I Almost Went Crazy Being A Hero… that’s why I quit my secure job as a teacher.
“Wow, I admire you SO much.” “Thank you for all that you do.” “Awww… you have the best job in the world.”
These are all phrases that I heard on a regular basis when I told people that I was a school teacher. Most people would have loved to hear those phrases about their job. I mean who wouldn’t love being the admiration of 24 small children and parents? So then, why did I always dread going to work?
To put it simply, I just didn’t love what I was doing. Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely LOVED those kids. They were the best part of my day. Some days, they were the only things that brought me joy. However, at the end of the day, it wasn’t about the kids. It was about my lack of passion for what I was doing.
One day, I was listening to Zig Ziglar and he said something that hit me hard. He said that if you are a person that is at work but all your thoughts and energy is geared toward something else, you are stealing from your job. He went on to say that you are taking the time that they pay for your own personal purpose and that is wrong. After sitting at my desk reflecting, I had a realization.
I was a theif. I was robbing my job, my students, and most importantly, myself. I just couldn’t go another day doing something that I didn’t love!
Sound familiar? Do you have a job that the average person would die for, but you leave feeling like, “meh”? Are you constantly thinking about doing something else that you REALLY love? I struggled with this for a long time. I thought that I was a bad and ungrateful person. I would do things like plaster a smile on my face so that others wouldn’t detect my unhappiness. Or, I would work extra hard to prove that I could do a good job, but the whole time, I still didn’t enjoy what I was doing. Being a teacher is a good job. It is a perfect job for many people. It just wasn’t perfect for me.
We spend so much time doing the “good” thing that sometimes, we neglect the “RIGHT” thing.
Listen, your passion is YOUR passion. No one can tell you what you should or shouldn’t be passionate about and it’s okay to be passionate about different things. Deep down inside, you know what is and isn’t right for you. We all do. It’s okay to pursue your passion!
So now, you’ve gotten permission to love what you love uninhibitedly. That’s not the hard part. The hard part is figuring out what to do about it. Should you stay comfortably where you are? Or, should you branch out and follow your heart? Well, I challenge you to my “Should I Leave My Job” Litmus Test. Ask yourself these 3 questions:
- Does my current job have my full devotion and energy?
- Will I ever be happy doing what I’m doing currently?
- Do I want to move up and do what my boss does?
If your answer is “NO” to all of the above, it’s time to quit or at least start your exit plan. Do the math. Current unhappiness, normally doesn’t equal future happiness. If you aren’t enjoying it now, you probably won’t enjoy it even if you move up in ranks. Now, are there exceptions to every rule? Of course! I just urge you to dig deep. In the end, you’ll know.
After a lot of careful thought, I realized that I DO love teaching. I’d just rather teach people how to live their best lives as their best selves. That allows me to teach kids, teens, adults and myself on a daily basis by my own terms. Now that’s exciting! I literally get to save people from living a life without passion and purpose! Wait! I guess that kind of still makes me a hero after all! 😉
Think Tank Assignment
(Yup, you have an assignment. You take the girl out of the school, but you can’t take that school out of the girl)
Today’s assignment is to go back to the litmus test and ask yourself if your current job is really for you. Next tell me, if not, what keeps you from creating an exit plan? We all have our reasons, but I’d like for us to think together of some ways we can get past our fears. I couldn’t have gotten where I am today without a lot of support and prayer. So, I will pray for you and ask that you pray for me. Be blessed and be a blessing!
XOXO,
Kim
