I answered a question last week from a young women dealing with depression and looking for help getting back on her feet…and get a job.
Q. How do you pick up the pieces of your life? I am recovering from a period of depression. It was brought about my a combination of self-loathing, family issues, confusion with my university choices and a strong fear that I’d never ever be able to get a job.
I know the question of how to fix a life is too vague. So… I guess I want to ask how do you get a job if you’ve never gotten one and you’ve been rejected? – 20-something
Today I’m sharing one more answer from a inspiring women who hit rock-bottom in her twenties and then recaptured her dream of going to art school. She now has combined that with technology to start her own business. Another story that shows that it will get better. Growing up is just hard to do.
Dear 20-something,
Sometimes you have to push through the hard times in life. We’re not always sure why things happen at the time, but chances are one day you’ll be able to look back and understand why these things did happen. You’ll one day know what you learned from it.
Life experiences are something that are unique to each person, and what you do with them shapes the paths you choose later on in life. Growing up is the hardest thing people have to do in life. It challenges everything we know and (think we) want. If you ask any adult, chances are they wouldn’t take thousands of dollars to go back to being younger. It’s too tough.
In today’s world of virtual networking, you can create your own network from home. Along the way, ask people if there’s anything you can do to help them with their jobs. Maybe there’s an unpaid internship that you can take to help you grow your skills and your confidence. If you want to find a job around town, think about what makes you happiest. If you love animals, maybe you could work at a pet store where you’re able to be around all types of pets all day or maybe you could work as a dog groomer at a local vet office.
I took a job as a waitress while in high school and college because I like interacting with people. I’m not normally the type to be a server, but I ended up loving it. And it’s actually helped me in my career today, with my public speaking skills and comfort. If there’s something that you view as “fun” or “interesting” try to think about what you could do to be around it more and immerse yourself in it.
Sometimes it takes finding the strength deep down that you didn’t even know you had. Going through depression is one of the toughest things to do, but know that you are a strong and amazing person with a purpose. It might look dark some days, but hang in there. I’ve been on anti-depressants for years, and although everyday is it’s own day, they help keep me level in tough situations.
The more people you meet, the more you will learn about yourself and what makes YOU happy inside. It’s nothing you can learn in school or be taught, you will only know it once you experience it.
See if there’s some support online you can find, or join groups at meetup.com to find people in your area doing fun things. Get out there, put yourself on a pedestal, because life is short as it is, so you might as well take the reigns of your own life and steer it where YOU want to go!