Where and Why?

"I am sorry to say we are eliminating your position."  

Ten words you NEVER want to hear!  The First time I heard those words it was April, 2001; I was approved for a mortgage for my first home on Friday afternoon and lost my job on Monday morning.  Fortunately, the economy was thriving, companies were growing, and I had another job within the month.

The next time I heard those words it was 2009, and the recession was in full swing.  It took me 14 months, but I found my "dream job" and moved forward enthusiastically - dedicated to a mission and adapting to a much lower salary than I had been making, for the reward of working to make a real difference in childrens' lives.

The week before the hard-hitting storm Irene battered our neighborhood in October 2011, I heard those words again.  It wasn't a shock, but it was a huge disappointment. 

So, here I am; a single parent, turning 45.  At a huge crossroads in my life - emotionally, financially, professionally and personally.  

As I decide which path to take, how to define success, how to emerge stronger, happier and more productive than ever, I am going to document the journey, and hopefully take many people with me.  I am seeking to inspire and be inspired, learn, grow and share.

If the information "out there" is accurate, there are tens of thousands of people in the same position I am; making similar decisions and struggling with some of the same challenges.  It is always easier to have someone to lean on - 

Lean on me, and I will lean on you, and we will arrive at our destination better than we were when we started the Stepping Stones Journey.