshine on my cheeks and benefit from inhaling some fresh air. Siiiiigh. It's almost May, so warmer, brighter days have got to be on the horizon.

OOOOOKKK. So when trying to get back into the blogging mindset, I decided there's no better direction to go than to revisit my Dream It, Do It playlist and add three more songs. I need the motivation today. It's essential.

Here we go! (Oh, and in case you missed installment one of this series, check it out here!)

It's Fun Friday! - Keeping It Local edition

Guess what?!

Photo courtesy of www.sxc.hu.

It's spring! And baseball season! Yaaaaahoooooo!!

When I freelanced for the Michigan Business Review on MLive.com back in 2008, I had the opportunity to write a piece about Paul Barbeau, president and general manager of the Great Lakes Loons. Because I'm focusing on everything local to the Great Lakes Bay region today as my Fun Friday experiment, and because it's the start of baseball season, I'd thought I'd share that story with you. Take a look here!

OK, so back to Fun Friday.

If I was a kid, uncertainty would be easy!

Photo courtesy of www.sxc.hu.

On Easter Sunday I was sitting in a comfy recliner at my parents' house - hands free! - as Emerson was passed around from one family member to another. Some random drumming sounded from my iPhone ... new message!

My cousin had sent me a video clip of her one-year-old daughter Alex on a slide at the playground. I watched the video a couple times and studied Alex's body language and reaction as she took a new adventure down this slide. At the top she sat first, looking down the slide as her daddy coached and encouraged her to slide on down. She was apprehensive at first (probably thinking, "Daddy's nuts!") but as he rubbed his hands together to entice her on down, she started wiggling and within a few seconds her mouth opened in excitement as she slid down to the bottom and into her dad's arms. I bet she wanted to go again.

Dream It, Do It - The Playlist (installment one)

Since I 95 percent decided to pursue a full-time freelance career after I was downsized, I've had days where I've felt like I could make all my life dreams come true followed by a gut-wrenching feeling that I won't be able to pay my bills and my family and I will be holding up signs that say "feed me" on the corner of Titabawassee and Bay. Emerson can wear one like a bib.

Yikes.

I'm diving into my dream

I've browsed the job postings online for seven weeks now, applying for those that caught my interest, but I don't think I have the drive I had when I was seeking a job with my last employer.

Hmmm, maybe being downsized has changed me more than I realized.

Or maybe it hasn't changed me. Maybe it's just pushed me to get to know myself, understand myself better.

Great things can come from difficult challenges

I interviewed earlier this week with a local nonprofit organization and something the CEO had said to me really stuck, mostly because it's a philosophy I am trying to live by as well.

When I asked her why she enjoys her job, she explained that she likes to make opportunities out of challenges.

Hmmm. Imagine that.

It's Fun Friday! - Kiddie edition

Since giving birth to my baby boy, Emerson, in November, I've become motivated and inspired by the writings of Dr. Seuss. Each book offers a wonderful life lesson that - whether you're a kid or an adult - you can learn from.

I especially am drawn to Oh! The Places You'll Go!. It's therapy for adults. Seriously. Especially adults who recently lost their jobs. When employers pass you a pink slip, they also should deliver you a hard copy of this classic.

Don't tell my hubby ... I fell in love today

Something special happened today.

It doesn't happen often.

I felt the butterflies in my stomach. My palms got sweaty. My knees felt jittery.

I knew the symptoms.

I am in love. And it's not just any kind of love. It feels as strong as first-time love!

So I'm just going to put it out there. I fell head-over-heals in love ...

It's Fun Friday! - Indianapolis, Ind. edition

Sometimes, applying for jobs gets monotonous, so I've decided to spice things up. Fridays will now be called Fun Friday! Each Friday, I will focus on a theme for applying for jobs. I might focus on a certain industry, a specific location or job function, or something else that might pop in my head that day. Whatever inspires me.

360 degrees of emotion: my first interview post-downsizing

Last Friday morning I woke up before the sunrise for the first time in weeks. The house was quiet except for the humming of the furnace on a very cold February day. I opened my eyes, dreading getting out of bed, and looked to my right to admire my baby boy sleeping soundly in his bassinet, his eyelids fluttering.

Could I find a trifecta?

I remember the first time early in my career I heard someone refer to the project triangle. I thought it was so simple, yet brilliant.

Change is inevitable, but when is it too much?

Eww ... I'm having a bitter moment.

I like change. Flavors of lunch meat, cheese, cereal ... change it up! Sunny days, cloudy days, warm days and cool days ... change it up! It's sometimes addicting for me, I think, since I get bored easily. I excel at change management too. But I wasn't particularly in the mood for a big life change in 2013.

Does reality get in the way of dreaming?

It's been one week since I was permanently laid off, and I'm sitting in a local coffee shop right now dedicating time to my future. I watch as men walk in and out in business suits, and I wonder about their careers and their happiness. Are they in town on business? Are they living their dreams? Do they wish they were home with family? Then I think, where are all the women in business suits? Do I belong in a business suit?

We can learn from professional athletes

Yesterday was a big sports day for me. In addition to the Super Bowl, my parents bought me and my husband tickets to a Detroit Pistons game for Christmas, and yesterday we took the trip down to the Palace of Auburn Hills to watch the Pistons take on the Los Angeles Lakers.

As we settled into our seats and watched the teams coast up and down the court, Jordan was telling me how he was disappointed that one of his favorite players on the team was traded earlier in the week. I started thinking about how professional athletes pick up the pieces, move their families and start over many, many times in their careers. Certainly I could do the same.

Doomsday

Today I was fired. Let go. Laid off. Axed. My position was eliminated. However you word it, I am unemployed. But I particularly prefer saying, "I was fired today!" just because I know I did nothing wrong and don't know if I'll ever have the opportunity to say it again. It's kind of like saying "I got married today!" You typically only have one chance in your lifetime to speak those words.