To commit is sometimes to resign

Quitting at something, if it is not in line with your values, can be a form of persistence. This is persisting in a valued direction. Sometimes we need to quit a relationship, a job, or any particular current position if it is preventing us from moving ahead in the direction that matters.

In April 2011, I cried on and off for a month – after I resigned from a high paying job with an awesome team and a secure future. I was so emotional at first because it was a loss, losing everything that had been such a big part of my life all at once — working with my dad, my team, my clients, the work and the income. I surrendered to the pain I had bottled up and had been hiding; I wanted to just release it at this point – a time of great growth and healing. The day after I resigned, there was something profoundly different about me.

My head and my stomach were still a mess with emotion, but the tension and anxiety that I had been holding onto – the fear about taking action had dissipated in just one day. One decision, one event, one leap in a courageous direction, was all it took. The heaviness I had carried for so long had vanished. The relief that came from this courage provided a new lightness for me. There was no doubting that I had done the right thing. I had made the decision to leave and to walk my own new path.

There was no money; I was grieving for the life I had just left even though this is what I wanted. I didn’t know what my new life would look like — but I knew the decision to resign was one of commitment to my values. Many said I was crazy. The label “crazy” over my life has become a good indication you are onto something good – a path where many fear to go.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” Steve Jobs

True Believers know there are times when we have to step away from what is safe and take a courageous leap towards what could be great.