A Game Changer.
Welp… things are about to get a whole lot more personal on How Sweet It Is. Hold on to your boots bacon.
Something happened today that I am pretty sure will change my life forever.
Today, I gave my resignation for that place where I spend my time from 8am until 5pm every single day. I still don’t believe it. I think it was a dream. And my head really, really hurts.
Although this was not planned, it has been a long time coming. Only once last year did I truly express my unhappiness and my true passion in life. And unless you got up close and personal with me, you really would have had no idea the situation I was in.
My health has suffered.  My positive attitude has suffered. My wellbeing has suffered. My relationships have suffered. My marriage has suffered. Last night, Mr. How Sweet told me that it’s called “work” for a reason.  I’m sorry, but I just can’t accept that.
All I really want is peace.
The biggest thing that has stopped me from doing this until now?  GUILT. Guilt for having a job when so many others out there are suffering and would do anything for one. Guilt for leaving my husband with the burden of “taking care of me” and being solely financially responsible for our lives if I can’t find another job. Guilt for wanting to pursue what I really want – because isn’t that just a fairytale? Guilt for getting to do what I want when so many others don’t get to. Why do I get to be so lucky? Or reckless? I guess it depends on how you look at it.
To me, being reckless would be to run far away and live on hope. Like here:
I didn’t quit my job to blog. I don’t want you thinking that I am just like every other blogger out there that is miserable in their job and then bucks up and heads out. I was miserable with my place of employment long before I began my blog. See, I can’t survive on my blog alone. And even more importantly – I don’t know if I want to. I love writing this website as a hobby and it has brought more joy and life into my life than anything else in the past 15 months. To be perfectly cliché: it has made me come alive.
(But this can get to be an expensive hobby. If I post ramen noodles will you still read? Please? What about ramen noodles with bacon?)
I’m pretty scared. Okay, I’m scared to death. I emotionally ate 36 oreos while watching 6 DVR-ed episodes of Boy Meets World hoping that Mr. Feeny would pass a few pearls of wisdom to me from the other side of the tube. All I got was the episode where he announces he is retiring to Wyoming, and says “there comes a time when change just feels right.”
Good enough for me.
147 Comments on “A Game Changer.”
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Good for you!! I know it’s scary but you are going to be FINE. I quit my job almost two years ago when I realized that I wanted to go back to school to be a teacher. In a time when people were looking for jobs, I walked away from a booming field to be in one where the pay is notoriously bad and jobs are being cut everyday. But I knew it was right. The same way you did.
Good luck, you won’t regret this. And don’t make yourself miserable with fear. Try and enjoy this time!! This sweet, free, random blip in time…will be over before you know it!
Hey, Just wanted to comment that I’ve been reading your blog for a few months now (though never posted yet before), and say that I am so excited for you that you are making a change in your life that feels right and wonderful to you. I definitely think you should follow your passion and try to create a life you love in every way; it is yours alone to live. I adore your blog and can’t wait to read more! :)
You are so amazing for sharing this with us all. You’re a true inspiration. I’m positive you will find a job that’s the perfect fit for you. You’ll always have your devoted readers (like me) to pray for you and cheer you on. So excited to see what the future brings for you!
I’ve been reading your blog for a little while and i do believe this is my first comment.
Sometimes change is good. You have to step out in faith and pursue what you dream of doing. Sometimes, people succeed and other fail. But, you’ll never know unless you’ve tried.
By the way, I disagree with Mr. Sweet. Yes, it’s “work”. But, you should be happy or liking what you do. If you don’t, then the “work” or productivity suffers not to mention your health and relationships.
I’ll be behind the scenes cheering you on your newest adventure. Hang in there. Something better is bound to come along to give you peace and happiness.
Change is always a little bit scary–sometimes a lot scary. However, I don’t think anyone should feel guilty for pursuing their dreams. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that you are responsible for your own happiness. If you’re in a situation that makes you unhappy and there’s the opportunity for change, then there’s no reason not to try to make things better. Even if the road ahead gets bumpy from time to time, you’ll always have knowledge that you took your life and your dreams into your own hands–and that’s a very valuable thing.
I think you and your blog are wonderful and I can’t wait to hear where this new path takes you. :)
I think that you should ALWAYS do what you are happy doing, no matter what anyone says. Nobody should ever have to go to “work”, because “work” should be doing what you love. I say go for it and follow your heart!
You can do it! We’re all scared of the unknown… and this is a pretty big unknown. But once you get there you’ll think, “What was I so scared of?!”
I have done this, I know the scary but great mixed emotions you have now… but mostly, doesn’t it Just Feel GOOD ?
