Just three weeks prior to Decision Day, I hosted a vision board party and I made a board that featured images of change, entrepreneurship, deep conversations, trusting my gut, living my fantasy, finding serenity and inner faith.
At the moment when I got word of the reorganization, my ideal life seemed to exist in a galaxy far, far away. So, I set up a plan of action. First I gave myself time to mourn the loss of co-workers and that chapter of my life. Next, I traveled for a month visiting friends and family, and to do that I gave myself permission to tap into SWAN, my Sleep Well at Night account with all the money
I had saved taking staycations, packing my lunch, and hosting potluck brunches with friends instead of eating out. (My financial advisor coined the term and calls it the “working woman’s bag lady fund.” My mother told me to always have the money to walk away, so that you know you are staying because you want to be there.)
Then, eventually, I faced reality: My future.
When that time came, I didn’t allow fear to appear. Fear is a barrier to greatness. Instead I made the conscious choice to look at my destiny with wonderment.
But first I had to figure out what I was made of.
A beloved former colleague nicknamed me, Mayweather, after the championship boxer. She said Mayweather’s opponents typically lost because they underestimated him and never acknowledged he was the best at his craft. I embraced the nickname once again, telling myself I’m a champion and every day I needed to wake up thinking champions win because they focus on the goal. My goal, I determined, was to embrace my community, reflect upon learnings, and stand firmly in each moment.
