"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."- E.M. Forster
Prior to June 2012, I had the notion that quitting had a negative connotation. Whenever I heard of colleagues or friends quitting, I always had the impression that this person had given up. It wasn't until I actually quit my job that I realized that quitting wasn't such a bad thing after all.
In the months leading up to my resignation, these factors were in my head: deviating from something that was comfortable - an exciting career, a beautiful apartment, a close circle of friends who I trusted. The thought of leaving all of this behind was scary. I began questioning myself to see if I was actually making the right decision. I was hesitant for months to even bring this up to my direct manager, not so much because I was scared of what he would say, but because of the fact I didn't want to let him or my colleagues down.
The day I sat down with my manager to discuss how I was feeling about my position at the company, and eventually resigning, was the day I actually felt free. This is when I knew I was making the right decision, without even having the slightest notion that I was letting anyone down. The support from colleagues was everything that I needed to reassure myself that this was something that I needed to do. Reflecting over this period in my life - four months later - I'm realizing that quitting also means having the opportunity to be set free. To be able to have the freedom to choose where to travel to next, to choose which direction my life can go in, to just have a choice to do whatever, is liberating.
Quitting my job was one of the best decisions I've made, thus far. In the short time-frame that it's been, I've gotten the chance to see more family than I have in the past five years. I've traveled and have experienced the beauty and humility that is Senegal, the inspiration that lies within the concrete jungles of New York City, and am currently absorbing the sweet serenity of Argentina. It's through these experiences that teach me more things about myself, while also meeting some incredible people along the way that inspire me daily. It's an addicting desire - the desire to continuously want to know more about myself and others - that drives me to continue to explore.
What's tough is finding the courage to be able to just let go of what's comfortable, to be able to live purposely. Once the courage is there, everything else falls into place.