How Creating a Self-Love Resume Helped After Being Fired and Why Everyone Needs One

I was fired from my job this week, and just like that, I felt like my whole world was crashing down. Feelings of shame, regret and disappointment washed over me. In an instant, I was drowning in my insecurities. I had a pre-planned lunch with a co-worker and friend with whom I kept an appointment, where she propped me up with love and support. A few texts later, and in a matter of minutes, we were joined by several other co-workers who came to offer encouragement and bid me farewell.

It was a wonder how, when I felt completely unsure of myself, these people saw in me what I could not see in myself. And although my mind anxiously focused on looking for new employment, I knew I also needed to repair the emotional damage that I was struggling with due to this career blow. I recalled from the self-help book titled Magic (v.) an exercise in creating a self-love resume as a means to acknowledge the things we admire about ourselves and the accomplishments we are proud of. I decided it’s time to put this exercise into practice, and here’s why.

We forget our strengths 

When faced with failure, it’s easy to focus on the negative and go down the rabbit hole of analyzing the exact moment of where it all went wrong. It’s easy to give into self-loathing and deny the many talents we have accumulated throughout life. Sometimes, we just need to remind ourselves of what makes us strong, unique and magical! Building a self-love resume does precisely that. The practice of self-reflection allowed me to identify my admirable qualities, talents and strengths, placing me in a more confident state. Moreover, I am grateful to have my self-love resume to reference during the rocky road ahead.

We lose focus

We become complacent. We forget our goals. We grow comfortable and accept a life of mediocrity as though we are only worth the present and not our future. We fail to challenge ourselves, caging ourselves into a stagnant situation instead of forcing ourselves to seek out what we are truly worthy of.

I knew in my heart that I didn’t want to stay at my former job. I was overcome by stress doing work that was not fulfilling all while being held under the thumb of poor management. Yet, I created excuses to stay because my self-love was not steady. Creating my self-love resume allowed me to put my goals back into focus and reminded me of what I truly have to offer.

We forget that we are worthy of love

The hardest thing about getting fired was telling my husband and my family members. I didn’t want them to feel disappointed in me or think that I had a deficit that caused this negative outcome. When I broke the news, the reaction was overwhelming support and encouragement. I realized that I was the one who had feelings of disappointment in myself, and in order to bounce back, I needed to rid them from my heart and mind. I couldn’t reconcile the amount of support that I had from my friends and family with my feelings of inadequacy until I put to paper my self-love resume. After listing taking personal inventory of my accomplishments, I took time to absorb the positive messages from my family and friends and open myself up to believing them, treating them as shining recommendations to add to my self-love resume.

Although I am still in the process of healing from my personal setback, the exercise of creating a self-love resume has already helped me rebuild some of the crumbling infrastructure that makes up my person. If you are going through a similar situation or need a general boost of confidence, start with your own self-love resume and use it as a tool.