The Naked and the Clothed. An Accounting.

You feel naked.   

You have been axed from a job and 

you feel all alone.

But you're clothed.       

You have been axed from a job and you have decades of friends and connections who care.      

You feel naked.   

You no longer have a paycheck every week.

But you're clothed. 

You can now earn money from lots of different places. And for every hour you work.

You feel naked.  

You no longer have a client.

 

But you're clothed.   

Every client you've ever worked with and helped (many) is potentially your client again.

You feel naked.   

You're not quite sure how you'll fill 

all the hours of the day.

But you're clothed. 

You won't be filling them in mindless meetings and bureaucratic beatings.  

You feel naked.  

Your Microsoft calendar is blank for the first time since you started using Microsoft calendar. 

But you're clothed. 

You can take a walk, pick up the kids from school, and work according to what you need and when you need it.  

You feel naked.  

There's no one telling you what to do. 

But you're clothed.  

You haven't needed someone telling you what to do for about fifteen years.

You feel naked. 

You're alone. No office mates. 

No friends in the cafeteria.  

But you're clothed.    

You have more friends--who care--than you
ever imagined possible. 

And no cafeteria.

You feel naked.   

You haven't gotten a project
or even a nibble in a week.

But you're clothed.  

Next week you might get eight.
Or twelve.

You feel naked.  

You have no extrinsic 'status.'
No agency name behind you, no title. 

But you're clothed. 

You have the three things you need
to be successful.
1) Your network.
2) Your portfolio.
3) Your reputation.

You feel naked.  

You're scared. 

But you're clothed.  

You're pinching yourself.  

You feel naked.  

You wonder how you lasted so long.

But you're clothed.  

You wonder what took you so long.