I Am Not My Job: What a Layoff Taught Me About Self-Worth
I didn’t see it coming…
In 2020, I was laid off just days before New York City enforced shelter-in-place orders because of COVID-19. There was no way to know if I’d ever get my job back.
I was on PTO that day–a mental health day that I had planned weeks before. Actually, I had been out all week with what was most likely COVID but there were no tests that early. I’m also pretty sure I caught it at an event I went to the last week of February. Or maybe in the waiting room for a routine doctor’s appointment that same week. But I digress.
Why Overthinking Keeps You Stuck
Years ago, I was in a job I knew wasn’t aligned with me. The culture was... interesting.
I learned early that it was the kind of place where the loudest people got the shine. Not the people doing meaningful work. Not the folks thinking critically. Just the ones talking the most—even if what they said wasn’t valuable.
Still, I stayed.