Boost of Self-Confidence

I spent most of today updating some older resumes with information about the employment I have enjoyed over the past eight (8) years.   The best par of my day was that in searching through the old resumes on my computer I came across an exercise done around 2003.
At an employment workshop I had attended we were told to just list skills we felt we had gained through life experiences, volunteer opportunities or former employment that could be of benefit to a business or another person.    At that time I managed to list almost two pages worth of various office, management, accounting and technical skills along with a list of personal services I had performed since high school, and did not even include the skills needed to be a wife and mother.
It was interesting to review the skills I had listed,  It brought to mind the many people I have had the pleasure to work with over the years.  I thought about the things I  learned from them and even more about the things they  learned from me, along with the many ways I added value to the businesses.
I remembered several positions where I had been hired for my varied skills, asked to reorganize the office,  set-up a new accounting system,  create and implement new tracking systems and develop effective office procedures.  Later, after the systems, forms and procedures were working efficiently and running almost automatically, I was asked to then train someone else, whom they believed they could pay less, to run the office as I had been.  I remember laughing months and years later when I found out that it had sometimes taken two (in one case-three) people to replace me in order to keep everything running as smoothly as when I left.   
I recalled two positions where I worked for several months as a temporary employee and then ended up training my replacement, because the temp agency insisted the company I was working for would have to pay a full year salary as a finders fee in order for me to be continue past the original contract date.   Both companies, I found out later, ended up hiring two people to accomplish the work I had been regularly completing, and in the long run ended up spending even more than if they had retained my services.
Finally, I reflected on my current employment, which I have been informed will be ending soon.
What skills had I used effectively and often?  Which skills had I offered to use for the benefit of the company which were not utilized?  What ideas did I offer which I later saw someone else implement and then be praised for?  What services did I offer which they said they want me to perform but then hired someone else to do at twice what they were paying me?  What skills did I use or things did I do that no one really knew I had done?  What choices did I make to improve my self personally? What new skills did I learn or refine during this time?
As I finished updating the skill list for the day I decided I was pretty  awesome.  The fear  I would not be able to find new employment or a way to support my family as I need to diminished.   I felt confident the future will take care of itself if I just relax and keep moving forward steadily.
I encourage you to take a few minutes (or more) to take an account of  your own talents and skills.  I am certain you will find you too have forgotten how awesome and wonderful  you really are.  I know it...do you?