I am sure that you had some type of picture in your head of what your life would be like at this point in your life. Maybe you are a new college grad, and thought that you would have landed your dream job by now. Or maybe you are in your 50s and thinking that you would have been sailing into the later years of your career with much success. Maybe you have a spouse and kids at home who you are worried about disappointing. Whatever your situation, I am guessing that being unemployed or underemployed was not part of that picture. It certainly wasn’t in the picture that I had for myself.

But, don’t let that picture of what you had thought of where you were supposed to be at this point in your life keep you trapped. The toughest days for me are when I try to compare myself to where I am now compared to what I was “supposed” to have in my life. Let go of the expectations of where you thought you would be, or what you would have at this point in your life. Those expectations serve no purpose in your life. Find acceptance within yourself of where you are in life, and figure out your path forward. I can’t remember where I read it, but someone had suggested rather than asking “why me?”, ask “why not me?”.

I don’t know how to describe it, but at some point in your journey of unemployment or underemployment, you’ll reach what I like to call the “crossover point”. It will happen at different times for different people. It is the point at which you know that you are going to be ok, you start to see the benefits of this time, and you find within yourself the action that you need to take to get yourself on a path forward.

The inkling of my “crossover point” started a couple of months ago when I was having dinner with a close friend. She took me out for my birthday dinner, a tradition we have done for each other for many years. At dinner, I was talking about how much the job market had changed and how many smart and talented people were on the sidelines. I lamented the cumbersome job application process, and the trend toward more contract and temporary work. I was passionate about how many people are hurting right now and the fact that the media and the politicians seem to have moved on. As good friends do, she challenged me, and asked me, “yeah, but what are you going to do about it?”. This is what I am doing about it. I am writing this blog to help others, and to help myself navigate this path. I am hopeful that we can create something for ourselves, out of seemingly nothing.

If you haven’t reached your “crossover point” yet, don’t worry. It will come. You may be moved to start your own business, or maybe you’ll be inspired to move across the country. You may decide to go back to school, or maybe you’ll just get more brave about marketing yourself to potential employers. Maybe you’ll start writing, or pursue a new career path. When you get to the “crossover point”, you’ll be inspired to take action. What is exciting is that it may lead you down a path that you didn’t even know was possible. Be patient. You’ll get there and there are exciting things ahead for you.