An Author's Biggest Fear

I don't know if you know this little tidbit, but after an author finishes a book, they are supposed to do something private and wonderful to celebrate the completion of a creation.

Steven King smokes an expensive cigar. I think I read that years ago. It was something like that.

And it supposed to be a very private moment.

Just you, yourself and a pile of pages that is now a book.

Your creation. Your baby. Your gift to the world.

Think of the words 'book release'. Well, nothing quite sums it up like those words.

Release - to give away to the world, to let go.

And risk being told that what you actually did was write a bunch of useless crap.

Only the very brave put their most intimate thoughts in words on paper for the world to see.

I rarely think what I write is great. Others tell me it is, but I always doubt it on some level.

They tell me all artists are critical of their work.

Maybe so.

After I finished Recession Proof Yourself! I realized that I had no ritual.

I don't drink.

I don't smoke.

This made me panic a bit, because I knew the book wouldn't be complete without some sort of ceremony to celebrate it's birthing process.

My husband was away so privacy wasn't an issue. I decided to take on a small art project as a ceremony and make a small collage about the book.

This was no easy task, let me tell you.

I am NOT artistic at all.

No, seriously, I'm not.

I can't even draw a stick figure. People confuse my stick figures for Chinese symbols because they don't look like people at all.

Standing at Michael's craft shop I felt like a total impostor. Surely, they would all know that I had no business being here since I was buying stickers and poster board.

I spent hours with glue, tacks and chicken wire to put it together, but when it was done, it was beautiful.

On gold paper, were quotes to remind me of the importance of what I was doing and how this was about others.

And it was to remind me to release it - let it go and let it fall where it may. Some will like it. Others will not.

One quote read: First say to yourself what would you be; and then do what you have to do.

Another read: The greatest use of a LIFE is to spend it on something that outlasts it.

That one always make me tear up because my own mortality hits home.

I had no children. No part of me to pass on.

I have no tribe.

I'm the cheese that stands alone.

Cancer reminds you that you don't get to live forever, and if I only had one last breath, this is what I would be honestly doing with my life - helping those in transition.

And I never get to quite forget my bout with cancer, because every six months I get another skin screen from the Good Doctor, who smiles every time he sees me.

We're pals.

We've been through a lot.

Me, him and his scalpel.

I silently pray that he is really looking at me when he does his examination.
I hope he never mistakes a freckle for a spot that grew and slowly rotted out my insides only to hear, "Sorry, Elizabeth. We didn't catch it. Your stage four."

But they can never take my words away, written on the pages.

I will have left something behind, much bigger than me.

I will have lived a life that mattered.

To someone.

To that someone who bought the book.

There was no cigar smoke that day, nor a thimble full of good scotch to toast.

Instead, a sign hangs in my bedroom, reminding me each morning to get the book out there, and do what I have to do.

A Shout Out to the Unemployed

The map hung across the room looking at me, without blinking.

I stared at it and whispered, 'Where are you?'

California is colored orange.
Michigan is colored pink.
Nevada is colored yellow.

All 50 states stood stony eyed, looking at me.

Waiting.

There are fourteen and a half million people in the US that are unemployed right now, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

This keeps me up at night.

I will find you.

Until there is no breath in my body, I will look for you.

Because I believe I can help.

It's not ego or vanity. I've just done this too many times. I've worked with hundreds of laid off workers, most of them professionals who needed a hand to get them from Point A to Point B.

What do I do?

I perform triage on the spirit when someone gets laid off. I'm there for you to emotionally throw up all over me. When you are done and feel better, we'll commence in the job search.

Don't get me wrong, I like it.

If you are there and listening, I need to let you know:

You have a right to be frustrated.
You have a right to be scared.
You have a right to feel despair, just don't pitch a tent there.

I will find you.

I am here.

My name is Elizabeth Lions.

I can help.

Laid off after 17 years of service

I've always been very grateful for all the wonderful people that I've met due to my line of work as a career coach. Much of what others have shared with me has been humbling.

To be trusted as such a deep level.

To have the privilege of listening to another.

To witness their power and their growth, knowing they don't share this stuff with anyone else.

Keeping their secrets.

Holding the space until they grow and move into the next job. Knowing they can do it when they are sure they cannot.

Some days it brings me to my knees and I'm overwhelmed by the human spirit.

But there is always that one client that sticks out in your mind.

I met him at a networking event where I was the key note speaker. He took a job as an intern, as a mechanical engineer. They offered him a full time job - and he took it.

And he held that one job for seventeen years.

Think about that.

I've known marriages that didn't last that long.

For 17 years he drove to the same building - every day.
He worked side by the side with the same people - every day.
And one day he came into work and they just laid him off.

I'll never forget how unflappable he was even though he was out of a job.

This man had no idea how to interview.

He didn't even know how to apply online. Why would he? He had never had to look for a job.

He vacillated between being extremely excited about his new options and overwhelmed.

I vowed to keep track of him long after our sessions exhausted just to ensure he had a safe landing.

Ok, let's face it - I just wanted the happy ending.

We spent the next six weeks getting his resume and cover letter ready and preparing him for his upcoming interviews. He hadn't interviewed since college and now at 40, he was a bit concerned about how he would do it. I encouraged him to network as much as possible to uncover possible job leads. He followed the system I outlined in a detailed manner. He was committed to my service outline and moving forward.

After nearly 4 months without work and few interviews, he emailed. I intuitively picked up his discouragement though the airwaves.

"Measure success differently." I told him. "Success doesn't mean getting the job. Sometimes it just means applying to several opportunities. Sometimes it's following up. Sometimes when it's really bad, success is just getting out of bed. Being discouraged and depressed is ok. Just don't pitch a tent there."

I do understand that it's tough out there. But do not forget who you really are and what you came here to do.

Never lose sight of that.

Applying to Jobs Online - No Response

When you are unemployed, life feels like:

Get online.
Look for jobs.
Apply into electronic cyberspace.
Repeat.
Hope this all ends soon.

It's very frustrating. And confusing. Why don't you hear back?

Well, you may not like this response, but it's the truth. This isn't about you, necessarily.

Think about it from the employer's perspective.

For example, a client of mine posted an ad for a Plant Manufacturing Engineer. She's in HR and got 600 resumes.

Yes, that's what I said.

600.

I asked her what she did. She said she hired an intern to go through all 600 and put them into piles to help her organize the candidates. Frankly, I thought it was really impressive that she did this since she sincerely didn't want to miss out on a good hire.

In two weeks she was down to 60 resumes.

Keep in mind there is one job, located in Oregon.

So, she won't even get to interviews for another two weeks.

Perhaps you applied yesterday.

Get it?

It's not fun at all, but hang in there. It's all a part of the process.

Do NOT give up!