After the billboard, a big new challenge and a way to expand my future.
I found a new ladder to climb.
The corporate one.
Safety Director. IT Director. Director of Communications. Fifteen years, all the way up.
Big title. Big budget. Thirty acres on the Olympic Peninsula — llamas, horses, chickens, a lavender farm. Living the dream.
Except I wasn’t.
I was exhausted. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually capped out. Limited sleep, endless pressure, antidepressants.
I’ll be honest with you, because fierce reality is all I’ve got:
I was in the darkest place of my life. I didn’t see a way out.
The life I had worked so hard for was a lie. The dream had become a nightmare.
I felt trapped — until the decision was made for me.
Mergers and acquisitions. The company sold. Fifteen years, gone overnight.
I was a corporate orphan.
And here’s the part that still surprises me: alongside the panic… was relief.
The weight lifted almost overnight. For the first time in years, I was excited — about redefining my life on my own terms.
Getting laid off was the blessing wearing the best disguise I’ve ever seen.
Here’s what that season taught me:
You never really know what’s good news and what’s bad news. Not at first.
And you don’t need to see the whole staircase. You only need one step.
What’s the nextstep? Next.
Kindness is cool, smiles are free.
Russ
P.S. If you’re in a dark season right now — you’re not alone, and it’s not weakness to reach for help. The way out exists. I’m proof. The only way out is through.
0 comments