quarter life crisis

I’ve been noticing an interesting trend going on among my peers, including myself. We’re all in our mid-twenties when some form of reality or real world hits us in the face. Sometimes its a punch in the face or maybe even a Bernie Mac slap to the face. Either way, it’s something that shakes us down to the core: my life needs to change.

Or something to that effect… But essentially, we’ve come to that point in our lives where we reevaluate our standard of living and realize if we’re truly happy with our current situation or not. Sometimes this evaluation is voluntary. Sometimes it’s forced. Sometimes we just wake up from the Matrix realizing we’ve been asleep at a job or a role or a dream that we never really intended on being in. OR we realize, “ya know, maybe I’m not cut out for this.”

An events coordinator wants to be a nurse.

A retail worker wants to be a teacher.

An electrician wants to be an accountant.

A sociology major wants to manage a restaurant.

And a dozen or more and they know who they are.

(All of these examples are real people who are following a new passion on what they want to do with their lives, and I wish them the best and all happiness in their pursuits.)

What I haven’t told you about myself is that a few weeks ago I was laid off from my office job. It was a hard pill to swallow, but I think I swallowed it rather quickly. The funny thing is the night before, and a few weeks prior, I had been thinking of how bored I was getting with my job. I mean, I was good at it and it was easy work (when there was work to do) but I didn’t get any real satisfaction. Sure, I made my quota and production (when there was work to do) but what did I really have to show for it? I could tell my friends, but what did they care about 50 files a week? Unlike my creative side, if I took 50 photos or wrote 50 poems or completed 50 scripts (I wish), that’s something I could show to the world and they’d possibly enjoy.

Now I’m not having a crisis, but hours after getting the news, or as I call it “the call”, reality hit me: I was free and I really wasn’t happy where I was. I also had tremendous love and support from my family, friends, and even my fellow former co-workers whom I plan on staying in contact with. Am I sad I lost my job? Honestly? Not really. There’s a reason for me having that job. For one thing, it helped to pay off my first car. It helped to pay for a lot of things. I met some really interesting people. I’m also able to recognize certain locations based on area codes! But the work I was doing wasn’t fulfilling and getting let go only allowed me to, essentially, let myself go. By that, I mean I was free to do whatever I wanted to, go wherever I wanted to go. I’ve been telling people for years my dreams and what I wanted to be. Now I have the chance to do what I was taught: don’t tell me, show me.

I knew changes were going to happen. I even went on a 10 day fast and no sooner was that over did my life begin to change. I’m a very spiritual person. I have no shame in that and I know God had a hand in everything that’s happened thus far.

And I want you to know I’m not the only one. Like I said, several of my peers are having similar epiphanies and have quit jobs to start new ones or even gone back to school to get that new job. Some are in the process of finding out what their true passion really is. For me, it’s doing what I’m doing right now… entertaining you. I’m sure I can get a desk job anywhere, but I don’t think I’ll be as happy and satisfied. And I’ve been done with that previous chapter and I’m shelving that book… I’m on to the next new book. And you Indoobians are welcome to go along with me. Well, in blog terms, of course.

[Insert some meaning encouraging/motivation/inspirational quote here.]

Life happens and is continuing to do so.