DEAR HARRIETTE: I used to be well-known back in the day when I was at the top of my career. Now I can barely make ends meet. I feel like such a failure.
I am embarrassed to ask for help. I was a celebrity in my hometown, but now I am nothing -- just a woman with a reputation of what I used to be but with nothing going for me now. How can I turn the page and change how I’m thinking so that I can have the courage to go out and get a job? I would do just about anything right now. I do not want to lose my apartment. -- What To Do?
DEAR WHAT TO DO?: Let go of the past and how you were once regarded. Evaluate your skill set. What are you good at doing? Think of specific skills and talents that you have. Now consider what it was about you that made you the local “celebrity.”
Are you good with people? Could you be a successful hostess at a restaurant? A group leader at a retirement home? What about a sales role in the elder space? In this case, you may be able to use your local celebrity to inspire people to trust you and, in turn, buy in to a condo community for seniors or another such environment. I mention the senior space because it is a growing demographic, and there’s a good chance that this group of people may remember you fondly and feel comforted by your presence as they figure out this stage in their lives.
Most important is for you to believe that you are still a valuable member of society. Through that lens, look for a job that will pay you a fair wage and help you to be secure in your home.