Dissection

Today, I would like to talk about dissection.

No, no... I am not talking about the medical dissection of a body. Although, it is highly fascinating. If I could go back in time, I would go to medical school. I think the body is amazing on how it works and it heals on its own.

Anyway, I am referring to the dissection of a situation.

Last time I mentioned that we need to keep up our chin because life is still worth while. We need to smile in spite of our heartaches...

How is it possible? Well, first and foremost, rely on Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus the Christ.

Second, dissect the situation. Shred it to pieces and once it is cut to bits, analyze each part and make an effort to find one positive thing about each part of that situation.

I am not trying to make light of a hardship, but I am trying to help you find the rainbow in the storm. The rainbow is there, we just cannot see it because of the clouds. We need to part those clouds to appreciate the beauty of the rainbow.

Let's see if I can come up with an example. I know that my example will probably not even come close to your experience, but, perhaps, it will start you in the right direction.

Last year, I was told that my services were no longer needed. They were reducing the work force and, being one of the last ones hired, I received the pink slip.

It was not fun. I was a single parent and the sole provider. What to do?

What did I do?

I dissected my situation:

1. lost my job
2. bills needed to be paid
3. my resume' was not up to date
4. I hated, and still do, interviews
5. I needed to go buy interview clothes

Then I looked at whatever good parts I could find for each section:

1. because of the type of layoff, I qualified for unemployment as I looked for another job. Because my children were grown, I could now look for any type of job schedule, I was no longer tied to the "school day" kind of schedule. That was a rainbow in the storm.

2. unemployment helped pay for the bills I had. I did have to make sacrifices, but, at least, lights could still come on at home. Also, because I had no extra money, I picked up cooking again. The healthier meals were a rainbow in the storm.

3. I never liked writing resumes. Trying to remember dates and places and job descriptions. Besides, there is always so much more you do on the job than what fits on one page. The rainbow here? I had to stretch this a bit, but I got to learn the new types of resumes that employers like.

4. Interviews are awful! What might work with one employer, might not work with another. And each employer has a different set of questions, so when you think you have a perfect answer, that question is no longer asked! My rainbow: I got to meet new people and learn about a whole new battery of questions!

5. Clothes... I am not one to follow trends. If I like something, I buy it and wear it.
The problem with job interviews is that you need to dress professionally, even if you will end up wearing jeans because of the job. I did not, and still do not, have any money to buy something new so I looked around my local Goodwill for some good finds.... those finds eluded me. I left empty handed. My final rainbow was that I took another look at my wardrobe and decided that I had simple but still good items that, correctly paired up, could still give a professional look.

Accentuate the positive. There is always a positive to every situation.

You may need to dig deep, but it is there. Take time to mourn your situation and then dissect it. Write it down, share it with someone who cares; share it with me, if you feel you don't have anyone close you can trust. I care.