Like all of nature, we are in never-ending cycles of growth, blooming, fullness, fading and dying. So many people in job search are coming off a DE-struction experience in their working lives. It could be job loss, mistreatment, disenchantment, simply having outgrown an environment or team, or a million other reasons.
No one gets through an exciting transformation-and-rebirth career experience without going through some messy stuff and healing from it. That’s what this unconventional job search advice is all about.
Job search can feel like a lonely swim
Here’s what a job search can feel like: you’re standing on the shore. The water stretches out before you. In the distance you think you see an island. Your destination.
You know you have completed your time on this shore. You are ready to be on that island.
There is no boat here. You will be swimming. You may stand a long time on that before shore wading in – mulling over the perils of the journey.
You anticipate a fast focused swim, but you know too there might be flailing. Probably will be flailing.
You are simultaneously hopeful, exhilarated and terrified.
Diving into that water depleted, on the heals of destruction, without doing the healing work to support the journey ahead? It makes things more difficult. That’s why we heal first.
When we heal, we create the foundation for a glorious rebirth.
Healing from destruction
Lately people have been finding me deep in their destruction phase. They’re sprint-stumbling out of the ring, enough is enough, and they see me there with a water bottle and a towel. Safety and warmth.
“Work life” is full of universal humanness, glory and hardship. From proudly accomplishing massive feats in togetherness and winning respect and accolades; to being belittled publicly in a meeting by a “manager” behaving more like a sociopath; or terrorized by an interviewer.
I’ve heard some horrific stories. All the bullies from the school yard have jobs now. And guess what? Many are still behaving badly.
Many of my readers have an empathic nature. Which comes with incredible gifts, but also challenges. It takes tremendous skill, discipline and stamina to block other people’s toxic energy from affecting an empath’s complex, interconnected inner world.
And sometimes it’s our own gremlins in the ring with us. Holding us back, holding us down.
So what do we do? We name, we understand, we clear, we minimize, we release – all that negativity. Whatever the source. This is pain management. This is healing. This work makes the swim so much easier.
Welcoming your new job as your rebirth
Let’s take a moment and talk about birth. Wouldn’t be the first time on this blog.
To describe birth as messy and painful would be a significant understatement (if you know, you know). I’ll venture a different description: a physical separation of self from self, to sacrifice what has been in favour of creation and newness.
Let’s put RE-birth in the same category. Requiring separation. Requiring creation. Requiring newness. If you are weary, if you are discouraged, separate yourself from What Was. Through Healing. Allow space to Create Newness.
Here are five ideas to try as you you come out of destruction and healing, and welcome rebirth:
- Know that when it comes to your job search, your energy is your greatest weapon. Manage your energy, and use your experience and inner wisdom to read and connect and intuit what you need to bring forth.
- Visualize your rebirth in its best possible iteration. Speak to real humans about your rebirth plans. Do whatever you need to do to make your rebirth real.
- De-regulate your effort by using a sprint-training approach. Take breaks (!!). After breaks, double or triple the actions you’re taking.
- Creating newness involves experimenting, doing things differently, and usually failing a bunch. Be OK with failure
- Practice trust. Practice trust. Practice trust. Practice trust. Practice trust. Practice trust. Practice trust. Practice trust. Practice trust. Practice trust. Practice trust. Practice trust. Practice trust.
If you’re in job search right now, your timing is perfect. Registration for Personal Brand Camp is OPEN (until Sunday July 19). Check out Personal Brand Camp HERE.