Starting a New Chapter

by

So I officially resigned from work last April 15. My last day is today.

It was not exactly because I didn't like my job. It was because the state of my health lately has been interfering with my living.

Before resigning, I took a 3-week leave from work. The company has been welcoming and approved the leave. They paid me during this time. But during this time, while I was working on my physical and mental health, I quickly realized how much time I am losing to work. The work was 6 days a week, 8 hours a day - sometimes more, that is an immense amount of my daily hours. I used to be able to get up in the morning and exercise or read a book. Now it would take me around 1-2 hours to drag myself out in the morning to be able to log in on time.

I'm not a huge fan of Jordan Peterson but he said, "It's a moral obligation to pursue what is meaningful." As much as I loved my job and the people I worked with, to me having the time to spend guiltless moments with my family is meaningful. To me having the time to listen to my friends' stories is meaningful. During this unprecedented and challenging time, I have been confronted by the fact that I need to pay more attention to the people and things that mean something to me. Sure, my job offered me consistent income during this time. Sure, pursuing a full-time freelance career is scary and risky. But the amount of time I will be taking back starting today moving forward is something that I will not be able to return. It had to be done.

Another quote that pushed me to leave my job is from Steve Jobs. "Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." I know I had to resign at some point. Some of my coworkers were against me leaving. "Times are tough. You don't know if you'll ever get another job." It was extremely difficult to make this decision. So a few months before I finalized and sent my letter of resignation, I planned out and sought part-time clients that will strengthen my justification that I can pursue a full-time freelancing career. And it worked. I now have a few clients that will most likely help with the transition. And I am truly grateful for that.

And so let this post be the mark of a new chapter for me. And here's to us still here, surviving and thriving.

Kai Javier

Sometimes I wonder what if we can all truly tap our potential? What if you're not hindered by societal limitations? What if you can do anything you always wanted to do?

Whenever I talk to people of different races and foreigners that know very little of my country, my horizons widen and my opportunities open up. They get to know more about what I have to offer beyond what is written and shown in popular media.

As a Filipino, I'm so used to the fact that Filipinos are consistently hindered by so many responsibilities and limitations, from poverty to cultural issues. I refuse to be limited due to my nationality and what other people write about Filipinos. Talent shouldn't be limited by region or race or stereotypes. The future is global.