Change ahead : advice welcome
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." -Albert Einstein
I've been re-reading this quotation a lot over the past few weeks. You see, yesterday was my last day at my now-previous job. I don't mean to imply that I'm some "great spirit" nor that I was surrounded my "mediocre minds," but I certainly encountered opposition to my values and ideas (my spirit, if you will), and this quotation, this idea has definitely given me hope.
Without putting too much out there, I'll say that after 2 1/2 years, despite learning a lot, having some unique experiences, and meeting a ton of amazing people, it became increasingly apparent that it wasn't the right work environment for me. It took a lot of reflection, research, and time, but I've realized that there are organizations and environments out there that reward the kind of innovation and initiative I have to offer, so I'm on my way to find them.
A lot of people have asked me "what's next?" or "where are you going?"--it's a natural assumption that someone leaving a job right now must have something lined up. I don't. Nonetheless, I'm sure this step is the start of an adventure to figure it out. I'm figuring out my options as to make the best opportunity out of this situation, and working on getting back my spirit.
Good luck with whatever you do- I was 'unemployed' from last September-February, it's important to take a break and evaluate things... sometimes we get so clouded with all of the "must-do's" of life that we forgot the most important must is to be happy. Sadly, our 20's can't be devoted to much other than that- it's really a ride, I can't say I've chosen a career path or life plan since being unemployed but I have held a lighter burden than the one I was holding at the job that I left and that is what's most important: eliminating the bad and welcoming the good- energy attracts energy, so the most we can do is practice a happy attitude, hard working demeanor and promise to never feel a serious emotional toll from what we choose to occupy our time with. I could go on about this forever! What I'm getting at is- CONGRATS!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jaci! "Energy attracts energy"--I love that, and I love *your* energy! So glad to have it in my life, even if through the filter of the internet.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy for you! I left my old job without a clear plan — just some vague excitement about freelancing. And, though it's been a lot of work and a lot of learning, it's one of the best decisions I've made in my life. It's been more than a year, and I've never looked back.
ReplyDeleteI know how hard it is to leave a steady job without a plan, from a social perspective. I'm not sure about you, but 100% of people I knew said "Oh Mary, don't do it! It's too risky!" So, if you're in that position now, remember that I, for one, am rooting for you. You should absolutely follow your passion and find like-minded colleagues, even if it involves some level of risk. You know what they say about risk and reward. Wishing you good luck!
Thank you so much Mary! Even thought it's only been a couple days, I'm feeling very happy and confident about this decision--anyone I see regularly started commenting on how much happier and healthier I was as soon as I decided to resign. I know there's a lot of work ahead of me, but as you say, the reward will be worth it!
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