Give yourself room to be human

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Threat Source newsletter. 

Fall is officially here in Maryland, and I can’t be more relieved. I flourish in 50 degree weather, where it feels natural to burrow under blankets, knit sweaters, and listen to an audiobook. 

Beyond that, though, can I say that I’m glad fall is here because the end of summer has been a bit of a shitshow? I’m allowed to curse on here, right? 

Without going into too much detail, my uncle was diagnosed with a rare cancer, and my family decided we were going to fly out to spend a week with him. I was determined to find a way to make it work, but on top of all of the emotions, my mind was racing with trying to figure out how to request the time off and get coverage for the tasks I’d be missing. 

I was anxious to ask, but my manager’s response to me requesting the week off was:

“Family always, always comes first at Talos. You spend as much time with your family as you need. Don’t worry, we’ll work everything out. We have your back.”

I knew I was in such a fortunate position to have that kind of support. Yet, even with the explicit encouragement to step away, there was still a lingering weight on my shoulders that I couldn't quite set down. 

LinkedIn might be an awful, artificial place, but occasionally I’ll find a non-AI-generated think piece or quote that sticks with me. On a recent post, I read, “We’d all be better off if we gave each other a little more room to be human here without worrying it makes us look less capable.” 

Okay, ouch! That described the unsettled feeling to a T. Ever since I was laid off at my previous company, my trauma response has insisted I prove myself, make myself “indispensable” and capable of taking on any challenges thrown my way. I'm sure if you've been through a layoff, you can relate.