It wasn’t just a layoff.

It was a release. A redirection. A quiet invitation to reconnect with what lights me up.

This post is about reigniting the spark.

Freedom.  
 
My tenure with an organization I worked for over the last 12 years came to an end this month. That’s right — I was released, made redundant, laid off, reduced. An all-too-familiar post these days. I was given ample warning and afforded time to set myself up for my next chapter. It’s during this time that I’ve had space to process and reflect on my evolution as a professional and a person.  
 
There have been moments of sadness, and to a lesser extent, anger. There’s been humility found in colleagues sharing their appreciation for our work together and what I meant to them on their journey. There’s also been an overwhelming sense of gratitude for what this organization has meant to me over the years — and why this exit ramp feels so fortuitously perfect.  
 
The reality is, I’ve been professionally misaligned for the last three years. What drives me and what the organization needed me to drive were not in sync. Along the way, I noticed I wasn’t showing up the way I once did. My unique spark was slowly starting to dim. My bold voice was becoming diminished, as was my attachment to the organization where my passion had once been fueled.  
 
Still, I did my job. I was a good teammate. I received strong, distinctive performance reviews. But I went to work each day, finding other components of my life where I could shine without constraints. I volunteered. I jumped headfirst into a nonprofit with my daughter — and I felt the spark again. I felt useful again.  
 
While it wasn’t going to be a sustainable solution, at the time I weighed the value of a consistent paycheck greater than the pursuit of finding my spark professionally. Would I do it the same way again? I’m not sure. Time will undoubtedly help me in answering that question.  
 
For my last official day as an employee, my two teenagers arrived home from school with Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” blasting from a cellphone. They presented me with a cake they had bought and decorated themselves with #freedom.  
 
There’s no mistake — they are my children.  
 
And my spark? It never went away. It simply found other avenues to illuminate.  
 
Now, I am excited to reignite that spark and shine bright in my professional arena. More to come!  
 
Here’s to being released. Redundant, I am not. Conforming no more — and being myself — is #freedom.  
 
Let’s have some cake!