Written by: Vicki Ravangard, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Have you ever wondered what you would do if your job was taken away from you tomorrow? Who would you be without it? How would you define your self-worth?
These are all of the questions I found myself asking back in April when I was furloughed. I am into my seventh month of the furlough scheme and as I prepare to go back to work in November, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on everything that this period has taught me and offer a new perspective on how to look at our relationship with our careers.
When I first heard the news about being placed on furlough, I had very mixed emotions. This is the first time since I started working at the age of 16 that I would be out of work, and I’m sure many of you found yourselves in a similar position. I was filled with uncertainty and confusion - part of me was grateful for the time off I was gifted, but another part of me wanted to continue working and do what I could to help.
As the months went on and with time on my hands, I spent a lot of time discovering who I was. I invested heavily in the personal development world, working with excellent coaches & mentors, and even birthed my own spiritual coaching business into the world. The veil started to lift between me and my job, which led to a minor identity crisis. I started to realize that I had been hiding behind my work for all these years and gradually, over time, as I spent so long trying to be the perfect employee, I lost touch with who I really was.
I had placed so much of my self-worth to my job that I didn’t know who I was without it and when it was no longer there for me to fall back on, I felt completely lost. I had attached energetic cords to my work that I would feed from – a bit like a baby in the womb feeding from an umbilical cord! This cord was breathing life into me. When things were great, I felt amazing but when things were bad, I felt awful.
Does this sound familiar?
These cords created an emotional dependency, and these aren’t just connected with our jobs. They can occur with anything outside of ourselves that we place importance and value on. Our way of seeking validation and worth through external sources gives us a temporary high but ultimately leaves us feeling empty and wanting more.
I never understood why I felt this constant inner battle between who I was and who I was expected to be in the workplace. Now, looking back, I don’t know if anyone ever expected me to be anything other than who I was, and perhaps it was my own perception of what I thought they wanted that led me to disconnect with myself.
As you find yourself in the discomfort of the void that your job once filled, ask yourself:
What am I left with?
What do I stand for?
Who Am I?
I hate to break it to you, but there was no fairy godmother or magic wand in my story.
I knew that if I wanted something to change, I was going to have to make the first move.
For me, that drive & determination came from a place of feeling so tired of being stuck in checkmate with myself and wondering why nothing was changing that I was no longer going to accept that for myself.
There are no secret strategies or manifestations and no amount of gratitude that will magically make your dreams come true. That simply is an illusion. It’s nice to believe that those are the things we need to get us to where we want to be, but how has it worked for you so far?
As soon as I decided that I was worth more, energetically, everything shifted. When I valued myself enough to invest in my personal growth and make myself a priority, I started to align with the true value of who I was and what I had to offer.
The real change comes from the deep inner work of discovering your self-worth, remembering who you truly are, healing your inner child and taming your wild Ego.
These are all things that you can choose to ACT upon right now by creating energetic boundaries and reclaiming your inner power. I am here to help the woman who is ready to take the bold step into her future, who is ready to commit to her soul journey, expand the vision for her next level & deepen her connection with self & spirit.
Speak your truth, lead the way, break the chains.
Follow me on my Instagram, Facebook, and visit both my Facebook-Group and page. You can also find more information on my website.
Vicki Ravangard, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
After 10 years of working my way up in my corporate career, I am a Part Qualified accountant who works as a Finance Analyst for a UK Airline. I am also a Spiritual Mindset Coach. So how did I go from corporate to coaching? My coaching business 'Take Her To The Moon' was born after embarking on my own spiritual mindset journey where I discovered the art of creating a life with intention and the power of conscious thinking, which positively influenced all areas of my life, including my corporate career. My Business focus is helping women who have lost their direction in life, to master their mindset & discover their soul purpose. I put my own unique spin on some of the greatest spiritual teachings and use these to help my clients experience greater success. I have a huge passion for Music & Travel, which is where I draw a lot of my inspiration from - and I am also a Disney lover!
