Work as Resistance
Sometimes showing up as you is enough
Many friends, family and neighbors are feeling at odds and ends right now because they work for the Federal Government. Many moved into civilian roles after serving the United States in one of our armed forces. They’ve been showing up day in and day out and doing the work.
As human beings they go above and beyond in their families, their churches and communities.
They give time and money to causes that are dear to them.
Several have had hard medical diagnoses, often related to their service to their country and it’s been more complicated for them to show up than for others. Still, they have done the work. Followed through on expectations and made sure that their part of the organization worked well and served it’s purpose.
Now they aren’t sure if they’ll be employed in the foreseeable future.
This is beyond politics and name calling.
This is the eventuality that everyone and anyone who works for someone else should have seen coming. Not that anyone deserves this new world - where you live in fear for your livelihood, hoping that the groceries will still be paid for and the mortgage and insurance and gas and everything else needed to survive is continuing to be paid.
This is why our parents and grandparents advised us to save more than we spent. Living on credit is never sustainable and it seems to be intertwined with the American Dream.
Pointing fingers rarely gets anything accomplished, although I am intrigued by the possibility that those who benefit most from the collapse of an economy based on credit are those who have been accruing the most wealth.
It’s not fun. or intriguing. or insta-worthy to be the person who saves money and spends less than they make.
Those that have done that are now in a much better position than those who haven’t.
It’s hard to change jobs, or look for jobs, when more than half of the federal government workforce is perseverating about the status of their job. Last November “the federal government employed just over 3 million people, or 1.87% of the entire civilian workforce according to BLS data. (not including the roughly 1.3 million active duty personnel)”1
If you’re looking for a job now, you may be competing with a much larger contingent of applicants than you would have been last year. Whether or not you’re a current federal government employee.
What does that mean for you?
It means it’s time to get VERY specific and clear on the results you bring to organizations.
Understand what your unique Knowledge, Skills and abilities are - beyond job titles and job descriptions.
Frankly, it means it’s time for you to be fully rounded human being. No more playing a part that hides who you are and what you stand for. Because even if you have been doing it - it appears that you can still be on the chopping block. So why not be you and stand for you and your values.
Think about your unique contributions and gifts as a human being. As a member of your community. As a person who believes in curiosity and compassion, in finding the good amid the bottom line?
No more sublimating yourself for the hope of a better day someday. For sucking it up just long enough to get your pension.
Start now.
If you have the capacity, use today as the day to start saving the money you’d spend on things you don’t really need from companies who don’t care about you and your values.
Give yourself a timeline and a bottom line to move toward something more meaningful from work. Whether it’s your own little creative business or partnering with companies who stand for what you believe in.
Use the time you have still on the clock (literally and metaphorically) to take a stand for your life and your community, and focus on who and what you can believe in (start with you, okay?)
The economy is going to get a lot more choppy before we figure this out. Find the light in the meantime and prepare to do your great work starting today.
I believe in you.
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https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/07/what-the-data-says-about-federal-workers/