Today’s shared story comes from Jenny Shih who believes in doing work that matters and living a life you love.
Some sacrifices aren’t sacrifices at all.
Two years and two months ago I quit my corporate job because my heart and soul told me it was time to move on. Co-workers, friends, and family saw me as foolishly sacrificing a nice, steady paycheck, great benefits, and 10-year career with a solid professional reputation for some wishy-washy “follow your heart” baloney. But I knew that I would be sacrificing my life, my zest, and my sanity by not leaving.
On the outside it looked like a sacrifice. On the inside, it felt like freedom.
It’s true, income was not guaranteed and success by any measure was also uncertain. My heart and soul were aching so badly every minute I was inside those office buildings. Every cell in my body longed for something more meaningful than working for a company that manufactured high-tech office products. I needed freedom. It wanted to make a difference in the world.
For the first six months after I left that job I was scared out of my mind. Most days I was so afraid that I wasn’t able to enjoy my newfound freedom. I was afraid I would have to return to a job to pay the mortgage. I was afraid I would fail at starting and running a business. I was afraid of the shame I would feel if I had to crawl back to that company and ask for another job, especially when I was so clear that I couldn’t work there any longer. But I still new it had been the right choice.
As time passed and I calmed my fears, I began to feel the freedom I created for myself. Every day I wake up knowing that I am in charge of my day. I get to decide when, where and how I work. Yes, I am reliant on myself and my own work for income to pay the bills. There are days when it’s still scary, but I have no regrets.
Leaving my job, something that looked like a sacrifice to others, was not a sacrifice at all. The real sacrifice was working in a job that was killing my soul. It would have been a sacrifice to my whole being to not listen to my need for more meaningful work. I would have sacrificed my soul and my sanity to stay at my corporate job, and that was a sacrifice I wasn’t willing to take.
Jenny Shih works with women entrepreneurs with world-changing ideas they need to unleash in the world. She is the creator of the idea flight kit, a free guide that covers everything you need to get your idea up and flying. You can find Jenny at jennyshih.com. Image courtesy of Alex Demchak.]
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