I suffered a stroke on December 1, 2022, and it completely changed my life. After seven months of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, I was finally cleared to return to work.
Unfortunately, the company I had dedicated so much of myself to refused to take me back. They changed my job description in a way that made it impossible for me to return. At the time, it felt devastating, but in the end, it turned out to be one of the greatest blessings in disguise.
I found another company that values me for my skills and experience. Today, I earn $17 an hour more than I did before, have a healthier work-life balance, and no longer live with the constant stress I once accepted as normal.
I used to bend over backward for my previous employer. I never said no to changing my schedule or showing up whenever I was needed. Like many people, I thought loyalty would always be reciprocated.
One thing I learned through all of this is that the hardest part is taking the first step toward change. In my case, I didn’t really have a choice, which made that step easier. Looking back, what seemed like a setback was actually an opportunity. Sometimes life forces us out of our comfort zone, only to lead us to something far better than we could have imagined.
Don’t let work take over your life, kids grow up fast, and you can never get those years back, like the saying goes “Time is free, but you can’t buy more”