Could this possibly be true? Well, I'll you let know.

Last Thursday, by many standards, was a pretty dark day for me.  It started in the morning when I received an email from one of my two big clients. It said in very nice, but firm terms, that they had to limit my work to approximately 40% of what it previously was.  No real problem I said to myself -- I've  been working too much anyways.

And then the second shoe dropped.  My other major client, a non-profit, called and said that histheir funding had been cut.  I asked, "By how much?"  And he replied,  "All of it."

Am I doomed by my circumstance? Will I lose my house? Will I still be able to send my daughter to her beloved karate lessons?

Surprisingly, at least to me, was that these were questions that I would have not only asked but would have obsessed over in the past, but today, I did do not.

Maybe you, have been laid-off or had your hours reduced or feel like your job is as a dead-end. Here's what is helping me through this time.

Faith.  I have faith in God. Others may have faith in a Higher Power, a Supreme Being, Budda, Allah -- it doesn't matter: to me. Faith is a personal choice. The important thing for me is that I quiet myself and that I become in touch with that quiet still voice within. I find this when I'm by myself, when I'm in church, when I'm looking at nature's wonders. Really, I try to find this spirituality in everything that I do.

A belief that material things are not as important as they once were. I own a lot of "things". Some of them my wife would call "toys". For instance, last year I got an amazing deal on a 1981 Yamaha 850 Special, a mid-sized motorcycle motorcycle, and a real classic.  $150. Runs great, really. But honestly, if I had to sell this and many other things I’d would be ok with it. The important things in life are my family, my faith, my friends, people who I help, and my writing. I do love my house, and I even built the custom kitchen cabinets in it, but could I leave it? I could. -- there's just so much more to life.

Confidence. I have always worked hard and learned hard. I spend a good amount of time each day just learning something new. If you are in a similar situation or if you think that this might happen somewhere down the road start learning new skills now -- it will keep your mind sharp and give you an edge up.

Attitude. One of the worst things to do in a situation like this is to have a woe-is-me attitude. I believe that life is a journey and that there are many vistas to see and valleys to traverse.  It's not all roses but there are lessons and opportunities in each season.

Make change quickly.  For most of us, change is difficult and we tend to drag our feet. I realize that through these times I need to be decisive and make decisions thoughtfully but quickly.

People.  It is people that make my world go round. I try to surround myself with productive, kind, forward-looking people. I tend to minimize the number of people around me where personal politics and DRAMA are their mainstay. 

Ok, so why do I expect seven doors to open? It's really just a good guess.

Here’s what has happened in my life since my the "bad news" came:

1. I begin began Tai Chi classes last night. Tai Chi may be the sofest of the martial arts and the calming effect is astounding. For me this brings clarity and a sense of well-being.

2. Yesterday, I received an email with employment, albeit small, opportunities.

3. I created an idea for a new major website/blog idea and shared it with potential partners with very favorable results. Today we are refining the idea and continuing discussions on the vision of the site along with a statement of principles.

Maybe, it's not such bad news after all. And those four other doors? I'll can't wait to let you know what's behind them.