DOGE's Fork, My Story

Unexpected transitions on the road to writing a book

You probably haven’t escaped news about DOGE’s activities to reform the government. One early move included a buyout offer called “Fork in the Road,” a metaphor for a fork in blockchain technology.

Here’s my own “fork story,” a preview into the journey that begins this Easter. Spoiler alert - yeah, I took the fork. So, if you are standing at a crossroad or working through a transition in these crazy times, I get it. You are not alone.

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I stared into the darkness towards the ceiling, writing sentences in my head while I waited for at least a little daylight. The drive to write started like birthing pains in November and had not let up. The book was coming out, relentlessly pushing me every morning before work, every evening after work, and all day on weekends. But today was different.

This morning, my stomach ached from the deadline to decide whether or not to leave my federal job in data and IT. The DOGE Fork. I had been agonizing for a couple weeks, trying to glean information about this offer. No one had much information — it was going to be a leap of faith, and that leap was today.

I tossed and turned again, then it hit me. If I chicken out now, I am hiding from my own story. There is literally nothing on earth I fear more than that.

What would Lydia do? The question hung in the dark for a split second before my action-bias launched me from bed.

I got up, turned on the lights and wrote what I was living that day — the climax of the book about Lydia being my role model. Typing through the tears with my jaw set in determined courage, my heart burned with emotions. I knew.

Photo by Beth Macdonald on Unsplash

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

Lydia of Thyatira from the New Testament in the Bible, was a businesswoman whose story of bold faith and courage had taken over my life. My curiosity led me on an epic rabbit trail, unearthing her fascinating story and its implications.

My friends saw me doing my “Lydia thing” for a few years, so they already knew which fork in the road I wanted. But me? I had a tidy plan to work on the book after I retired. I had more data and IT projects to work through and my teams needed me. My son was about to go to college, and I had debts still to pay off. The book had to wait.

The irony is delicious, right?

Well, my hesitation was no match for Lydia’s story.

Big Courage, Small Courage

This particular “courage event” was life-altering — huge compared to the average daily courage events. The sheer enormity of it gave me a chance to explore its essence.

Here’s what I found. The physical sensation of courage had two flavors, creating what felt like an emotional vice: the raw power of purpose pulsing in my veins as my heart pounded; and a feeling of letting go into a quiet abyss.

This pattern of courage is something I want to practice. I want to get better at it —even in small steps, every day.

I told people it felt like jumping out of an airplane, although I never did that and have no plans to validate it. After I clicked send on the emailed decision, there was no ceremony or “thanks for your 28 years of service” or anything like that. Just a quiet certainty that I am stepping into my story with faith. That feels better than a ticker tape parade.

So that’s my story about how I got here this spring. I am overwhelmed and just beginning the transition, but I am so grateful my heart burns with purpose and certainty. Yes, the world seems to be falling apart, and yes, I still have to find another job. But for just a few sacred months, I can recover and release into this journey’s holy fuel.

And yes, that is what Lydia would have done

So, if you're standing at your own decision point or found yourself in a surprise transition you didn’t want—you are not alone. I am digging through, too.

What is The Lydia Effect?

The Lydia Effect is my story of rediscovering my faith and how courage and small steps can help in uncertain times. I would love to have you join me for this journey, so please subscribe if you haven’t already. The first chapter will be launching on Easter 2025.