"IN BETWEEN JOBS"

(the value of being in the middle)

Before I left the company, HR gave me a piece of advice that, surprisingly, stayed with me:

"Take a rest before finding a new one."

She told me to use this time to heal — to let my anxiety settle and breathe a little before jumping into something new. On any normal day, I probably would’ve brushed that off. But for some reason, those words stuck. I sat with it for a moment..

It was about embracing the "IN BETWEEN" — the space between where I was and where I’m going next.

It’s strange because I’ve never really allowed myself that. I'm the type of person who hates being idle. Every time I leave a company, I immediately dive into the hunt for the next one. I’ve always been afraid of gaps — of having too much time with nothing to do, knowing that financially, I don’t have the luxury of sitting still for too long. And beyond that, I also carry expectations. My family counts on me.

My nieces and nephews look up to me.

To be “jobless” has always felt like failure.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this “rest” she mentioned wasn’t just about sleep or doing nothing. It was about embracing the "IN BETWEEN" — the space between where I was and where I’m going next.

Since 2011, that’s how I’ve lived: to always hustle, move forward, don’t pause, don’t fall behind. And while there’s nothing wrong with being proactive, I now realize how much I’ve missed in the rush.

But I believe that more than anything else, the most important thing is to be grateful.

This time, it will be different. I’ve started to embrace the value of slowing down — not in giving up the job search, but in allowing myself to reflect. To take a hard look at what this journey has been about and to sit with the experiences, both good and bad.

I’m still applying. I’m still hoping. But now, I also choose to see the lessons that I gained, to accept things that I can't control and to actually give myself a pat at the back saying

"You know what Neon, you did well".

But I believe that more than anything else, the most important thing is to be grateful.

I don’t know what lies ahead. But for now, I rest — not because I’ve given up, but because I choose to gather strength for the next climb.

Thank You, Lord. 😊