There is no quirk for calling this Part 2.
Coolness Factor = 0, Reality = 1
For those who haven’t read Part 1, you didn’t miss out much. Just another riches to rags sob story can be found at 'The Bloat'. But I can’t promise if the theme of this part is also the same.
Things did start looking up even after my ‘air dropping, vacuum sucking, life twisting, hand cuffed’ decision for quitting Blackrock became my only passion. It was the same relationship that an athlete shares with the upcoming Olympics. Except they are in it with clear goals and all the right intention. My Passion to quit just like that athlete got stronger with each day.
Note to self: If you have reached a stage where your only passion is to give up, just do it. Don’t waste months and extremely good coffee beans at your nearby cafeteria everyday hoping that will fix life.
Top things I did to quit this job. Obviously, the idea behind this is — don’t make your own mistakes learn from mine. (But I know you aren’t listening and you will create similar trails)
Told myself everyday how badly I wanted to get out. Weighing my options like a lawyer was one of the many amusing activities I did.
Used my ear ache as a solid excuse to not come to work. It was painful but not intolerable to make the distance from Hell’s Kitchen to 55 E 52 St.
Stopped concentrating at work and started using my dinner credits to order the best dessert in town every night instead of a healthy salad soup combo. Now that is one belief that has stayed consistent across the seven seas. Sugar does fix everything. But only temporarily.
Started day dreaming in my meetings looking for the bigger purpose of our existence. You know the typical loser questions: a. Why are we all here? b. Is there a bigger purpose behind all this happening around me? c. Maybe I have been brought to this planet to change the world. d. Am I The Last Jedi? e. Why is the guy sitting next to me going for this curly hair look?
Finally coming up with a strategy and a plan for life. Risk it — Just Quit.
Now all of the above is true only the intensity was 2X.
There I embarked without predicting anything with a brave face on my journey of a ‘daring, free soul, quitter, money burner, negligible, ignorant’ lifestyle. So I wiped my face, put my best formals on, cleared the apartment trash, did laundry (played some pool, watched Netflix, anyways got my shit together) and painted my face to head straight to work. I did the the hardest (and the most ungrateful) thing that I had done in the past several years of my existence; I put my papers in.
📷“A person throwing their hands up in the air on the edge of a tall jagged rock” by Samuel Clara on Unsplash
📷“A person throwing their hands up in the air on the edge of a tall jagged rock” by Samuel Clara on Unsplash
This will be just the right time to share Me Vs. Reality situations.
Me: HR, Manager, Colleagues accept my resignation and that is it.
Reality: HR convinces me to stay, Manager is upset, Colleagues didn’t want to throw a farewell.
….
Me: Walks out with head high and floats up in the air like a superhero.
Reality: Got Cupcakes from Magnolia for colleagues, told my work bestie everything and made a plan to meet the same people who I was leaving behind in the first place- the very same night.
….
Me: Travels across country and meets everyone, talk about the journey/ the bigger purpose etc etc
Reality: Went to only 4 more cities. No one understood the purpose.
….
Me: Says goodbye to America with promises to be back next year.
Reality: Still here, in my room in India, typing this out.
…
Me: Aims to throw a big farewell party and meet all the favourite people.
Reality: The after party :)
By this time, I believe this is turning out to be a very average story of bad decisions and reality taking over.
…
Me: I know everyone hates me at Blackrock for quitting.
Reality: Almost stays true for one consecutive year and then people start realising they want to be me. Linkedin gets flooded with emails on ‘how I decided to take such a tough decision’. Can’t share those as I need to protect their privacy if they haven’t quit yet. (emoji for wondering should be plugged in)
A lot has happened since. Besides Linkedin, I get several emails and love from people who feel inspired. A lot of them don’t even know me. But honestly, now you know it was a very very tough decision that I thought will kill me.
In fact a quick list of couple of things that will never kill me and can never kill you either:
Starting from no knowledge about a particular industry — — Marketing
Leaving a country and going back to your roots — -India
Quitting a cushiony job and starting all over again — — All great leaders
Struggling even after a terrific work experience and GPA — — Rs.8,000 for the first job in India as a trainee
Not having any funds to survive a new industry — Rs.15,000 for travel to the job — took it as an investment
Not having enough funds to make a business grow — -Bootstrap
Having no clue where your life is headed — -True that!
Temporarily disappointing everyone who is important to you — Hey! Stay confident to keep it temporary
Telling people about your weakness and asking for help — -friends and family will judge, so what
Asking your parents for unconditional support and love specially — - when they clearly know you ‘F*d Up’ big time mate
And now my present life is no less than a dream. More about that at some point.
So should one quit when they want to?
….
It definitely won’t kill you. Or it could. Who knows till you figure it out. :)
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