It’s been four days since I quit my job. What a great feeling it is to quit your job! The feeling of having nobody to answer to is a state of pure bliss. The possibilities are endless. Of course, we live in a civilized society where most of us have bills to pay. So, my idea of happiness right now is to keep my expenses low so I don’t have to be a slave to the system to pay for a lifestyle that doesn’t fulfill me anyway.
I’ve always struggled between going out and getting a good-paying job and my inner yearning to do something more important. In college, I started reading a lot of self-help and psychology books on my quest for self-improvement. I also started out as a Psychology major. Then one day I was sitting in one of my Psychology classes, and I remember how out of touch with reality my professor seemed to be. He was talking about all this psychology theory, none of which pertained to real life as I saw it. I thought to myself- I do NOT want to end up like this guy. So I switched my major to Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. I figured I could at least apply some psychology and make more money.
So I graduated college and got a sales job. And I’ve been bouncing around from sales job to sales job ever since, lethargic and lifeless, always feeling bored and unfulfilled. I would constantly ask myself: Is this all I have to offer to the world? Is this my purpose in life? To sell things for corporations and business owners to make them rich? To make me rich? When will I have enough money? When can I be happy? The truth is I’ve always known that sales wasn’t what I was really supposed to be doing. For me, it doesn’t feel right to have a job and to answer to anyone. I think a lot of salespeople are great, and salespeople make the world go ’round – at least commerce.
I’ve just always felt I wanted to do more. I wanted to express myself. I wanted to help people. I wanted to connect with people. I’ve always been interested in people’s backgrounds and what makes them tick. I’ve always been particularly fascinated with people that came from “humble beginnings” to make themselves a success. I’m impressed and fascinated by creativity, originality, intelligence, thoughtfulness, and curiosity. I connect best with people who don’t settle for the status quo, who question authority, who put themselves out there and believe in something other than the the almighty dollar (but money is great and I love nice things). Especially in the day and age of product endorsement by celebrities, those who are in a position of power are mostly reluctant to possibly sacrifice endorsement dollars by offending anyone and standing up for a cause.
So here I am- just a regular guy standing up for what I believe in. Only a couple of days after leaving my job, I feel exhilarated. My energy has returned, and I’m excited for what the future holds. I have learned a lot in my life. I’ve overcome a lot of things to arrive at the point I’m at now. And now I want to share what I’ve learned and help people. I see so much suffering and conflict in the world, and it’s all unnecessary. So I’ve decided to devote myself full-time to my Life Coaching practice, and I’ve launched TheUplifter.com to do my part. Sure, I’m not going to save the world, but I can try to help you save yourself.
Now for those of you who are currently unemployed, whether it’s by choice or not, use this time to your advantage. Embrace the freedom! Go do something that you haven’t done in a long time, or something you’ve always wanted to do but never did because of your work schedule. Or are you one of those people who just always has an excuse? Now that you’re not working, it’s “Oh, I can’t afford to do that”. Then when you’re working again, it will be “Oh, I just don’t have the time to do that.” Stop making excuses, and be good to yourself. Do something good for your soul. It doesn’t have to cost money. Here are some suggestions:
1) Listen to a whole album from your favorite musical artist
2) Read an uplifting book about something or someone you admire
3) Re-connect with someone you haven’t spent much time with lately over lunch or dinner
4) Meditate for 20 minutes (just close your eyes and focus on your breathing in a quiet room where you won’t be distracted)
5) Go for a long walk in nature (without your iPod or cell phone!)
The idea here is to re-connect to the real you, to take time to make yourself FEEL GOOD. I know, it can become a foreign concept if you’re not careful. Also, use your time off to re-focus on your priorities. What’s really important to you? How do you really want to spend your time? What would you like to do more of? What would you like to do less of? Who are you spending your time with? Your time is valuable. It’s the only currency with true value. Spend it wisely.