thanks @phgnomo. I heard of the first (in your list) several times from friends and colleagues but did not pay attention to it but their words of wisdom came back to kick me in the ass. Was wondering if I'm in a better state had I heed their advice. Or maybe experiencing the layoff was really meant for me as I need to learn something from it to be a better person / boss / entrepreneur / father / friend / mentor / investor / only God knows at this point but I'm confident I'll find it out soon.