Has your confidence ever been shaken to the core? Have you ever gone through a challenge so great that you doubted yourself and stopped believing in your own self-worth?
I know I have, and it’s a scary place to be. As I look at my life now, it’s hard to believe that my confidence was shattered, but there’s no doubt that seven years ago my life totally fell apart. And it all happened so quickly. One day I was in a loving 15 year relationship, owned a successful business and lived in a beautiful home. Then the next day – PUFF! It was all gone. And I never saw it coming. The 2008 recession swallowed my business, all my finances and I found myself sitting in a bankruptcy office. How did I get here? What was I going to do next?
So how did you survive your life challenge? Whether you lost your job, lost someone you love, or lost your home, how did you get up the next morning and put one foot in front of the other?
One HUGE thing that helped me was my friends. Never questioning me or judging me, they were just there. One helped me pack my boxes to move, another held my hand as I looked for a new place to live, and others invited me to dinner and just let me ramble about my heartache.
Above all, they made me believe that I wasn’t alone. And in the end, it has made me a better friend to others. Now when someone calls me with a problem, I just listen. Although I may be tempted, I don’t offer advice, and I certainly don’t interject my own stories of “you should hear what happened to me.”
I think that’s what I’m most grateful for – learning how to be a better friend to others. Learning to listen, tune in, and just BE there.
For me, this quote says it all: “Friendship isn’t about whom you have known the longest–It’s about those who came and never left your side.”Mikaela Tiu
Thanks to all my dear Friends who never left my side!
Categories: Personal Development Positive Attitude Professional Speaker
Tags: Confidence, Friendship, Gratitude, Job Loss
