Shine With Grace

This is not an easy decision, to leave the organisation I have worked for so many years, to give up the steady paycheck, the benefits, the security, the promotion prospect (so to speak)…  This is not an easy decision, to step into the unknown, to take risk, to start something new.  This is not an easy decision, to put myself out for a test.

Either you set up goals and in doing so, have your life governed by choice, or you do nothing and have your life governed by chance.

~ Robin Sharma 

Not until very recently do I finally grasp that I have not made any conscious decisions about my career.  I just boarded the first opportunity available,  and glided along pretty comfortable for some years.  I have not loved it, nor hated it (well, not until quite recently…).  I simply was not passionate about it.  I had thought (taught to think so?) it was what work meant to be - you don’t do what you love or otherwise why are you getting paid?

And this is the biggest fallacy.

People DO do what they love and love what they do. I found that people who are successful indeed do what they love and love what they do - and I mean every big names, Richard Branson, Donald Trump, Steve Jobs, Steven Spielberg, Bill Gates, J K Rowling, Oprah Winfrey… 

The best way to succeed should be living your potential to the full, right?  Instead of choosing to be average, instead of working on your weakness, why not groom your strength and produce the best result in your gifted area?

It could be extremely energy consuming even to attain mediocrity if you are not doing what you love, what you are gifted.

And therefore I began my search, the search for my bliss.

Seek and ye shall find.

~ Bible

It was somehow magical.  For very long even though I knew that this was not the place for me, I didn’t leave for I didn’t know where to go.  When I finally started to believe that maybe I can do what I love to do (like many others), opportunities began showing up and before long I found my bliss.  And, you just know it when you’ve found it.  It’s like going with the flow - everything seems so effortless, so easy, so enjoyable, while the results are so much better.  From then I knew I have to change course.

Having said that, I still struggled, struggled for quite awhile.  I thought it was going to take all my courage.  I nevertheless felt extremely calm when I finally made the decision - it just felt right.  After all the considerations, analysis, discussions, what I could do was follow my gut.   “I could see my life mapped out and it wasn’t what I wanted.” Read this from an interview of the Psychologies Magazine UK - which pretty much summarised how I feel.

There are still, of course, lots of uncertainties and I won’t pretend that I’m not scared.  Just that this time, I refuse to let my fear stop me, for I know that I will keep feeling unfulfilled if I stick with stability and security (BTW how secure could that be if day in and day out I am doing something I don’t enjoy, and even not believe in any more?).

Then I began telling my friends the decision.  Of course some, quite understandably, showed their worries.  Yet, most glad (and interesting) that the first responses of the majority were, “Congratulations!! (Finally!!!)”  My friends do know me, may be better than I do.  I was particularly touched when heard some of them said ” You are so courageous.”  Yes, dear friends, it does take lots of courage, and more is needed down the road.

I support you whatever your decision is.  Just follow your heart.

Yes I will, for I found that is the best strategy so far.

* Cartoon drawn by Andrew Matthews, author of “Being Happy” and “Follow Your Heart“.

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