Today, I am reminded of my gratitude for the employees I see every day.
This was always me throughout my entire life. I was always the server. During these years, it felt like a vacuum because all of the energy I needed to dream went into my work. Building relationships with other employees at my job. And then, whatever life I could pay attention to outside of work. There was so little left for me to be able to see how to get out of that hole.
Everything changed for me when I was fired from my last job. It was an emotional day for me, with me feeling absolutely devastated as she did so. I remember walking out of that restaurant, feeling a mixture of anger, defeat and resolve.
But I had just a little different of a perspective after this time. I had been fired from so many jobs before and, when I was, I would feel like a victim, mope around and then go out and get another job doing the same thing. Rinse and repeat. 8 years of my life disappeared doing this, as I was addicted to the comfort and routine of what I was doing. But, seeing I had started this last job, I had started to really fall in love with photography. So, when I was let go, I walked home and wrote myself a note that said ‘No woe is me. The time is now. Make photography your life.’
Maybe it was symbolic. Maybe it was manifesting. I don’t know. I don’t really believe in a lot of that.
All I do know is I felt like I couldn’t turn back once I said this. I didn’t have enough money or comfort to fuck around so it was all in or die trying. And I truly never did look back. Since then, 5 years has passed and I can say with all honesty, I don’t know where all this money and comfort came from - But I do know it all came from my imagination. Most of this was from weddings, something I had ZERO clue how to do and was absolutely terrified, but I had thrown myself into training first and so I felt it was worth taking the risk. From that fear and understanding that I couldn’t fuck up, everything came together.
So, the next time you are fired, see it as only an opportunity. Do not see yourself as a victim in it. There can be no progress in that and the world really has no sympathy for those that do not try with everything they’ve got. We all need to be inspired by those that have overcome challenges to prove that it is possible. In seeing just one person do this, it can inspire hundreds of others to do the same.