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Room For The Future
At the age of forty－five，my usually well－ordered life became fraught with changes．
After twenty－two years of working for a major financial institution，a downsizing initiative and a major bank merger resulted in the elimination of over one hundred jobs，mine being one of them．
My once secure future became a fallacy．However，I was one of the lucky ones．I was not a single parent，nor dependent solely on my income，but just like the other ex－bankers，I had become a disposable employee，and a statistician．
My mantra has always been，“change is good，change is progress，”but when it affected my livelihood，I had to revise it to，“accept change and make the most of it．”From the beginning，I chose to look at this occurrence not as a misfortune，but as a welcome opportunity．I refused to become depressed or bitter；instead，I eagerly anticipated doing something new and different．
Having a positive attitude made all the difference in the way I perceived the future．First，I decided to return to college and graduate，several decades later than I should have．Doing this at my age took more than a little courage．Not being a graduate had never held me back in my career with the bank，but now it was a personal goal I longed to achieve．With a little trepidation and a lot of determination，I registered for evening classes，and became an adult student．
Oral presentations were often required for one class．I remember thinking that if I had known this beforehand，I would have taken something else to achieve my required accreditation．By nature，I am a rather reticent individual，and speaking in front of people terrified me．As I stood in front of the other adults with whom I shared a common goal，my knees were visibly knocking，and my heartbeat almost audible．Somehow，I found my voice and squeaked out my presentation．The next time it was easier，and soon，I was starting to enjoy it a little．Later in the year，I even voluntarily interviewed a local reporter for an English assignment，much to the amazement of my teacher．My confidence level soared．Suddenly I felt like I could accomplish anything．
During this time，I realized that no matter what life throws our way，personal growth never stops．It comes from within，and needs only to be challenged in order to surface．It is entirely possible to step out of one's comfort zone to learn something new. My experience of going back to school ended up being far more valuable than just acquiring a diploma．
The second thing I did to improve my inner self was to reevaluate my life．It used to be filled with endless，and sometimes meaningless，events．Now，instead of working towards materialistic things and personal glorification，my heart and life are firmly entwined around people I care for．
Yes，having a fulfilling career is important，but it is no longer my reason for being．When I rejoin the “rat race”，it will be on my terms，as nurturing my soul is my first priority．Having simplified my life，I am enjoying living now，instead of just existing to make a living．
Is there life after banking？You bet there is．
The loss of my job was responsible for some positive changes in my life．Revisiting the past made room for the future．As I contemplate the meaning of my mantra，“change is good，change is progress”，I realize that I have accepted the change，and am making the most of it．
And，I have only just begun．The best is yet to come．
