I Quit My Job

I was at the beach a couple months ago swimming, as I do, by exhaling, sinking to the bottom, and letting myself be at the mercy of the waves. As my fingers brushed the sandy bottom, my left hand bumped a solid object, which was unexpected on this pure sand beach. It was a rock. I kept it.

As I scrutinized the rock back at my beach towel, I noticed it was composed of many different materials, although it was smooth from years of being rolled around in the waves against the sand. It’s a conglomerate of crystalline black, smooth pink, and sandy white and gray. The pink parts shimmer under the light depending on the angle. It’s not the most aesthetically pleasing rock at first glance, but upon close inspection, it has a deep, complex beauty. I marveled at its history, how it came to be, as I examined each individual part.

An internet search to try to determine the rock’s origins proved fruitless. Given that my geology background is nil and apparently determining a rock’s origins is a complex guessing game, I decided it wasn’t worth the time required to figure it out. I released the need to know, opting instead to appreciate the rock simply for what it is right now: a beautiful, naturally-formed composite of different minerals.

The rock came home with me, then joined me on my desk at work. The pink parts still shimmer under the artificial light, but not nearly as brilliantly as in the sun. I gaze upon the rock throughout the day, which is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it reminds me of the freedom and relaxation that coursed through my entire mind and body on that sunny day and it’s nice to re-experience at least a taste of that day’s happiness. On the other hand, it makes me long for that freedom. It reinforces the fact that I’m somewhere I don’t want to be.

The rock isn’t as beautiful or as happy as it was in its natural environment. It lacks motion, adventure, and because I’ve held it and touched it so much, it has a light film of fingerprints which prevents it from shining as brilliantly as it did in its natural environment. The rock is now a captive. I can relate.

Two days ago I quit my job. It’s a good job by all accounts, the best job I’ve ever had. Most people would consider themselves lucky to have it. I have always considered myself lucky to have it – it has held its spot firmly on my gratitude list, which I still read every day. However, there’s more to life than this. I refuse to work towards the pot of gold which supposedly awaits us at the end of years and years of draining, supervised work, the pot of gold we call retirement. I see no reason I can’t have that freedom now, while I’m young and really, really, ridiculously good-looking.

I have enough money to last me 2-3 months, which isn’t a lot…shit…that’s really not a lot at all. However, after getting to know myself decently well over the past 29 years, I’ve come to realize that I tend not to do things unless I have to. I’m a procrastinator. Always have been. Further, I perform my best when failure is not an option, when I’m under the most pressure, so I decided to create those conditions for myself. The bills will continue to come in, so I will have to make sure that my (as of yet non-existent) internet businesses bring in enough money. As I stated in this post, as they go live, I will link to them here.

Here are a few articles that really opened my eyes and inspired me to take the leap. I don’t agree with every point made, but they’re definitely worth a quick read. Actually, all three blogs are fantastic if you’re looking for informative, stimulating, and motivating reading.

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/07/10-reasons-you-should-never-get-a-job/

http://boldanddetermined.com/2010/11/26/why-you-should-quit-your-job/

http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2011/05/10-more-reasons-you-need-to-quit-your-job-right-now/

After reading many such articles and filling my head with these ideas, the pressure to quit built up over time. It really is true that you are what you read.

If any of this or the other three posts above have stirred an emotional response in you, whether it’s a similar longing for the freedom I seek or anger that I’d give up a good job when a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet, it’s likely you’re also unfulfilled in your current profession. Follow along with me on my journey to watch me succeed or fail, and maybe if I succeed I can be an inspiration for you to chase the dreams you’ve been putting off.

I really do love the rock I found that day on the beach, as dumb as it may sound. I’ve gazed upon it for many, many hours. I know every piece of it and how it feels in my hand. Even so, sometimes we have to let go of the things we love. In three weeks when I have no job to go to, I will return to the beach where I found the rock, kiss it good bye, and throw it as far as I can into the ocean. Within a couple hours my fingerprints and the dust that now coat its surface will be washed away by the rolling waves and the sand and the sun. It will return to its natural condition. It will be free.