I left my job after more than ten years of tenure. There are days when I still ask myself: "How could that possibly happen?"
I am very happy now, don't get me wrong–in fact the only thing I miss about my old full time job is the paycheck (of course).
Lately I've been bumping into people that I haven't seen in a long time, and they get very surprised with the radical change my life took, one friend told me yesterday, "I thought you would stay there forever, that office was like your home!"
Yes, it was, but it was getting terrible–only I didn't want to see it.
Leaving a job where you have worked for a while is like getting a divorce. On the one hand, you know it's not working out and you're no longer happy with the relationship, but on the other, you've gotten used to it, and it's comfortable.
I was one of those women who actually chose to ignore the signs and didn't want to see how unhappy I had become over time. I was invested in my job for so many years that it became an important part of who I was–or so I thought. For a long time I loved getting up and going to the office, until one day I woke up and was dragging myself just to get out of bed. But I pretended not to notice and decided to live in a happier past, something that seems to come easy for us women.
Writing this entry may be like giving advice when no one has asked for it, but the truth is that I know way too many women who are unhappy with their jobs and are not doing anything about it–blissfully unaware of how this will end up negatively affecting their lives.
Job dissatisfaction shows in your smile, in your attitude, in your outlook on life and most of all in your patience (or lack there of) with others, especially your loved ones. I should know this! Because I was able to breathe the day I left my job. I recovered my smile and my daughter told me a couple of things that made me realize how "on edge" I had been for the last couple of months.
I reinvented my career and chose a path that has made me happier. This meant less money but it also meant peace of mind and a feeling of great satisfaction. In the end, what matters most in life is being happy.
Many of us justify our unhappiness for years with phrases like: "What other choice do I have?" Believe me, they are many other choices. Just stop for one second to figure out what they really are. Give yourself the space to think and mostly, open your eyes. If you are honest with yourself, believe me… you will find a way to get to a much happier place.
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