Seriously. That was a great day for me.
I caught the round of layoffs three years ago from yesterday and I'll say it: there were some struggles after experiencing that.
I mean, I took a substantial pay cut for a while and tried a few different jobs out, learned some new skillz, etc., but it's really been nothing but happiness in comparison to the culture of fear I experienced during the end of my tenure at UPX.
I now have a job that I truly enjoy, I feel like I make a difference everyday at my organization and it is nice to be appreciated. There is life after UPX, trust me!
Even though I learned that there's more to it all than a fat paycheck (I'll never let money determine my happiness - that's a recipe for massive dissapointment), I do make more now than I ever have, but I maintain a sense of humility and appreciation that you can only really develop after suffering some setbacks, like getting laid off (and yes, I am very appreciative of that experience, too!).