When Quitting is Winning

They say that quitters never win, and winners do not quit. It’s easy to believe it at first, after all, who are we to defy that famous notion?

But it’s not always the case.

Perhaps everyone reaches a point when you question what you’re doing with your life. I’m not yet too old to enter a midlife crisis, but I’ve learned to pause and question myself what happened over the last four years after graduation. I was constantly unhappy with the daily grind of commuting, unfulfilled with the kind of work I’m doing, and unsatisfied with the pay I’m receiving. I felt trapped.

When January rolled in, I began questioning why I was born with a nationality that couldn’t freely go to other countries. There are only around 30 countries that I could visit just with my passport, and some of which are in South America and Africa, where travelling to required a lot of money. I knew that I had to keep my job to realize my dream of travelling the world.

Then, April came. An unexpected incident in the office prompted me to put my foot down and to finally make the decision to resign.

The past two months was tough, to be honest. It’s not that easy to quit your job all of a sudden, even when you’ve been dreaming about it for far too long. It’s never too easy to say goodbye to people in the office who have become my friends after all those years together. But most of all, it’s difficult to muster the courage to jump into the unknown.

For most of my life, I’ve learned how to plan (maybe except picking my college degree). Yet, there’s something so liberating about throwing all the routines and plans out of the window, and trusting your gut once and for all. I’ve decided not to find work simply to find myself and to do the things I’ve always wanted to do.

I have no concrete plans on where to go next, but possess a deep desire to grow as a person. I was once told that sadness fills your heart as you go nearer to your last day in the office. But, it was not the case for me. As each day passed by, I grew more and more excited. Sure, I was going to miss a lot of people, but I was counting the days to my freedom. I needed this break to feel alive again.

To my friends (I hope you are reading this), words can never be enough to thank you for the great friendships that we have. From the daily lunches to the out-of-town trips together, you made the last four years so much brighter. Thank you for empathizing with me when I cried, for laughing at my silly jokes, and for simply sharing your life with me. I will definitely miss you all.

My journey now continues. I am finally free and my gap (half) year begins.