That is awesome, and I am happy for you. AND, being one of my favorite blogs, I’m excited at the prospect of seeing MORE of you. :D
Jessica-I love that your sharing this with your readErs! Your dedication to honesty and realness(is that even a word? Oh he’ll it’s past my bedtime!) is what keeps me following you amd feeling like I truly know you! I’m so impressed that your able to be aware of your happiness and listening to your body when it tells you it doesn’t want to be somewhere. You only have this one life so don’t spend it miserable! Xoxo excited for what’s to come
Best post ever. Second would be the wedding pictures I think :)
Ok I cant even believe you wrote one of the deepest, most coherent, and emotionally moving posts you’ve ever written, or that I get the pleasure to read in the entire ‘sphere…but that you wrote it at a time when you life just went from humdrum to chaos!!! A good chaos, but upheaveal, chaos, change and all of that…in the blink of an eye.
I am proud of you. I am happy for you. Guilt. No, not even crossed my mind. At all. Nor would I think it would cross anyone’s mind about why to stay in their job, guilt b/c others would kill for a job? That is so moving and deep…and honestly, it just shows your true, amazing character.
AGain, I am so proud to call you one of my closest friends. I am here for you. ANYTIME. Call, text, write, cry, scream, freakout…and if you want to just buy a plane ticket here, you can live with me, we can have a ball, or just get your passport and we can do Plan B that I mentioned before. Now may be an excellent time for an excursion :)
I love you…hang in there. I am proud of you!!!!!
xoxo
Go get ’em, girl. The very first time you told me you were so bored with your work, I just wanted you to get on with it. Life’s too short to work at the post office (unless mail’s your thing). So go get ’em, go get IT, whatever that turns out to be. GREAT news. (Have you read Room? The little guy there is Scaved, that’s scared but brave. That’s you.
wow girl, how exciting is this?!?!?! i can’t wait to see what the future holds for you, and i’m definitely sure it’ll be wonderful bc you are so talented!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Having left a hard position, I know something of how you feel right now. let me just say: the honeymoon doesn’t have to end. I am still so thankful I left that toxic place!!
Congratulations! I’m so glad you did it! And, hey, don’t worry about the whole hubby supporting you thing. Guys like that. They like to think they’re the dragon slayers. Even though we women know they couldn’t do it without us! ;)
That was a brave move. I have not even entered the workforce yet and I already hate the idea of being trapped behind a deal. I’m really in no hurry.
Sure what you did was scary, but there comes a time when doing what makes you happy and gives you peace of mind is more important than any type of financial security a miserable job will.
Anyways, I wish you all of the best of luck with whatever the next step may be.
“Keep calm and carry on.” (Always gets me through a tough time.)
Congratulations girl. You did the right thing, and I am proud of you, and inspired by you.
No matter how much it is “work” it shouldn’t make you ill. Good job for taking care of you and not focusing on what other people think.
You’re awesome. I recently quit a job that made me supremely unhappy as well, and wow does it make a difference! The weight that will be lifted from your shoulders will feel great – and don’t feel guilty for letting it! Remember to put that unhappy period of time/life behind you, you’ve got pages to fill yet and you never have to go backwards! :)
Love your blog :P
i left my job and flew 10k miles to be with my husband as was posted here to work. my job was paying me well, but the working hours were irregular, and went well into the midnights. left me tired and our bond weaker. we had no time for each other. since being here, and being able to experience the life of a housewife, other than having less $$ to spend with, the reward of having the time to do everything u’re passionate abt, for yourself, and ur health, and ur family, its all worth it. money can slowly be earned back, but time can’t be bought back, neither can ur health. the minor adjustments to your financial budget is little, compared to what you have sacrificed previously for ur job.
P.S. congrats on making a great decision for the long run. ;)
You have done and amazing and very brave thing. And you will be just fine. Life is too short to stay where we are unhappy.
In a years time you will look back at this as the best decision you would have made. I assure you.
I did the exact same thing last year for the exact same reasons. It was scary at first and took some adjustment, but it was the right thing and I haven’t regretted it for one second.
I’m excited for you! You’re now wide open to receive the next great thing for YOU! I can’t wait to see what it is, and I’ll be faithfully reading along.
Congratulations!!
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Change is scary. But I’m so proud of you for doing it anyway!
Congrats on making the right decision for you. It’s hard to choose happiness over stability but it’s what makes you grow and opens you up to new opportunities.
Ohhh Jess… I dont know how you feel and how bad you needed “out”. Im here for you as your friend and support system. You know that. Bigger and better things are happening for you. I promise. xoxo
Congratulations, Jessica. I hope that you find a job that truely makes you happy and fulfilled…you only have one life. Make the most of it and be happy! :-)
Family is way more important than a job. Make that a priority in your life.
I love ramen noodles. :-)
Good for you. I can’t speak to your professional aspirations or financial situation, but if you feel that it is the right choice, that’s wonderful. I hope it all works out just as you want!
