I heard from a friend of mine yesterday. Barb is a woman I know from a volunteer organization I used to be involved in and she used to work for. You know the type, confident and capable. The “go-to” gal. We both left a few years ago. I loved the cause, but didn’t trust the good stewardship of the board and she was let go. Pushed out for a younger woman (I think). She struggled to find a new job. Her Mom was sick at the time and she was balancing the care of an aging parent with the humiliation of being un-employed and dwindling savings. We stayed in touch as much as we could; this was before the floodgates opened and it was cool for old people like us to be on Facebook.

In April, I ran into Barb at an open house for ; an exciting newcomer on the Chicago social entrepreneurial business scene. We hung out together, and maybe even stuck out together, among the young business professionals who were there to network. I was thrilled to hear that she was working again at a social services agency. “It’s not a good fit” she said. “I’m keeping my eyes open.” And so we exchanged cards and this time we Friended and LinkedIn. “Sign-up for my Daily ePrayable.” I strongly suggested “It’s just getting started and I need subscribers.” And she did.

My husband David is a ‘Big Brother” to a great kid who is one of four boys with a very hard-working single Mom. We all went to for dinner and enjoyed some adult conversation while the boys were busy eating the three-course special. We talked about the kids, how hard it was for her to meet someone, and we talked about her job. Her position is scheduled to be eliminated sometime this year and her boss suggested she interview for a new job within the company. The interview went well, she was hopeful. But she didn’t get the job. She’ll try again.

I came back home and had an email from Barb. She thanked me for the Daily ePrayable: Measure of Success. She said she kept it, because it helped her to think more positively. She had been laid-off, again. Even though she didn’t like her job, it wasn’t O.K. to lose it.

And so it goes. New jobs, old jobs, no job. We all look to have jobs that fulfill us, jobs that sustain us and jobs that enable us to make a better life.

Help me to recalibrate
so that I don't live by everyone else's rules:
It's impossible to achieve success later in life.
You're a woman in a man's world.
Change is something to be feared.

Help me to regroup so that
those who populate my world
are kindred spirits with the best intentions.

Help me to refocus
so that I remember who I am
and whose I am.

If You are with me,
there is nothing else to prove.