Kelly’s Korner: Zen and the Art of Motorcycling (Through A Layoff)
Last Updated: December 1st, 2020
I saw the layoff coming. I just didn’t think it would happen the day after my 12-year anniversary at the company, and I didn’t anticipate so many other people losing their jobs, too.
Ah, Corporate America, with its pre-holidays downsizing. I could have chosen to dwell in shock and fear and use the unexpected time off to binge on Netflix. But no. I was up at six the next morning, networking my booty off, and starting my long-simmering book. Exactly one week after the layoff, I landed the position I wanted. Then my husband and I used the severance check to get us a big step closer to our goal of moving to Chandler from our out-of-the-way suburb. Now we’re preparing the house for a sale as I wait to start the new job.
My point? This turn of events has proven an absolute sign from the universe that I was ready for growth, and that I can help propel that momentum by re-examining and resetting my priorities. Including riding more. I didn’t realize how much I had let riding slide down my priority list.
And thanks to the layoff, ridden more I have. Almost the only time I felt calm during that first jobless week came while on the bike – so I rode a helluva lot. Fueled by Cartel coffee and a strange sense of excitement about the unknown, I found that meditation and intuition flowed as I zipped around the Valley. That level of introspection doesn’t happen for me in a car unless it’s a long trip; yet, riding gives me almost immediate access to that sixth sense that helps me figure out next steps.
The experience felt uncanny – I’d sit alone with my thoughts, yet present on my Triumph, sifting through the noise of my life. Along the way, on various freeways and thoroughfares, I’d pinpoint specific areas where I’d lost sight of what I consider truly important. I’m making adjustments as a result and am grateful for the chance to do so. I’d begun to coast through certain parts of my life on auto-pilot. That’s no good.
I think I’ve racked up more miles since Oct. 15 than I have all year. Full-time telecommuting kept me home a lot, obviously, but I didn’t register how much it was keeping me off the bike. That will change with commuting in my life once again. In the meantime, I’ve further realized the extent to which I need to beef up those all-important basic skills. My swerving and hard stops need work. I’m lucky, though, to have the right tools at my disposal, along with the willingness and desire to use them.
Sometimes the universe frees us from ourselves by removing something we thought we needed to survive. This layoff revealed many truths to me: how I was holding myself hostage to a job I loved but had outgrown; to the idea that I had to work from home; to some peoples’ very wrong perceptions about my capabilities; to the “need” for some luxuries to which I had become accustomed; to my own fear of change.
No more limitations. You can count on that. So, thank you, Company X, for the 12 years and the lessons learned. What’s next will be even better, including more riding time to reflect on it all.
In what ways has your life changed without your permission, and how did you rely on riding to help guide you through the shift? As always, I’d love to hear from you; send me an email at kellyteal13@gmail.com.
For the Entire TEAM Arizona Newsletter Content, CLICK HERE
