THE JOURNEY WITHIN: Is quiting failure or self preservation?

"If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it, If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place." Nora Roberts

"My interest is in the future, because I'm going to be spending the rest of my life there." Charles Kettering

In high school I was told by my witch of a drill team instructor that if I quit drill team I would be a quitter for the rest of my life. I didn't quit drill team...

I should have. I spent years after graduating with nightmares based on drill team experiences (seriously). Everyone in my life wanted me to quit, but I was too stubborn because of what she had said. Shame on her.

Since then I've struggled with "when is it time to quit?" I was taught that quitting is failure. But I now believe that sometimes quitting is self-preservation.

During college I became really good at quitting. I quit student government, dance team, a couple of jobs, my first major, my second major, lots of boyfriends... the only thing that really stuck was my sorority.

After college I quit a BUNCH of jobs... to the point that I started to think that maybe my Wicked Witch of the West drill team instructor was right... maybe I was a quitter.

As my work history stabilized I took another huge blow... I quit my marriage.

In hindsight, the only regret I hold is NOT quitting drill team. I know myself very well and I know that I am not a quitter... I just want what I want and what I deserve.

I've been in my current job for 2 years. I've learned SO much about relationship sales, customer service, Dallas, & being a team player. I love my co-workers and my job on it's good days... so I was really surprised when friends started saying "it's time to find A a new job"... "Don't you see how stressed and unhappy you are" or "I wouldn't do your job... it's miserable". I realized quickly that I lov-ed my job, but that I hadn't been happy in a while.

So one weekend R & I started talking about other opportunities for me, then a couple days later I broke the news to my parents who quickly admitted they thought it was a good idea as well...

Within 30 minutes of that conversation my phone rang. A competitor was on the phone with the job of my dreams. Everything I'm good at without the level of stress... without commission! My first answer was "sure let me see who I know that would do well there"... my second answer was "maybe we should talk about me taking on this position".

After 5 interviews, assessment testing, drug testing, a background check, a negotiation and the horrible announcement to my current work family that I was leaving... I can now officially say that I am starting my new journey the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.