Was I willing to give up everything? This career change would involve giving up not only my job but my home, and a secure future. The time to act was now...

Was I willing to give up everything? This career change would involve giving up not only my job but my home, and a secure future. The time to act was now. Our workplace was no longer safe. My husband’s health, and likely his life were on the line.

            How much did security mean to me? Was a roof over my head more important than taking a leap of faith and saving our lives?

            On Valentine’s Day, 2007, after almost 12 years as on-site low income apartment managers, my husband and I gave each other the best gift of our lives. We turned in our resignation letters and choose to put our health and our future ahead of our security.

            The decision was met by shock from our superiors because we had endured great challenges and like the Energizer bunny kept on going. This time, enough was enough. We extended our two week notice to a month, and then after giving away most of our possessions, stepped out into an unknown future.

            We had a little money in our pockets, a temporary home due to a friend’s generosity, and not a clue how we were going to proceed. First, we needed to get some rest and restore our bodies, minds, and spirits so we could think rationally about our choices.

            I’ll admit that there were moments of panic along our path but it was one of the few times in my life where I stopped and asked the question, “What is my passion? What do I want to do?”

            Initially there was some soul searching. It would have been easy to find another position as apartment managers. Our reputation of excellence had grown beyond the city limits to the state level. We could have gone almost anywhere. But, in my heart, the thought of walking back into the same lion’s den of issues was repulsive to me. There were many nuggets of truth and wisdom we had gleaned as managers but these could be better passed along by writing a book than putting our lives on the line once again.

            The second thing I realized was that I couldn’t do it alone. I needed help to make this life altering choice. After searching my heart and realizing that writing was really my passion, I evaluated the tools at my disposal. I have a business degree, a law degree, and a lot of work experience in both the corporate and non-profit worlds. What kind of new picture could I create?  

            I turned to the Career Services office at my former alma mater, Gonzaga University Law School.  It was one of the best decisions of my life. There I was met by Emily who after listening to my story and reviewing my resume offered some options to consider.

            The way ahead of me didn’t seem as black as it first appeared. I began using the power of the Internet to search out opportunities. Next, I needed to define my future goals.

What did I want my new job to look like? Did I want a full-time or part-time job? Did I want to commute or work from home? What was my salary range? What was the desire of my heart? How important was flexibility?

            During this evaluation process, we took on a summer dog-sitting position for two basset hounds. This was a bigger adventure than we realized especially when they weren’t happy sleeping in their own room and began howling during the night. For the remainder of the three months of this assignment, we slept with two bassets in our bedroom and often on our air mattress. Needless to say, there were moments of laughter and tears.

            Craigslist became one of my best search tools. I checked it at least twice a week for writing positions around the country, searching for short term and permanent positions.   

             One day I stumbled across a jewel located on the Las Vegas Craigslist. I live in Washington State, so this wasn’t exactly in my backyard.

            This job opening really looked promising. It was for a part-time Associate Editor. It was a telecommute position with good pay. One of the qualifications was either a Masters in Business (MBA) or a law degree (JD).

            It seemed like the perfect opportunity combining my educational background with my passion for writing. I turned in my resume and waited. In less than I week, I received an email stating I had passed the initial screening.

            The next part involved a series of conference calls and testing my ability to do the job.  The editing was a challenge but the rewards were great. This might really work.

             I was offered the position. After over a year of being unemployed, I was thrilled. The amazing thing was it met all the criteria I set out to find in my new ‘perfect’ job. This was a challenging, time-critical position where businesses were relying on me to provide them with the most accurate information in a timely manner.

            Gradually my confidence grew under the tutelage of my supervising team. Each one of them was appreciative and encouraging every step of the way. They were glad to have me working with them as together we accomplished our goal of meeting our clients’ needs.

            I excelled in this working environment while at the same time I had an opportunity to improve my skills for my writing projects. After about six months, or three work cycles, I was offered a promotion to the Publisher position which is reserved for those who have done an outstanding job as editors.

            This was a dream come true. My husband was getting healthier. He retired and focused on enjoying life rather than juggling the demands of life and health. We caught a few more breaks and suddenly I realized that life was so much better after walking away from our old job.

            Was it scary to leave? Yes. I felt like I was jumping out of a plane without a parachute. But what did I learn in the process?

            First, that my worth is not determined by my job. If I put work first, I can lose everything that matters, health and family. Second, pursuing the passion of my heart always results in the best fit for me. If I am doing what I love, it’s not work. Third, seek the advice of someone else. When we are in the middle of a storm, it’s really hard to be objective about our own lives. A career specialist can evaluate our strengths and give us options to consider. If we have left a job, no matter the circumstances, we often feel like a failure, and we need some encouragement that life really will get better.

            Today, I have found a balance between my work life, my personal life, and my volunteer activities. This is a path I may never have found if I wasn’t willing to give up what I held in my hand for a brighter future than I could ever imagine.

            Pursue the passion of your heart. It will never lead you astray.