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Unemployment and Kava

Chillbert

Kava Curious
Ahhh, the workings of corporate America. After many years of happy employment, the dreaded “I regret to inform you your position has been eliminated” meeting finally happened with me on the wrong side of the desk. At least I think it happened, as my senses went numb not long after walking into the room and seeing an HR sort holding a folder with my name on it. Sigh….

Statistics say a good number of you are now thinking “Oh, poor Chillbert. Been there. Sucks,” and to you I say thank you for your kind thoughts. No question unemployment sucks, but I thought to myself “No worries. Kava will see me through!” Well, it did, but not in the way I expected.

You see, I have always found Kava helpful in maintaining perspective, and what is a journey through unemployment if not an assault on perspective? So, I wiped my tears and got busy whipping up a delicious bowl of Kava, expecting bliss on the backside of a shell. Unfortunately what I got was a deeper run into sadness, as if the Kava was amplifying the predominant emotion in the unemployment emotional stew. Our old friend did the exact opposite of what I wanted, and for that I felt Kava had let me down.

After a couple weeks of similar outcomes, I grew to think Kava just wasn’t helping me at all. Then, quite surprisingly during a sermon at our church, with my last shell of Mahakea downed 30 minutes before, it seemed the pastor was speaking only to me! Her sermon was centered around being yourself in all situations, and that even though you might feel out of place, your gifts are needed and perfect. I felt an overwhelming sense of hope, dare I say, an actual religious experience! I am a good faith Christian, though not a zealot or model one in any way. Just a personal belief I find helpful while navigating the rigors of life. No sermon had ever moved me, and suddenly I felt euphoric for the first time in months. I left that experience certain my unemployment would end.

Late last week, a great job offer came through.

In retrospect I believe Kava never let me down. By driving me deeper into darkness when I craved light, she made it clear I needed to deal with the pain. By ramping up the emotional volume, Kava forced me to work through the pain more actively, dispatching the darkest period quicker. Even though that’s not what I sought, Kava knew that was what I needed. She was right. Oh, so right.

It’s going to be awhile before I can rebuild the coffers to once again entertain buying more Kava, but the service it gave during a very challenging time ensures I will. In the meantime, I will ride the euphoria of regaining employment and the memory of a valued friend who in a difficult moment refused to tell me what I wanted to hear; she told me what I needed to hear.

Bula.
 

muddywaters

Kava Enthusiast
Kava has done the same for me, allowed me to face things I couldn't before and allowed me to be more fearless in getting better and getting through difficult times. Also helped out a lot in the area of not comparing myself to others as much. Taught me two things for sure "money is not your god" and face everything you can which due to personal health issues was a big one for me because was going to get far worse before it got better going through treatment. Now I'm almost recovered and doing far better and I've even been drinking kava the entire time. Create something that will last, don't just make money. Use it for something good if you have that wiggle room. Used to think if I made it rich I would live like a reckless rock star, now I just want an ordinary stable place to live and a top of the line camera with all the money in the world to secure everything with and keep myself healthy. Keep your consciousness elevated, do what's good for you and others. Having a negative outlook is a trap, feel all you need to too process it but don't let what you can help stick.
 

Zaphod

Kava Lover
Ahhh, the workings of corporate America. After many years of happy employment, the dreaded “I regret to inform you your position has been eliminated” meeting finally happened with me on the wrong side of the desk. At least I think it happened, as my senses went numb not long after walking into the room and seeing an HR sort holding a folder with my name on it. Sigh….

Statistics say a good number of you are now thinking “Oh, poor Chillbert. Been there. Sucks,” and to you I say thank you for your kind thoughts. No question unemployment sucks, but I thought to myself “No worries. Kava will see me through!” Well, it did, but not in the way I expected.

You see, I have always found Kava helpful in maintaining perspective, and what is a journey through unemployment if not an assault on perspective? So, I wiped my tears and got busy whipping up a delicious bowl of Kava, expecting bliss on the backside of a shell. Unfortunately what I got was a deeper run into sadness, as if the Kava was amplifying the predominant emotion in the unemployment emotional stew. Our old friend did the exact opposite of what I wanted, and for that I felt Kava had let me down.

After a couple weeks of similar outcomes, I grew to think Kava just wasn’t helping me at all. Then, quite surprisingly during a sermon at our church, with my last shell of Mahakea downed 30 minutes before, it seemed the pastor was speaking only to me! Her sermon was centered around being yourself in all situations, and that even though you might feel out of place, your gifts are needed and perfect. I felt an overwhelming sense of hope, dare I say, an actual religious experience! I am a good faith Christian, though not a zealot or model one in any way. Just a personal belief I find helpful while navigating the rigors of life. No sermon had ever moved me, and suddenly I felt euphoric for the first time in months. I left that experience certain my unemployment would end.

Late last week, a great job offer came through.

In retrospect I believe Kava never let me down. By driving me deeper into darkness when I craved light, she made it clear I needed to deal with the pain. By ramping up the emotional volume, Kava forced me to work through the pain more actively, dispatching the darkest period quicker. Even though that’s not what I sought, Kava knew that was what I needed. She was right. Oh, so right.

It’s going to be awhile before I can rebuild the coffers to once again entertain buying more Kava, but the service it gave during a very challenging time ensures I will. In the meantime, I will ride the euphoria of regaining employment and the memory of a valued friend who in a difficult moment refused to tell me what I wanted to hear; she told me what I needed to hear.

