Note: Today’s post is a guest contribution from Farnoosh Brock.
I met Jacob in Portland, during what I have dubbed as my pilgrimage to the lovely city along with 500 unconventional amazing people. Jacob was not too happy with me because I missed meeting him in his city, New York City, the prior week during Blogworld – never mind that he did not come to my session.
Since he is as dear as a kid brother now, with a heart of gold that I would have never known had I not met him, I am trying hard to make it up to him so this is the topic for a guest post he requested and I could not say no to him even if I tried.
Why did I leave my 6-figure lucrative income, super easy work-from-home job at a Fortune 500 company, without a plan and without a replacement, to pursue the deepest desires of my heart? Well, that last part should be sufficient reason for you to give up just about anything in life but I did not know that back when I was young and stupid and you – if you have never given up things to follow the calling of your heart – may not think it possible or practical at all.
So an explanation, I shall provide.
Just so you know that I am of a complete sound mind, these reasons are brought to you from a fiscally conservative, practical, ambitious, highly-educated girl with double degrees in electrical engineering and countless other techie certifications.
Sometimes, however, other things get in the way of your plans and you have to go out to that dreaded but awesome edge, look down at the vastness below, take a deep breath, and decide whether you are going to live out the rest of your life according to convention or listen to the faint suffocating voice from your soul. You have to decide if you are going to stand behind or if you are going to jump.
I jumped. Here is why:
1 – My job didn’t make my heart sing.
It actually never did but as I got older, this little thing started to matter big time.
2 – It was all so meaningless.
After months and years of working on projects, in retrospect, it all seems ever so meaningless. None of it mattered in the grand scheme of anything! They were stupid means to no useful end. Nothing of value to be found. Nothing to be proud of. Nothing to call my own. My work was meaningless and my career was a bad joke.
3 – I stopped being challenged.
Never mind that the area of challenge initially did not make my heart sing, but the challenge itself disappeared altogether. Poof! It was gone! Everywhere I looked, every job I took in every organization, things were menial and my talents and skills were never, ever put to test. Seriously, I would think, can someone please give me a freaking challenge? I am smart and I spent a hundred years training and getting certifications and all.
4 – The irrelevance really became annoying.
None of the projects had relevance to my educational background, to my interests in improving technology in the name of something good, and to any other personal goal. The company mission and my life mission were diverging fast and furiously.
5 – My work did not align to my core values,
such as honesty, transparency, innovation, high principles, creativity, meritocracy and work ethics. When your goals get all misaligned with your core values, bad stuff happens to you on the inside.
6 – The hypocrisy.
Oh the hypocrisy of it all. Do as we say, not as we do, attitude. Nearly suffocated me daily.
7 – They killed the culture.
They murdered it. They hung it and let it fester in the sun [sorry, was that too graphic?]. Basically, once upon a time, we had a nice little culture and even if we were at the time all grossly underpaid and terribly overworked, we loved and identified with the company culture. One day, they screwed it all up and then we had no culture. The bitter end.
8 – Un-leadership
– that is Scott Stratten speak for absence of leadership – geared its ugly little head. There was no real leadership among the senior leadership of the company. Talk about a monstrous irony. Amidst all the fancy titles and ludicrously well-paid executives, real leadership to move and shake the company with innovation and originality was a thing of dreams. The kind of leadership that gets rid of problems with real solutions became a novel idea and then disappeared altogether. Not pretty.
You get one chance to do what you love.
Well, I was going to stick to just 8 reasons for now, 8 being such a lucky number in Indian philosophy and all. Rest assured, these are not all the reasons I left it all behind but the main ones that propelled me to do something meaningful with my life while I still have a life.
In the end, I repeat what you have probably heard ad nauseam but well, maybe you can stand to hear it again:
You live once. You get one chance to do what you love. You get one life to be true to yourself and to protect your soul from perishing in the well of unhappiness and I highly, highly recommend that you grab that chance, hold on to it with the grip of death and never, ever let go.
Break free if you are unhappy. Live free. And then when all that is in place, go make a killing at what you love.
———-
Today’s guest post was courtesy of the fantastic Farnoosh Brock from ProlificLiving.com. In her own word, she has “an obsessive passion around smart habits for rich living and a tireless intent in sharing it.” In my own words, i love the way this lady laughs! Farnoosh emanates with the warmth of a fireplace and the passion of a prolific-liver.
