It’s always fun to wake up to layoff rumors. Well, maybe not. But when your employer is Google’s top autocomplete suggestion for “How many layoffs has…,” you get somewhat used to it.
This time was different, though. This time I had an FSA (a tax-free medical spending account), and I stood to lose every penny of it if the metaphorical axe came down on my relatively healthy neck. So, in a panic, I clicked on the first FSA-eligible Instagram ad I saw and scheduled myself for an incredibly detailed panel of blood tests.
Come the next day, the sun rose, the birds sang, my job was still there, and the only thing I’d lost was 14 vials of blood. I made fun of myself for being a hypochondriac. I skied and hiked multiple days a week; surely my health was top-notch! But as the weeks rolled by and the results rolled in, they painted an increasingly alarming picture of my metabolic health: my cholesterol levels were poor and my genetics were making it worse.
It turned out that regular exercise didn’t make up for a mediocre diet. I went down a rabbit hole of research, learning everything from basic macros to the subtle differences between medium- and long-chain saturated fats. I cut nearly all red meat from my life and became obsessed with high-fiber, high-protein foods like beans and chia seeds. And then I discovered a god amongst men: the chickpea; not only did it meet my dietary needs, but it was the foundation of falafel and hummus! Who doesn’t like hummus?
In five short months I completely changed my diet, extended my workout routine, lost twenty pounds, improved my sleep, and overall enriched my baseline mood and energy. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that everything is perfect (it isn’t), but I don’t think it’s a stretch to claim that the threat of layoffs set me on a better path in life. And thankfully, in a recent test, my cholesterol levels were much improved and back to normal ranges. My lunch is a bowl of chickpeas, beets, and tofu and it is delicious.
I don’t wish layoffs upon anyone in this life or the next. But this experience transformed how I think about uncertainty: we live in a world of rapid change as AI reshapes knowledge, the economy, and fundamental human value; it’s easy to fear as the ground shifts beneath our feet and the metaphorical road crumbles ahead. However, I’ve come to realize that’s the wrong analogy: the stable ground was always an illusion and so were the roads we built upon it.
This post is not one of doom and gloom. Just as we have further to fall, we also have further to fly. I’ve come to think of myself as a glider: unpowered and beholden to shifting winds, yet free to chart my own course and pursue warm summer air. A glider pilot takes off with no guarantee of staying in flight beyond an unwavering belief in their ability to find thermals. And yet, they often find themselves climbing to unimaginable heights. This is the path I’m choosing.
And I’m bringing a bag of chickpea snacks with me.