Adventures In Downsizing (Yeah Write Moonshine 146)

When you land a job, it can be one of the greatest feelings you will ever experience, especially if it is something you have been in school or trained for over several years. The feeling of accomplishment is something to cherish. But as with many things in life it is the adversity that teaches you the most. While there are all flavors of adversity, none is quite like that of the loss of this job.

I was a decade into my job when the climate began to change and whispers came that their could be a significant downsizing. I had experience with the event before, the previous time when a government contract expired. But this time it was due to different factors. I can still remember the conversation I had with my boss, who was as much my friend, where he told me my time was up. We were in my office and his expression told me he really dreaded forming the words to tell me.

I credit my Christian faith with the reaction I felt inside. There was no immediate dread, no fear, no feeling of anger. I knew Brad was only doing his job, so no resentment was aimed toward him. No, this was simply the embodiment of the threat which had been talked about for months before. The reality was that many others received the same words during that time. I would not be the only one departing the workforce at my location.

For my wife the impact was more significant. She is also a Christian, but she felt different concerns. We had two children, one dealing with the effects of Epilepsy. Our insurance was going to change, and we had no idea what that would mean about our choices for doctors. That was a big deal as our four year old daughter was just getting used to her neurologist and the last thing we wanted was to change.

The greatest concern, however was the loss of income. Somehow that had to be countered with another source. During this time I prayed and talked over the situation with my wife and eventually settled on starting a home business. Within a couple of months I had my greenhouse business up and running. My love of flowers, vegetables and gardening made this choice a perfect fit. But there was a steep learning curve and I had to immerse myself in the process.

I knew this would prove to be one of the most challenging times in my life. It would prove to me that i could handle adversity, overcome and thrive. I did thrive, learning as much as I could about my new profession. I made friends with others successful in the field, using their experience to lessen my learning curve.

I learned to rely on God and to believe he would help me bridge the gap when necessary. He was true to that belief and gave me opportunities to thrive and grow not only in my faith, but in my business success. In turn I shared this with others, which pays dividends to this day. Each time a challenge comes to you in life you can either grow from it or shrink away. The growth is the better, if not more challenging choice. But the more times you chose to grow the easier it is to repeat at the sight of another hurdle.

Eventually a new employment opportunity, one utilizing my college degree gave me the chance to move on. I still have a small greenhouse I use and enjoy this as a hobby instead of a job.