<p><em>&quot;Can&#39;t you see the
teacup is full? You can&#39;t pour tea into a full teacup!&quot; - Buddhist teaching<br /></em></p>

<p>When I quit my job back in 2004 (!) I literally didn&#39;t know what my next steps would be - I knew I didn&#39;t like my job but I didn&#39;t have anything lined up to take its place.</p>

<p>(I was pregnant, but I wouldn&#39;t find out until later that evening. My decision was based solely on what I wanted for myself. It was selfish, if you will.) </p>

<p>All I knew is that all the energy I was putting into that job was literally making me sick to my stomach&#0160; and I simply couldn&#39;t do it anymore.</p>

<p>(OK, maybe morning sickness had something to do with it, but I didn&#39;t know that at the time.)

</p>

<p>So I took a deep breath, walked into my boss&#39; office and quit.</p>

<p>She assumed that I was being coy about my plans because I was leaving to work for a competitor and at first tried to get me to spill the beans - probably because she wanted out too.</p>

<p>&quot;I swear. I really don&#39;t know what I&#39;m doing next.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;You&#39;re serious.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;All I know is that I won&#39;t be working here. Or in another big company. At least not for a while. I want to try something different.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Like what?&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;I don&#39;t know.&quot;</p>

<p>At first, saying that out loud felt like I was admitting defeat: I don&#39;t know. Who says that? Not Type A careerists like me! But the more I said it, the more comfortable I became with the concept - I could accept that I didn&#39;t know what I wanted. I wanted to keep my options open. I had made a mistake and was going to own up to it: I did not want the corporate job after all.</p>

<p>I had given two (or maybe three?) week&#39;s notice, and dutifully worked at finishing up projects and tying up loose ends. I blissfully closed up shop and handed over my projects and timelines with a clear conscience.</p>

<p>I remember waking up happy as can be on my first Monday of Freedom, my mind clear with the simplicity of my new life. </p>

<p>Not so fast, sister.</p>



<p>The phone rang at 9:00 am. It was a headhunter. She was calling me about what two years before had been my dream job - to become a cosmetics buyer for one of the largest retailers in the US. I hesitated for a second, but then I told her the truth - I wasn&#39;t interested.</p>

<p>That felt good. I had learned the hard way that I didn&#39;t want the corporate life, and I wasn&#39;t about to get suckered back in.</p>



<p>Then a month later my old company called, offering more money and promotion. They thought I had been playing hardball, and they cried uncle.</p>

<p>It was all I could do not to laugh. </p>

<p>&quot;I was serious when I quit. But thank you.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Come back.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;I&#39;m pregnant,&quot; I blurted out. &quot;No thanks.&quot;</p>

<p>Silence.</p>

<p>&quot;Then consult for us. What are your rates?&quot;</p>

<p>I had never considered consulting - but it sounded good. I negotiated my rates and my terms:</p>

<p>&quot;I refuse to work on any projects with my old boss. I&#39;m not covering for her lazy ass anymore.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Can&#39;t blame you.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;I&#39;ll come in after 10 AM. And my contract ends exactly 30 days before my due date. I want time off before I become a mom.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Deal.&quot;</p>

<p>And that, my friends, was the first step in the strange and meandering path that is my work life. I haven&#39;t looked back on my old corporate life and I certainly haven&#39;t been bored. I&#39;ve been honest about what I want, and more often than not I get it. And when I don&#39;t? It&#39;s not the end of the world. I&#39;ve taken on so many interesting projects (not all for pay) and learned so much from every single one.</p>

<p>I just went through a month when I got rid of things that were weighing
me down and cut off people from my life that didn&#39;t have my best
interests in mind. And because nature abhors a vacuum, as soon as I got
rid of the dead weight awesome things have taken their place. I&#39;ve been
invited to take on great new projects. I&#39;ve met amazing new people that
make me laugh and cry (with laughter.)</p>

<p>I&#39;m not saying you should quit your job - I don&#39;t know you. Maybe you love your job but something else in your life is driving you crazy. What I&#39;m saying is that if something is in your life and you hate it, get
rid of it. You have to make room in your life for what you want - even if that scares the pants off you.</p>