The little lady packs a powerful punch and i’m honored to have developed a bond with this beautiful soul. She’s the type of person who goes to a conference and aspires to meet every, single, person – yup, all 500 of em! Say hi to her, and tell her i sent ya! -=)
———-
Photo Credits: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Thank you!!
51 Comments
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Farnoosh,
Excellent story on how money can't control the spirit. Good on you for finding your passion.
As soon as I make a 6-figure income, I'm going to quite and yell to everyone "Farnoosh Told me to"
Also, I wrote a little about making the jump, but mine wasn't as eloquently put as yours. It was more like George Carlin and Eminem joined forces and made a guest post on my blog…(That's just my way of saying "Explicit Content")
Anyway, awesome story, thanks for sharing!
Dear Brad, that's an excellent way to spread around my name – telling people to quit their very safe jobs after killing themselves getting there…. practically what I did and why it seems crazy but oh you know better and I am so glad that you understood where I was coming from THANK YOU for your kind and funny comment. I'd love to see that story you mention! 🙂
"George Carlin and Eminem joined forces" — ooooh i gotta go looking for this now. -=)
Hi dear Benny, oh no! So sorry you lost a comment – I wonder if it went to spam or something?
Anyway no matter OF COURSE I get that executive and his decision. It is sometimes sad to hear these stories because people simply escape rather than going into what they love – one part of the equation works but the other part could be better. I don't think any story where people give up money to follow the calling of the heart is crazy anymore. I used to, but not anymore. Glad you enjoyed the story and thanks for your comment.
Really #1 is all most should need, but sometimes it takes a lot more to break out of that mental frame of "I should be lucky to have this job" to "this just doesn't work for me no matter how good it seems to be." You're lucky to have not only such a strong will-power and determination to do something like this, but the support of your family behind you! I love reading more and more about your reasons behind your decision, and I love the inspiration!
Dear Kristi, thank you so much. To be honest, my parents were baffled and asked me to not do this and my brother insisted that if I could only get fired or laid off, at least I can get a package ;)! I love them dearly and they can see my happiness now and no one was going to stop me once I had made up my mind, but Kristi, it was SO gutsy and scary when I was doing it. Yet, we survive and thrive and if it's meant to be, it will happen. I can't wait to hear you take a leap of faith when – and not a minute sooner than when – you are ready! 🙂 Thank you for your comment and support.
This is echoing down the hall of my past perfectly. You my friend, on are the hero's journey!
What better of a story to talk about than an inspiration one you actually *lived*.
Much love my homey.
Sorry your comment got lost dude. I checked the spam filter but it's not there. Appreciate the re-comment.
Farnoosh,
There are a small number of things that really matter in life. Happiness, fulfillment, & meaning. Its a great pity that far too many people don't realize these things until they reach their final inning.
I think we've all felt some if not all the emotions you bring up here in this post, and its the courageous ones that are willing to look within, recogise the need for change and really do something with it.
I raise my glass in celebration of your courage. The world needs more courageous people.
Dear Farnoosh,
A beautiful story told, thank you! I am an artist and I work alone…I have another set of challenges, : )
so I am fascinated to read how you moved through yours challenges and broke free with a deep understanding of the ultimate truth of being.
We can never be told enough…This is it! We have one beautiful chance to live our lives to the fullest! Doing what we believe in and pursuing the deeper meaning of life through every action we take….to contribute to the greater good….. instead of NOT. It is a choice we have every day.
Go fiercely and gently Farnoosh!
love and light to all!
Hi dear Kathy,
Thank you so so much. I love – LOVE – artists but I have so much compassion for how challenging your lives sometimes can be. "Ultimate truth of being" – I love those words. Thank you for saying them.
Oh thank you for the fabulous reminders that even I need over and over – even though I am out of the corporate environment. It is a necessary reminder in life.
Many thanks, dear Kathy!
Love it Kathy!
Farnoosh,
As I read more of your story, I'm reminded that each of us – we are travelers here on this earth… Where are we choosing to travel in this life journey that is uniquely ours?
Your story is so inspiring – of listening to your heart and really living from that place of meaning and purpose. And that, dear friend, is a journey that is so, so worth it…
You have gotten into my core. Phase one for me was being at peace with the fact that I was unhappy in my marriage, and it was ok to let it go. Phase two was actually living and accepting that I was 40 and trying to make it on my own with two kids…Phase 3 is getting out of a job that cannot support me and that has become to "corp" and does not fill my soul….I'm getting to my place where I think FINALLY, I know what I want to do…how I want to live and how I can inspire my children (and maybe a few other people) how to live a life that you love.
