☀️ Why It's Okay To Be Unemployed

When I got let go from my job back in May 2020, my dreams were shattered.

I hated how crappy it made me feel.

Hated how lost I was.
Hated how worthless I felt.
Hated how I had to start over.

Basing my self-worth and confidence on the salary and status of the job title was no longer an option.

I was raised to always keep looking for the next job. Staying unemployed always felt like it was an irresponsible thing to do and that I was going to be left behind.

I was also afraid of being judged. Being labeled as lazy.

But because of the forced isolation and silence of the pandemic, I paused. And in pausing I started to think, to listen to my inner thoughts, to ask questions, and slowly I started exploring new frontiers of my mind and my potential.

I spent hours upon hours educating myself about no-code and started building and launching all kinds of experiments, which led me to make my first internet dollars.

I picked up reading again, started meditating, and began to open my heart and mind up to all my thoughts and emotions. It even led me to write a 14-page letter to my dad about anger.

I started coaching others on building and launching digital products and businesses. My first coaching client even wrote me a handwritten thank you letter that I still keep pinned next to my desk.

Ever since I graduated, I've avoided unemployment like a plague, but I would have never imagined that unemployment could be one of my biggest teachers.

These are the 3 big lessons I've learned from unemployment:

1. The difference between being vs. doing

One of the biggest traps of living in a post-industrial or capitalistic society is that the world rewards doing.

The better you are at doing your job, providing value, or making money, the more rewarded or respected you are.

I learned that I have spent the majority of my life doing rather than being.

Because of what my parents, school, and later of my jobs demanded of me, I prided myself as a doer. But when I stopped, it felt like I didn't know how to live anymore.

That was the push for me to learn to be. Through practicing mindfulness, I slowly learned to just be.

And in being, I learned that I am enough and deserve to be loved just the way I am, not because of the things I do.

2. The importance of slowing down

I learned that you need to slow down to go faster and farther. It's a paradoxical truth that bears repeating.

I've spent so many late nights, travels, and even weekends bent over my laptop with bad posture working, all because I wanted to do well.

And in doing well, I could be seen as valuable to the team and company. That means that the velocity of my trajectory of rising to be a VP or even a Chief of Product one day can be faster.

But when I lost the job, not only was that plan completely derailed, but I realized that I had not been taking care of my mind and body.

I had put on a lot of weight and I started noticing a chronic back pain that wouldn't go away.

And where there was no longer work to occupy my mind, I noticed how it was always anxious, impatient, and restless.

It made me realize that life is a marathon, and if want to run farther, I have to prioritize self-care, practice doing things more slowly and intentionally, and utilize all the tools I can get my hands on to avoid burnout.

Since then, I have learned to be less attached to outcomes and to have stronger mental fitness when it comes to dealing with the uncertainties in life.

3. The pivot to entrepreneurship

After I stopped doing, started being, and learned to slow down, I started to realize just how much space, time, and even safety I had.

At first, I was bored out of my mind. I had so much time on my hands that I didn't even know what to do with it.

But slowly I realize it's also the first time I am the most attuned to my thoughts and emotions.

I used the opportunity to journal and reflect on my thoughts, goals, ideas, and aspirations. I focused on the things I wanted because I wanted them and not because it's defined by a "should" from someone else.

For the first time, I could hear the whispers and understood what Oprah meant when she often said "Your life speaks to you in whispers."

It’s not like in the movies where a lightbulb would suddenly go off in my head, but I was able to understand where life was nudging me and I followed.

It led me to be a coach, which was odd because, at that time, I didn’t know what it was or knew anyone around me who was one or had worked with one before.

But it ended up being the most fulfilling entrepreneurial path I could ever have imagined. And even today I still feel myself being nudged forward to expand into my potential.

If you are someone who has recently been laid off or is currently unemployed, just know that I see you. I’ve been in your shoes and I know how difficult it can be.

Always remember that the negative emotions you are experiencing will pass. This experience can be your biggest teacher if you allow it. And only you will know best what you should do next.

If you ever need an extra daily dose of positivity sent to your phone via SMS, check out Positext. Best of luck! ❤️

👀 Come to My Senses

Every week, I round up all sorts of interesting things that I found on the internet that engaged with each of my five senses (sight, smell, touch, sound, taste). Enjoy!

• This "show" In & Of Itself on Hulu is the best thing I've seen in a long long time. If you are feeling disconnected from the world and with humanity, give this a watch! I promise you won’t regret it.

• Go down the rabbit hole with me on this Reddit thread answering the question: "What's the worst smell you've ever smelled?"

• This year I'm committed to improving my handwriting. For some reason, while doing research for tips on it, my brain took me to researching Da Vinci's notebook 🤷🏻‍♂️

• I love listening to these raw and vulnerable voice-mails from random strangers on the internet

• I've been drinking matcha instead of coffee since last year because it gives me a "cleaner" caffeine high. Give it a try!

☀️ How can I help you?

If you are interested in working more closely with me, here are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Apply for a free 1-hour coaching call with me to get personalized guidance on building digital products, without using a line of code. I help aspiring and non-technical founders build and launch their digital products and businesses in 90 days 💡🚀

2. I am currently offering 30 minutes of FREE coaching for 5 aspiring entrepreneurs who want to ditch fear and doubt to start their businesses. Schedule a call here .

2. If you have a business you want to promote, feel free to reply to this email or DM me on Twitter.

And that's it for now! ✨

Thank you for reading this edition all the way to the end. I appreciate you 🙏

Did you like this post? It would mean THE WORLD to me if you could share this on your socials and tag me at @atsaotsao. Thanks again!

Hope to see you in the next issue!