Holy frekin’ congratulations!!! I refuse to accept that work has to be miserable, too…just refuse. Your life is an exciting (and wide open) thing now! Enjoy it! :-) You’re inspiring…
I’m so happy for you. Just remember that every situation is temporary and two weeks from now, you’ll be in a completely different place and mindset. Being happy is what makes our lives worth living. Congrats!
Mr. Feeny is a wise one. ;)
And I agree on keeping a blog more hobby focused. I kind of sorta wrote abou that for my post going up this morning.
I think its GREAT you decided to pursue happiness for yourself. Life is too short otherwise. You should never feel guilty for living to the fullest. Great big, warm, fuzzy hugs coming your way. And I’ll even include a preggo belly rub. ;) Love you, Jess!
I hate it when I’m late catching up on my fav blogs! :)
Congrats on making a big, huge decision and owning it. I hope you find something that you love to do. For most of us, work is the place we spend a big percentage of our lives at, why shouldn’t it be something that makes you happy?
You know what? People tell me all the time I’ll never find a job I enjoy, and that all work sucks, and that it’s inevitable to be unhappy in life. And you know what? Those are the people who are too lazy or negative to go after their dreams. Good for you, everyone deserves to be happy. Especially you.
Jess! I am so, so, so happy for you! I absolutely 100% know you did the right thing. If it was at all possible for me to fall in your footsteps (aka I wouldn’t run out of money in less than a month) I would definitely do the exact same thing. There is absolutely NO reason to be that miserable, and you know I understand with all the commiserating we did in B-more, life is way too short and precious and you will find your way. Now that there isn’t a huge 8-hour-a-day distraction in your life, your path is wide open and I know something great will come along very soon.
I heart you.
I hope everything works out–hang in there! I am sure bigger and better things are coming your way :-)
Congratulations on the huge step! I envy you greatly as I was just talking to my husband about escaping my job as well. However, being the bacon-bringer-homer, it’s not going to happen . . . yet.
I’ll just live vicariously through you and your blog . . . if that’s okay?
BTW, I do absolutely love your blog. YAY for bacon!
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Jessica, you are going to be fine!!!! It is super scary right now but props to you for having the guts to do what is going to be best for you in the end….
For the last 6 years I have worked either 2 jobs and gone to school or worked 3 jobs after I graduated… I made the committment to go back to grad school this fall and decided that I could not kill myself anymore… my mom had said I couldn’t afford to give up my side jobs and that she wouldn’t help me out and the sentiment was the same from others in my family but I stood up for myself and cut my full time hrs to part time and quit my two other part time jobs… I’m devoting myself completely to my education and I could not be happier… sure I had to take out a loan to live on but it has been the best decision I could have made and my family now agrees after seeing how demanding my schooling is….
You are so amazing and such a role model and I love your blog and keep your head high and keep doing what you love…!!!!
Been there sista! I had a job that made me so anxious everyday that I lost 15 pounds within 4 months of working there. I quit. I had to, for the same reasons you mentioned (it was affecting my health and my relationships). I was single and totally scraping by. And I was terrified. But it kicked my ass into high gear, I did some temp/freelance work for a while, went back to grad school and now have a career that I absolutely adore. The saying is true: If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. I hope you find something you can feel that way about!
Congratulations for having the guts to do what most of us want to do!
First of all.. Guilt sucks. just don’t let that happen
Second of all.. I am so happy & proud of you!! It takes real courage to make a change!!
and lastly…. you could make toast tartare & I would read what you wrote about it. because you are amazing talented & could make anything exciting!!!
Huge congrats for following your heart!
Congratulations! You did a very brave thing.
Congratulations Jess. I’ve already said it – you’re an awesome writer, and you’re going to publish a book, I just know it :) I come here not so much for the recipes, but for the writing, which is rare for me!
Thank you so much!
I did the same exact thing last year. I was unemployed for about 3 weeks, and in that time I started cooking like crazy and found out I was very passionate about food. I found part-time work that led to a full-time position and a career change that I just fell into. I was so unhappy at my previous job that when I told my husband I wanted to quit his response was “you can’t keep working like this.” You have to do what is right for you and if this feels right then thats all that matters.
Congrats!!! Sometimes I want to leave my job also, but I don’t really know what else I would do. You are very brave!
Congratulations on making the plunge, Jessica! You’re going to be successful no matter what happens, so just keep your head up and you’ll do great. Maybe someday I’ll get the courage to do the same! :)
AHHH!!! CONGRATULATIONS- on taking your life in your own hands! I know how hard that must have been, but life is way too short to waste time doing things because we “should” or “have-to”. You have just opened infinite doors for yourself, and, with some patience (ok, a LOT of patience), you WILL find the right path for your life! I just know it :)
Big risk = big rewards. Life’s too short to be unhappy – I say, GOOD FOR YOU!!!! I can only imagine how scared you must be right now but you’ll never know where life will take you if you don’t take a risk. I’m sure it will pay off!