I'm so glad to have been given a chance to "meet" you…to be inspired. I look forward to reading more about you.
Dawn
Dawn, wow! I am SO touched that my story came through to the point that you felt like sharing so much with us here. It's lovely to "meet" you too and step by step, you are moving into the direction of the life that I think you were meant to live and all of it is good because your awareness is so so sharp and you are doing yourself such service and favor by listening to it. Bravo. You have already inspired me!
All the best and thanks for reading and commenting here, Dawn.
#3 is AWESOME. This is exactly how I feel and I thought I was the only one 🙂 Thank you Jacob for introducing us to Farnoosh and keeping it real for all of us everyday! I so identify with both of you. Thank you for putting yourself out there.
Oh yes, the challenge bit. Would you believe I actually complained about it and went unheard???! "Please, give me something to do that would solve a problem or make a difference somewhere, somehow – I am way overqualified for the easy nonsense. Really and truly!" Sigh.
Jacob is a sweet heart and I am so fortunate that he shared his community here with me. Keeping it real – Jacob is a master at that but I am aiming to live that way too. Thank you so much for your comments!
-=)
The pleasure is all mine -=)
Hi dear Sal, you are most welcome. So you have left and you are out to make a life of your own. I am so so SO happy for you. Just make smart decisions, watch your finances, have a plan and maybe a backup plan but do not settle for the crazy, insane, rat race that destroys our very core and our sense of happiness and well-being over time. You are very welcome, Sal. Thanks for your comment!
Hi Jack, please do write up that post. I can't argue with that one. Time, time, time! To have our own time to ourselves, that's all we really want. And I am very proud of you for doing it too. Let me know when you write up your story.
Meditation courses> Love it! 🙂
Thanks for your comment here too.
Farnoosh, we met just briefly at WDS, but the passion I could feel in that quick introduction was exactly what I expected after reading your site and hearing your interview with BlogcastFM.
I'm a few months away from leaving a cushy job with out much of a plan and your reasons echo many of mine (specifically #2).
Jacob, we didn't meet at WDS, but Sensophy is right up my alley. Been digging through your archives and what you are doing is great. I like your writing style and your message. Keep at it.
Most people would not have left their six figure job even if they where unhappy. I think happiness is not in the money we have or the cash we make. But what we do on a daily basis. What we do on a daily basis is what leaves us HAPPPY. And im happy to have read your post!!
Hi Jonathan, thank you – that was a sweet and very genuine comment and it is very true. Yes, most if not all of my previous colleagues are very unhappy but they will never leave so much money and stock options and bonuses on the table to go and do what they want…. that'd just be silly :)!
Thanks for your comment.
Its wonderful how you decided to be happy before doing anything else. Most people spend their entire lives pleasing other. You've done well here.
Indeed Lance… Thanx for stopping by and dropping knowledge! -=)
Amazing post Farnoosh! Thank you for your beautiful and inspiring words. I am in plans to do that exact thing. A couple months ago on a flight I had an "awakening" and wrote down: I am taking back my power.
A company who treats their employees in this fashion is not an organization I wish to be a part of.
I am no longer going to waste my time. I am more valuable than this. I have more to offer this world. I am not going to be a slave to their management by intimidation, lack of professionalism, destructive criticism and toxicity. No more.
Relief, stress in shoulders, neck and pit of my stomach removed. No more. I'm free.
I'll keep you posted.
Very true. We only have one opportunity to enjoy our life. It isn't something that lasts forever and choosing to chase your dreams instead of working for a paycheck is what happiness is all about.
One opportunity is it, Patrick. I don't like to be reminded of it but sometimes it is the rush to reality that we need. Thanks for dropping in!
Dear Furnoosh, you have the great will power. It is true we are only visitors to this plannet, and that too for a short time. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hi VP, so nice to see you here. I had no idea I have *this* much will power but I did and so do YOU if you really want to change the course of your life. I have no doubt about it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
[…] I saw these words a few minutes after finding out that Forbes published a story around my recent decision to ditch the corporate life. Impeccable timing. I finally do know what I ache for and you can bet your bottom dollar that I fully intend on meeting this heart’s longing. […]
[…] it on my own, Farnoosh went out, did it, and told the tale of leaving her 6-figure career and why she left without a plan. She pointed me in the direction of a great eBook, You Don’t Need a Job, You Need Guts about […]
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