Five ways a layoff can improve your life

So chances are you're one of the 15 million people who are currently unemployed. And if not, you're worried you might be laid off any day. Though today's headlines seem to focus on economic doom and financial gloom, career expert Nicole Williams believes that layoffs have a way of changing some people's lives for the better. Here are five reasons that just might help you change your frame of mind:

Freedom to explore your passions. Let's face it. You were either stuck in a job you hated or you loved your work but it was taking you nowhere. The risk you could never take for yourself has now been inflicted upon you. Seize the moment and explore your passions. Figure out what it is you were meant to do and go for it. The best part is, you have nothing to lose!

Fair weather friends. When you're cutting back on drinks after work, dinners out, and other means of entertainment, you discover very quickly who will make the effort to stay in touch. The best of friends are just as content staying in for chick flicks and wine (even if it is boxed) if it means having your company.

Less work, more learning. Had you not gotten the pink slip, you probably would have taken on the workload of someone who did. And the possibility of a raise in a time like this? Unlikely. Think of this as your lifeline -- an opportunity to skip out on the burning the midnight oil phase and a chance to treat yourself to some educational enrichment. By the time you complete your MBA, PhD -- whatever it is that will take you to the next level -- the market will be on more solid footing and you'll be more valuable than ever.

Independence. Sick of working for the man? Yeah, I thought so. Starting your own business in a time like this is like a free hall pass -- if it doesn't work out, you were no better off than you started. And if it does, cha-ching! Regardless, now you have complete control over who you work for and with -- and let's be honest -- sometimes that is priceless.

Spiritual cleansing. The shelves of books you've never read, the countless pairs of shoes, that completely unnecessary furniture purchase. . . . When your life is cluttered with impulse purchases that satisfy materialistic needs, you can feel more overwhelmed than if you'd cut way back. Go back to basics and start removing the things from your life that are only weighing you down. You can't move on from the old if you don't make room for the new.

©2009 Nicole Williams, author of Girl on Top: Your Guide to Turning Dating Rules into Career Success

You can visit Nicole's websites at www.NicoleWilliams.com and www.GirlOnTopBook.com.