The cry of loon penetrates forestland and gives anyone in vicinity an unforgettable memory in their sub-conscious mind that will surface on a quiet evening, when all of nature stands still. It becomes alive in lull just before a thunderstorm and in middle of a starlit night.

The loons return to my small cabin on lake each and every year. Sometimes one arrives first, and then a few more come to keep him/her company. Their particular sound soothes my mind and allows me inner vision to take time to think about all those things I have set aside in day-to-day activities we all have.

Even watching a loon bob along small waves that wind churns up, in frosty air of a cool, misty morning, and in dead stillness of night, gives you food for thought. They are unhurried, relaxed, and totally content with their surroundings and their lifestyle. They do not hurry, are not easily roused, and return to place they raised their family year after year.

As people, we seem to ignore much of nature. Nature, however, has so much to teach us, to show us, and to let us discover on our own. The seasons of year transform and replace. But continuity goes on without any disruption. The animals seem to accept whatever Mother Nature decides to do and they deal with it as best they can using all resources available to them.

Gwendolyn Parker, author of Trespassing, asked for seven months of severance when she voluntarily left her senior position at American Express. Seven months seems like a vast, open space when you leave corporate world, especially if you hate your job. Your health plan unfolds into Cobra -- expensive but comprehensive -- so you figure, "I've got time." You're tired, so you need to relax.

But, as Parker discovered, seven months of salary seems a lot less when you're no longer working full-time.

So what happens when you have six, seven or even twelve months of severance in bank and you're getting twitchy? Will you ever be back on a payroll? Should you start a business?

Discuss your resources with a qualified financial advisor. Can you stretch your funds beyond six months?

Explore feelings, if need be, with a qualified specialist. You will sabotage your own best efforts if you carry resentment and grief into your next career project.

Resist temptation to make sudden drastic moves. Sell house, move to Wyoming and live in a tent? By December, tent is cold, housing market has taken another jump and you've gone too far to turn back. Anyway, bears have confiscated your computer to play hibernation solitaire. "Career winter" indeed.

Explore free or low-cost resources. Check out Chamber of Commerce, your alumni career center, and unemployment office. If you have trouble staying focused, paying your own consultant may be a good investment.