All I wanted was a few days of rest and relaxation, sitting by the pool with a good book and the warm sun on my face. And then, it rained…and rained, and rained, until the day we were leaving Maine. But, instead of spending the whole time grumbling and cursing at Mother Nature, I decided that I could still find the rest and relaxation I was looking for, I just had to try a little harder. So…I let go. I dismissed all of the stressful thoughts from my mind. I tried my best not to think of wedding guest lists, job search boards, or family drama. Instead, I enjoyed quality time with my mom, and realized how lucky I am to have such a great relationship with her. If not for being unemployed, I probably wouldn’t have been able to go on this trip at all. I reminded myself that every cloud has a silver lining somewhere, even the darkest rain clouds.
While I was away, I got my third “you’re great, but we’ve chosen someone else” phone call. It sucked, although I kind of anticipated this one more than the others. I got off the phone, gave myself a little time to be sad, and let it go. Of course it’s not easy being back at square one after some promising interviews, but I did my best, and the rest was out of my control. I know there’s something out there for me, and when I finally find it, all of this will be worth it. I can’t dwell on what could have been; I have to just keep on trying. Holding on and dwelling, wishing and wondering, will only hamper the rest of my job search. Remember that you can’t always control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it.
This Sunday is my 25th birthday. Holy moly, that’s a quarter of a century! Every year, when my birthday rolls around, I take the opportunity to look back at the year that’s passed, and look forward to the year to come. My 24th year was certainly an interesting one, full of happy and sad times, challenges and accomplishments. Here I am, looking 25 in the face, and I have to say, I’ve got it pretty good. I’m engaged to the love of my life. The people I love and care about are, for the most part, healthy and happy. I have the most amazing friends and family in the world. True, I’m unemployed, and that’s not always fun. But, I know in my heart that this happened for a reason, and I will be in a better place whenever the dust decides to settle.
I don’t know where life will take me in my 25th year, but I’m excited to find out. I’m keeping my options open and my expectations realistic, and I’m taking all of the lessons I learned in the past year with me. I’m letting go of the negativity, and focusing on the possibilities that lie ahead. I don’t think I’ve mastered the art of letting go quite yet, but I’ve realized just how important it is to living the best life possible.