Bula.
I find this a great benefit of kava - it does not release you from your emotions, fears, sadness and desires. It does not "block" the pain like other substances, or make you forget. For me it removes the unnecessary anxiety with the unknown so you can face it head on and you can work on the issue with an uncluttered mind. Great to hear your experience.
 

kavamehameha

Magnum's 'awa drinking bird
In my experience, we ourselves can be our greatest "enemies" by worrying too much about things we cannot control or influence. In particular, fearing what the future may bring and if one is good enough to succeed in what one wants to accomplish are the biggest issues. I'm happy for @Chillbert that he's feeling better and is back on the right track. At the moment I'm on a difficult path too, but I trust in God, and also in myself that everything is going to be alright, and things are not as bad as they may seem. Even if something fails, most of the time it's not the ultimate end. It may take time to adapt to a new situation, and this new situation may not be what one initially expected or wanted, but there is always a new path unfolding. You just have to be faithful and take it.

Citing Vic Fontaine from Star Trek DS9 episode "It's Only a Paper Moon":
"You've got to play the cards life deals you. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but at least you're in the game."
 
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Tumarumaru

Gunga la Gunga
We lost our job and got evicted. Did get a job in Clearwater Florida and fighting to get the deposits on a new home. We'll make it. Kava most definitely made a nightmarish situation a little easier. I put up a GoFundMe and that has helped. Damned Covid 19. Thank God for KWK!!
 

Orz[EST]

Kava Enthusiast
I also found that kava is a unspecific amplifier of emotions.
I disagree. It reduces anxiety. More specifically, it does not have the pattern of intensifying yet narrowing the emotions and facilitating urge to speak like alcohol does.

What I can agree with is that one may become more conductive to suppressed emotions without becoming behaviourally disinhibited.
 

Hightide

Kava Enthusiast
I disagree. It reduces anxiety. More specifically, it does not have the pattern of intensifying yet narrowing the emotions and facilitating urge to speak like alcohol does.

What I can agree with is that one may become more conductive to suppressed emotions without becoming behaviourally disinhibited.
So are you saying you think kava suppresses emotions?

Idk if I feel like my emotions are suppressed, but I do feel less likely to act out of emotionality
 

Yogini

Well... there ya have it.
So are you saying you think kava suppresses emotions?

Idk if I feel like my emotions are suppressed, but I do feel less likely to act out of emotionality
I feel the same. Kava helps me take a step back so I respond rather than react. I don't see it as suppression of emotion nor is that my experience. I'm an expert at suppressing emotions without it.. lol.. being human is weird.
 

Hightide

Kava Enthusiast
I feel the same. Kava helps me take a step back so I respond rather than react. I don't see it as suppression of emotion nor is that my experience. I'm an expert at suppressing emotions without it.. lol.. being human is weird.
Yeah it definitely does help me take a step back too, such a useful thing in life. Strangely, Kava also helps me look past certain issues, like i can feel anger towards a person and be able to look past that to see the good in them. Haha being human is weird.. hopefully we all come back as dogs
 
Ahhh, the workings of corporate America. After many years of happy employment, the dreaded “I regret to inform you your position has been eliminated” meeting finally happened with me on the wrong side of the desk. At least I think it happened, as my senses went numb not long after walking into the room and seeing an HR sort holding a folder with my name on it. Sigh….

Statistics say a good number of you are now thinking “Oh, poor Chillbert. Been there. Sucks,” and to you I say thank you for your kind thoughts. No question unemployment sucks, but I thought to myself “No worries. Kava will see me through!” Well, it did, but not in the way I expected.

You see, I have always found Kava helpful in maintaining perspective, and what is a journey through unemployment if not an assault on perspective? So, I wiped my tears and got busy whipping up a delicious bowl of Kava, expecting bliss on the backside of a shell. Unfortunately what I got was a deeper run into sadness, as if the Kava was amplifying the predominant emotion in the unemployment emotional stew. Our old friend did the exact opposite of what I wanted, and for that I felt Kava had let me down.

After a couple weeks of similar outcomes, I grew to think Kava just wasn’t helping me at all. Then, quite surprisingly during a sermon at our church, with my last shell of Mahakea downed 30 minutes before, it seemed the pastor was speaking only to me! Her sermon was centered around being yourself in all situations, and that even though you might feel out of place, your gifts are needed and perfect. I felt an overwhelming sense of hope, dare I say, an actual religious experience! I am a good faith Christian, though not a zealot or model one in any way. Just a personal belief I find helpful while navigating the rigors of life. No sermon had ever moved me, and suddenly I felt euphoric for the first time in months. I left that experience certain my unemployment would end.

Late last week, a great job offer came through.

In retrospect I believe Kava never let me down. By driving me deeper into darkness when I craved light, she made it clear I needed to deal with the pain. By ramping up the emotional volume, Kava forced me to work through the pain more actively, dispatching the darkest period quicker. Even though that’s not what I sought, Kava knew that was what I needed. She was right. Oh, so right.

It’s going to be awhile before I can rebuild the coffers to once again entertain buying more Kava, but the service it gave during a very challenging time ensures I will. In the meantime, I will ride the euphoria of regaining employment and the memory of a valued friend who in a difficult moment refused to tell me what I wanted to hear; she told me what I needed to hear.

Bula.
Mahakea does it every time. cheers ::chugger::
 
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